College Football Television Schedule Week 2

College Football TV Schedule
Week 2
(all times Eastern)
(courtesy National Football Foundation)
(listed by conference member’s home game)

Atlantic Coast (ACC)
Thursday, September 10

• Clemson @ (15) Georgia Tech – ESPN 7:30 p.m. (Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews)

Saturday, September 12

• Stanford @ Wake Forest Raycom Noon (Steve Martin, Rick Walker, Mike Hogewood)
• Marshall @ (14)Virginia Tech, ESPN360 1:30 p.m. (Sam Smith, Sonny Randle)
• Kent State @ Boston College, ESPN360 2 p.m. (Paul Severino, Drew Haddad)
• (16)TCU @ Virginia, ESPNU 3:30 p.m. (Todd Harris, Charles Arbuckle)
• Jacksonville State @ Florida State, ESPN360 6 p.m. (Frank Giardina, Danny Kanell)
• James Madison @ Maryland, ESPN360 6 p.m. (Bob Picozzi, Jerod Cherry)
• Murray State @ NC State, NO TV 6 p.m.

Big East
Saturday, September 12

• (19)North Carolina @ U Conn ESPNU 12 p.m. (Clay Matvick, David Diaz-Infante)
• Howard @ Rutgers, ESPN360 3:30 p.m. Mike Gleason, John Congemi)
• East Carolina @ West Virginia, ESPN360 3:30 p.m. John Sanders, Rene Nadeau)
• SE Missouri St. @ (23)Cincinnati, FSN Ohio 7:30 p.m. (Michael Reghi, Jim Kelly, Jr.)

Big Ten
Saturday, September 12

• Central Michigan @ Michigan State, ESPN2 12 p.m. (Pam Ward, Ray Bentley)
• E.Michigan @ Northwestern, Big Ten Network 12 p.m. (Matt Rosen, Mark Campbell)
• Fresno State @ Wisconsin, ESPN 12 p.m. (Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman, Bob Griese)
• Syracuse @ (7) Penn State, Big Ten Network 12 p.m. (Craig Coshun, Glen Mason, Kenny Jackson)
• Western Michigan @ Indiana, Big Ten Network 12 p.m. (Matt Devlin, Anthony Herron, Larra Overton)
• (18)Notre Dame @ Michigan, ABC 3:30 p.m. (Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, Holly Rowe)
• Air Force @ Minnesota, Big Ten Network 7 p.m. (Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Rebecca Haarlow)
• Illinois State @ Illinois, Big Ten Network 7 p.m. (Ari Wolfe, Tony McGee, Sarah Spain)
• (3)USC @ (8)Ohio State, ESPN 8 p.m. (Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters)

Big 12
Saturday, September 12

• Iowa @ Iowa State, FSN 12:05 p.m. (Joel Meyers, Dave Lapham, Jim Knox)
• Arkansas State @ (22)Nebraska, FSN PPV 2 p.m. (Ron Thulin, Kelly Stouffer, Kent Pavelka)
• Houston @ (5)OK State, FSN 3:30 p.m. (Bill Land, Gary Reasons, Emily Jones)
• Idaho State @ (13)Oklahoma, FSN PPV 7 p.m. (Bill Jones, Dean Blevins, Elissa Campbell)
• Bowling Green @ (25)Missouri, FSN PPV 7 p.m. (Dan McLaughlin, Corby Jones, Todd Donoho)
• Rice @ (12)Texas Tech, NO TV 7 p.m.

Conference USA
Saturday, September 12

• SMU @ UAB, NO TV 4 p.m.
• (9)BYU @ Tulane, ESPN2 4:30 p.m. (Terry Gannon, David Norrie)
• Central Florida @ Southern Miss, NO TV 7 p.m.
• (24)Kansas @ UTEP, CBS College Sports 7:30 p.m. (Tom Hart, Aaron Taylor)

Independents
Saturday, September 12

• Duke @ Army, CBS College Sports 12 p.m. (Dave Ryan, Jason Sehorn)
• LA Tech @ Navy, CBS College Sports 3:30 p.m. (Pete Medhurst, Randy Cross)

Mid-American (MAC)
Friday, September 11

• Colorado @ Toledo, ESPN 9 p.m. (Ron Franklin, Ed Cummingham)

