Here are our standings after last week.
Carter 5-1
Cory 5-1
Caleb 4-2
Now here's this weeks picks.
Michigan State at No. 22 Notre Dame
Michigan State has been a strong defensive team so far this season and will look to continue that trend at Notre Dame. Meanwhile the Fighting Irish are fresh off of surviving a scare at Purdue. Look for the Irish to get back on track at home, but this will be a close game between to great rivals.
Caleb's Pick- Notre Dame 21, Michigan State 13
Carter's Pick- Michigan St. 24, Notre Dame 17
Cory's Pick- Notre Dame 42, Michigan State 27
Arkansas at Rutgers
Arkansas is off to a great start under new head coach Brett Bielma. The Razorbacks are running the ball well and have won their 1st 3 games of the season. Rutgers has also played well, and other than an overtime loss to a very good Fresno State team they would also be unbeaten. Look for both of these teams to step up their game and show everyone who's for real.
Caleb's Pick- Rutgers 24, Arkansas 20
Carter's Pick- Arkansas 21 , Rutgers 17
Cory's Pick- Arkansas 52, Rutgers 17
No. 23 Arizona State at No. 5 Stanford
In the match-up of the only ranked teams this week, Arizona State heads to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinal. Arizona State won a barn burner against Wisconsin at home late last Saturday night, while Stanford took care of Army on the road. Stanford hasn't looked dominant in its first two games for a top 10 team, but look for them to get down to business against the Sun Devils.
Caleb's Pick- Stanford 31, Arizona State 21
Carter's Pick- Stanford 34, Arizona St 28
Cory's Pick- Stanford 48, Arizona State 13
Auburn at No. 6 LSU
Auburn has surprised some folks with the way they've started this season. They already have as many wins as they did last year, and their winning games by producing on offense and playing solid defense. Another team that has shocked some folks is LSU. A lot of the experts picked LSU to take a step back this year after losing most of their talent from last year to the NFL Draft, but this team has responded and looks to be just as good as previous years if not better. Look for this game to be reminiscent of the old bouts between LSU and Auburn, back when both teams kept it close and where one team would step up and win in the final minutes.
Caleb's Pick- LSU 28, Auburn 17
Carter's Pick- LSU 45, Auburn 10
Cory's Pick- LSU 35, Auburn 17
Tennessee at No. 19 Florida
Tennessee and Florida are both coming off tough losses to two very good teams. Tennessee got slapped around by Oregon last week, and will be looking to turn things around against a Gator team that struggled to put up points against Miami. Look for this one to come down to who can create turnovers and create big plays on offense.
Caleb's Pick- Florida 21, Tennessee 13
Carter's Pick- Tennessee 24, Florida 17
Cory's Pick- Tennessee 24, Florida 21
No. 15 Michigan at Connecticut
Michigan survived a scare against Akron last week and will be looking to regroup against a UConn team that just cant seem to do anything right. The Huskies were upset at home opening week by Towson, and then looked flat in their loss against Maryland. Look for both of these teams to step up their game and make the necessary adjustments to be better this week.
Caleb's Pick- Michigan 38, Connecticut 20
Carter's Pick- Michigan 35, Connecticut 24
Cory's Pick- Michigan 45, Connecticut 7
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Starting this week we will start picking some of the nations top games. So without further ado, here they are.