Saturday, September 12

• Pittsburgh @ Buffalo, ESPN Plus 12 p.m. (Jim Barbar, Doug Chapman)
• Morgan State @ Akron, NO TV 2 p.m.
• Western Illinois @ Northern Illinois, Comcast SportsNet Chicago 7:30 p.m. (Dave Kaplan, Bob Chmiel)

Mountain West
Saturday, September 12

• (2)Texas @ Wyoming, Versus 3:30 p.m. (Joe Beninati, Glenn Parker, Lindy Thackston)
• Weber State @ Colorado State, No TV 5 p.m.
• Southern Utah @ San Diego State, No TV 8:30 p.m.
• Tulsa @ New Mexico, The Mtn. 8 p.m. (James Bates, Todd Christensen, Keenan McCardell)
• Oregon State @ UNLV, CBS College 11 p.m. (Jason Knapp, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila)

Pacific-10 (PAC 10)
Saturday, September 12

• Idaho @ Washington, FSN NW 3:30 p.m. (Tom Glasgow, Mack Strong, Jen Mueller)
• Eastern Washington @ (10)California, Comcast SportsNet Calif. 5:35 p.m. (Jim Kozimor, Mike Pawlaski, Christine Nubla)
• Hawaii vs. Washington State @ Seattle, Oceanic PPV 7 p.m. (Rich Burk, Jason Stiles, Jason Gesser)
• Northern Arizona @ Arizona, KGUN, FS Arizona (Tape Delayed) 10 p.m. (Dave Sitton, John Fina, Glenn Howell)
• Purdue @ Oregon, FSN 10:15 p.m. (Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis, Michael Eaves)

Southeastern (SEC)
Saturday, September 12

• Troy @ (1)Florida, SEC 12:21 p.m. (Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Cara Capuano)
• UCLA @ Tennessee, ESPN 4 p.m. (Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Erin Andrews)
• S. Carolina @ (21)Georgia, ESPN2 7 p.m. (Mike Patrick, Craig James, Heather Cox)
• Vanderbilt @ (11)LSU, ESPNU 7 p.m. (Eric Collins, Brock Huard, Quint Kessenich)
• Mississippi State @ Auburn, FSN 7 p.m. (Bob Rathbun, Dave Archer, Jenn Hildreth)
• FIU @ (4)Alabama, PPV 7 p.m. (Chris Stewart, Tyler Watts, Barry Krauss)

Sun Belt
Saturday, September 12

• Texas Southern @ Louisiana-Monroe, NO TV 7 p.m.
• Memphis @ MTSU, CSS 7 p.m. (Chuck Oliver, Matt Stewart, Allison Williams)
• Kansas State @ Louisiana-Lafayette, ESPN360 7 p.m. (Trey Bender, Jay Taylor)
• Ohio @ North Texas, KTXA 7 p.m. (Doug Anderson, LaDarrin McLane)
• South Florida @ W. Kentucky, ESPN Plus 7:30 p.m. (Dave Weekley, John Gregory)

Western Athletic (WAC)
Saturday, September 12

• Prairie View A&M @ New Mexico State, NO TV 8 p.m.
• Miami(OH) @ (12)Boise State, KTVB 8 p.m. (Mark Johnson, Tom Scott)
• (17)Utah @ San Jose State, ESPNU 10:30 p.m. (Carter Blackburn, J.C. Pearson)

Around SEC Football Week 2

Around the SEC
by Bob Epling
The Campus Game

Who will get the flu in week number two?

With a fairly light conference schedule, one nice intersectional matchup, and three teams taking a week off, the most interesting SEC stories may be told in the campus infirmary this week.

With colleges across the nation battling against a difficult (and potentially dangerous) flu season, SEC football teams best be washing hands and coughing into elbows.

Ole Miss has been hit hardest.

More than twenty Rebels were not able to practice by midweek, including many starters (QB Jevan Snead, OT John Jerry, and WRs Shay Hodge and Dexter McCluster among them). McCluster actually visited the hospital for fluids.

Good news for the Rebs? No game this week and trainer Tim Mullins reported to the Jackson Clarion Ledger that the situation has eased as the week progressed.

Georgia’s diagnosis was not so good last weekend.

Starting QB Joe Cox did not travel to Oklahoma State with the team initially (arriving on a later flight Friday evening) after suffering flu-like symptoms at mid-week. Dog fans better hope that illness contributed to a mediocre showing by Cox and the entire offense in a loss to OK State. The Bulldogs also lost offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant for a second consecutive season to a left knee injury.