No. 1 Alabama at No. 6 Texas A&M The game of the year is upon us as all eyes will be on College Station Saturday at 3:30. Alabama will be seeking revenge for their only loss last year, whereas the Aggies and Johnny Manziel will be trying to prove that last year's win was no fluke. Expect a close game through three quarters, with the winner making their push in the final minutes of the 4th. Caleb's Pick- Alabama 31 Texas A&M 21 Carter's Pick- Alabama 21 Texas A&M 10 Cory's Pick- Alabama 35 Texas A&M 24 Tennessee at No. 2 Oregon This may not be a marquee match-up, but it is a match-up between SEC and PAC-12, so it should make for great television. The Vols having been flying high under 1st year head coach Butch Jones, winning their 1st two games by an average margin of 38.5 points. Meanwhile the Ducks haven't skipped a beat under the helm of Mark Helfrich. Oregon has the better experience and skill, and should be favored by a high margin, but look for Tennessee to keep this closer than what the experts expect. Caleb's Pick- Oregon 41 Tennessee 24 Carter's Pick- Oregon 35 Tennessee 28 Cory's Pick- Oregon 42 Tennessee 27 No. 7 Louisville at Kentucky Although not a major match-up, this game still is a rivalry, and sadly for Louisville, this will be there toughest non-conference game all season. Maxwell Smith is now under the helm as starting QB for the Wildcats, so look for Kentucky to air it out more. Regardless, this should not be a contest for the Cardinals and Heisman hopeful Teddy Bridgewater. Caleb's Pick- Louisville 38 Kentucky 10 Carter's Pick-Louisville 45 Kentucky 10 Cory's Pick- Louisville 45 Kentucky 13 No. 16 UCLA at No. 23 Nebraska Although all eyes will be focused on College Station and Alabama and A&M, this is probably the 2nd best game of the weekend. UCLA and QB Brett Hundley knocked off the Huskers last year in Los Angeles, and will look to do the same this year. Meanwhile Taylor Martinez and Nebraska should be ready to handle the Bruins. Look for a lot of scoring in a matchup of two bright young QBs. Caleb's Pick- UCLA 35 Nebraska 31 Carter's Pick- Nebraska 31 UCLA 28 Cory's Pick- UCLA 28 Nebraska 24 No. 25 Ole Miss at Texas Time to see if what these teams are made of. No one knows how good the other one is, no one knows which team version of each team will show up. Will Texas continue to struggle on defense, or will they play like they did against New Mexico State? Will Ole Miss have to play from behind like they did in their win at Vandy, or will they dominate from the start? This game has major implications on whether either of these teams could win 9 or 10 games. Caleb's Pick- Texas 28 Ole Miss 27 Carter's Pick- Ole Miss 28 Texas 13 Cory's Pick- Ole Miss 31 Texas 24) Boston College at USC This one isn't a big game, nor should anyone treat it like one. The only reason this game is on our list is because of the headlines surrounding USC. How will the Trojans respond to their loss to Washington State? Is Cody Kessler the right guy for the QB job? How much longer will Kiffin make it? We'll just have to wait and see Caleb's Pick- Boston College 17 USC 14 Carter's Pick- USC 21 Boston College 14 Cory's Pick- Boston College 21 USC 13 1. RB Jeremy Hill
After an offseason filled with drama, it finally seems like Hill will be the starting RB for LSU. Hill wasn't charged for an alleged assault that occurred back in the spring, and now it seems like he's got his act together and should be ready to play opening day for the Tigers. Hill is an explosive back that can make a big plays just by walking onto the field. In order for LSU's offense to be effective they need someone to run the football well. If Hill can put aside his offseason drama, and build on what he did last year, look for LSU to be just as good as the Tigers usually are. 2. QB Zach Mettenberger Even though Hill has his issues it seems like Mettenberger may be the LSU player that is under the most scrutiny. A lot of people want to see Mettenberger step up and play like he did in the latter part of last season. Mettenberger has the talent, but his biggest issue this season may be just living up to the expectations that people have set for him. 3. Defensive Coordinator John Chavis Now behind Head Coach Les Miles, Chavis has the highest say of what goes on with this team's defense. That being said this team lost a lot to the NFL last year on the defensive side of the football. A lot of talented, yet inexperienced, players will get their shots this year at making a name for themselves. In order for LSU to keep up with Alabama and Texas A&M in the SEC West, Chavis is going to have to do one heck of a "extreme makeover" with this defense to make them ready to face the gauntlet that is the rest of the SEC 1. QB Maxwell Smith
Although Mark Stoops hasn't named a starter yet, the expectation in Big Blue Nation is that Smith will win the starting job from fellow sophomore Jalen Whitlow. Smith played in only four games last year, but in those games he threw for over 900 yards, 8 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions. Smith has the talent, but the only question is his durability. If he can make it a whole season, expect Kentucky to be better than just 2-10. 2. RB Raymond Sanders Raymond Sanders is Kentucky's leading rusher from last season. Sanders put up a little over 650 yards and 5 touchdowns for the Wildcats last year, and is expected to improve on his performance from last season. For his career Sanders only has a little over 1,000 yards, but don't be surprised if he doubles that number this year. I have Sanders as a dark horse 1,000 rusher for this season. 3. Head Coach Mark Stoops Now I know that Stoops isn't a player, but I feel the need to mention him in this article. Everyone in Big Blue Nation is dying for UK football to supplant UK basketball as the top sport in the state. The only problem with that is year after year Kentucky never pushes to contend even in the SEC Eastern division, let alone getting on the national headlines. If Kentucky is going to do well this year, or for years to come, Mark Stoops is going to have to have time. I believe Stoops is the right coach for the job at Kentucky, but he can't be ran out of town after one or two bad seasons. Do I think Kentucky will ever contend for an SEC title? Maybe. It all depends how they handle these next few years. Nothing is impossible in the SEC, just look at Vanderbilt if y 1. LB Jordan Jenkins
Jordan Jenkins is in a similar situation as C.J. Mosley at Alabama. Jenkins, like Mosley, is a highly touted linebacker returning to a defense that has talent, but lacks a lot of experience. Georgia shouldn't have any problems on offense this year, that's why it is so crucial that Jenkins be a leader for the young Georgia defense. 2. RB Keith Marshall Marshall and Gurley were the two-headed "Gurshall" monster that reined terror down on opposing SEC defenses last year. Gurley was the main starter last year, but Marshall did see quality time as his backup as he put up over 750 yards and 8 touchdowns on the ground. The key for Marshall this year will be to take his reps when he gets them and improve on what he did last year. If Marshall can do that, look for Georgia to once again have a two-headed monster in "Gurshall". 3. QB Aaron Murray The only worry for Murray this season is not living up to expectations. Everyone expects Murray to shatter every SEC passing record this year, but if he doesn't its not the end of the world. Murray just has to be himself and take each game one at a time. If he does that, don't be surprised if Georgia is back in 1. QB Jeff Driskel The true sophomore played well in his 1st season as the full time starter. Driskel led Florida to an 11-1 regular season record, and a birth in the Sugar Bowl. Although the success, Driskel had his issues. At times it seemed like Jeff couldn't throw the football to save his life, and he would opt for scrambling to try to create something but wind up risking his body in doing so. Now as a junior, if Jeff Driskel wants to take the next step with this Florida team he will have to become more of a passer and less of a scrambler. 2. DE Ronald Powell The expectations for the former No. 1 overall recruit have never been higher. Coming off of a season ending injury a year ago, Powell will be expected to be one of the leaders on this defense and contribute right away. I know what you're thinking though, "How can he be better after injury?". Here's the situation, this is Powell's last chance to prove himself. I think he will see other previous No. 1 recruits like Jadeveon Clowney and Robert Nkemdiche succeed and want to be like that. If he can get himself in the "Clowney mindset" watch out, because he will be an added force to what is already supposed to be an elite Florida defense. 3. Florida RBs Matt Jones, when healthy, will have to be the go to RB for the Gators with Mike Gillislee gone to the NFL. If he is unable to come back from the viral infection that has plagued him for the last month, look for last years No. 1 RB prospect, Kelvin Taylor, to step into a much larger role for his freshman season. Other guys to watch out for will be do-it-all man Trey Burton, and junior RB Mack Brown. 1. RB Tre Mason 2. DB Kiel Frazier Last years starter at QB for Auburn will now make the transition to an already depleted secondary for the Tigers. How he steps up and makes an impact on this defense will affect the quality of depth on an Auburn defense that just couldn't stop anyone last year. 3. QB Nick Marshall Marshall won out the starting job over true freshman Jeremy Johnson and Jonathan Wallace. The last time a JUCO transfer won the starting job at Auburn they won a national title. Don't expect Marshall to make that much of a difference for the Tigers, but do expect him to be a nice jolt of energy for an offense that couldn't hardly do anything right in 2012. Here are the top 3 for the Hogs.
1. QB Brandon Allen For a team that's rebuilding the 1st person a team turns to for leadership is their quarterback. Enter Brandon Allen. Allen is a dual-threat QB, and is a perfect fit for Brett Bielma's run heavy offense. This will be Allen's 1st year as Arkansas' starting QB, and if the Razorbacks have any plans on making a bowl game it will be up to Allen to make this team his own and lead them to it. 2. Arkansas' Secondary One of the big gets for Bielma in his 1st year as the Hogs head coach is the fact he returns his entire secondary. CB's Will Hines and Tevin Mitchell, FS Eric Bennett, and SS Rohan Gaines all return for the Razorbacks, and will definitely help Arkansas with their experience and leadership on an Arkansas defense that doesn't have a lot experience elsewhere. 3. RB Alex Collins It's hard to say whether Collins will truly make a huge impact for the Razorbacks so early on in his career, but out of all the true freshman Collins has the best chance. He's a great RB that can burst through the tackles, and he also has enough speed to make a run to the endzone once he gets into open field. Not to say he'll be a 1,000 yard RB right out of the gate, he may not even be the starter come week 1, but expect Alex to make some sort of impact on a Razorback team that lacks big playmakers. Gonna try a new segment here about the top 3 impact players from each SEC school. Notice this isn't the top 3 best players, this is the top 3 impact players, meaning that these 3 players are the 3 most important players in terms of their team being successful. So without further ado here are the top 3 impact players for the reigning champs, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
1. LB C.J Mosley Mosley will have to assert himself and become the leader of this defense if Alabama hopes to win 3 consecutive national championships. This is a young Alabama defense, but not an inexperienced defense like the 2010 Crimson Tide, meaning most of the players on this team know how to play their positions. One of the key players is Mosley. He is one of the best players on this defense, and he will have to play like it if the Crimson Tide want to get back to Atlanta, better yet Pasadena. 2. RB T.J. Yeldon I don't think Yeldon will take a step back from what was an amazing freshman campaign as the backup to Eddie Lacy, but I do believe he is the player most likely to take a step back on this team. Yeldon carried the ball 175 times, for 1108 yards, and 12 touchdowns as the backup to Eddie Lacy, but he was the BACKUP, not the starter, and I don't care if this is Alabama, one does not just walk into a starting role without some hiccups. Now once again I'm not saying Yeldon will have a bad year, but if he does experience a sophomore slump it may affect how the Tide run the ball. That is why Yeldon is No. 2 on this list. 3. QB Blake Sims A.J. McCarron proved last year he is the real deal at QB for the Crimson Tide. The one thing we don't know is how good his backup, Blake Sims, is. If McCarron ever goes down with an injury Sims will have to step up and play. Once again, I'm not saying A.J. will suffer an injury, but what I am saying is that having a good backup to a great starting QB is key for any team, college or pro, when competing for a championship. By: Carter Howard As most of you have heard in the past week, Johnny Manziel has been under scrutiny again for allegedly signing autographs for brokers and charging them for them. Is it right for NCAA to let these brokers pay thousands of dollars to the student athletes for their signature? Is it right for the brokers to turn around and sell these items for hundreds of dollars without the players recieving some kind of profit? That is the conversation that is going on the sports world. I think personally the players should be compensated in someway for these autographs because it is there name that is being sold. In the picture above is an Autographed Football by Johnny Manziel. This item is going right now for $299 on Ebay. Now lets break this down how the person that is selling this item paid: $40 for the football, $5 for the pen $100 for authentication. =$145 total spent _____________________________ Item Sells for $300.00 _________________________ total compensation: $155.00 And when it sells it will go for atleast $300. That means that this person is going to make a $155 profit off of this item. Now if this person only had one item up for sale it mght be different but this person has 31 items up for sale that is other athletes memorabilia. Is it right for this person to sell these items? Yes, I beleive that there is nothing wrong with colllecting memorabilia and selling it, and if they go to an free autograph signing and get it the more power to them as well. Now as you are reading this you are probably thinking... am I making the brokers out to be bad people for doing this.. NO, that is not the case. Let me assure you I think anyone should make money how ever they find suitable. I myself collect autographs. Now I dont reach out to players and offer them money. I go to sporting events, pay for my ticket, and if they player offers to sign something I get it signed. The thing that im trying to get at is that if a student athlete, whether they play football, basketball, baseball, or whatever should be allowed to accept compensation if one of these big brokers reach out to them to get stuff autographed, especially if they are signing over a single item outside of the sporting event or an organized signing and there are more student athletes out there getting stuff signed by people. Above is an autographed Jadeveon Clowney helmet, and below you will see a an Autographed Teddy Bridgewater helmet. Whether or not these players where compensated for these autographs, no one knows. Johnny Manziel will be the lead figure on this due to his popularity and I belive the NCAA should let it go and let the players make the money if they can. Take our poll below and tell us what you think. |