Other than the Georgia defeat, the conference as a whole came through week one unscathed.

All three coaching newcomers won impressively in their openers. Lane Kiffin and Tennessee romped Western Kentucky, Auburn handled Louisiana Tech in Gene Chizik’s debut, and Dan Mullen successfully started his Miss State career when the Bullies whipped Jackson State.

Two other conferences rivaled the SEC for most impressive opening weekends.

The Big 12, by virtue of State’s win over Georgia and Baylor’s win at Wake Forest, looked strong (although losses by Oklahoma and Colorado dampened the day).

The Mountain West gained some bragging rights when Colarado State (over Colorado) and BYU (over Oklahoma) won big games.

At the other end of the spectrum, the ACC floundered. Virginia and Duke lost to FCS division teams, and the league finished at 5-7.

Conference Rankings for Week 1:

1. Florida (1-0) … Gators scrimmaged against Charleston Southern and now play Troy (Trojans lost at Bowling Green).

2. Alabama (1-0) … although a bit ragged, the Tide looked mighty strong in handling Hokies … next up Florida International.

3. LSU (1-0) … a tough 2500 mile trip to Seattle and a gritty win should pay dividends down the road. Vanderbilt comes to the bayou.

4. Ole Miss (1-0) … Rebels take a week off after taming Tigers in Memphis.

5. Arkansas (1-0) … Petrino’s Pigs get bye before Georgia Bulldogs visit.

6. Tennessee (1-0) … UCLA will prove a much tougher foe than Western Kentucky, but Vols looked good.

7. South Carolina (1-0) … Gamecocks fiesty on defense but must find a way to score. Trip between hedges is no picnic.

8. Auburn (1-0) … nice debut for Gene Chizik … he meets fellow rookie Dan Mullen of Miss State on the Plains.

9. Georgia (0-1) … Dogs offense struggled mightily after first drive (I only see one playmaker – AJ Green) … next up a tough South Carolina team.

10. Kentucky (1-0) … Wildcats wiped out Miami of Ohio 42-0 and now prepare for rival Louisville on September 19.

11. Vanderbilt (1-0) … maybe Commodores deserve to be higher, but old habits are hard to break. A visit to the bayou bengal tigers will tell us much.

12. Mississippi State (1-0) … Bullies take a trip to Auburn after handling Jackson State.

Check back for Week 2 Professor’s Picks of all SEC games and selected national games.

Thursday Night Prediction:

Clemson at Georgia Tech
7:30 ESPN
Atlanta (Bobby Dodd Stadium/Grant Field)
Comment: Georgia Tech is my darkhorse national title contender, but Clemson has the athletes on defense to compete with the Tech option game. Offensively, Tigers also have plenty of speed. Still, Paul Johnson’s Jackets control the ball and tame the Tigers in the ATL.
Professor’s Pick: GEORGIA TECH

College Football 2009 Week 2

Around Campus Week 2

Ever hear of Frank Merriwell?

Neither have Lagarrette Blount and Byron Hout.

On an opening weekend when college football promoted a sportsmanship theme, the actions of those two was anything but sportsmanlike.

Welcome back to The Campus Game, where you’ll always be treated with respect, never get sucker punched, and can enjoy college football with nary a threat of trash talk.

Each Tuesday, catch up on the week’s news and national rankings with Around Campus (formerly Around the Nation) and preview the coming week’s best games with Tuesday’s Top Ten Lists.

Visit again on Thursday for Around Campus in the SEC and Professor’s Picks.

Southwest … Bradford Injured. Oklahoma quarterback and 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was injured in the Sooners upset loss to BYU. A prognosis for Bradford is to be determined; he will be sidelined for anywhere from a few weeks to the entire season.

Midwest … Are Two of the Big Boys Back? Two proud programs, much maligned the past couple years, opened the 2009 slate in fine fashion.

Rich Rodriguez and Michigan thumped a sound Western Michigan team 31-7. Two freshmen quarterbacks, Tate Forcier (3 TD passes) and Denard Robinson (43 yd TD run), gave Big Blue fans plenty to cheer about and soothed a seething situation for at least another week. In South Bend, Charlie Weis and Notre Dame bombed Nevada 35-0 behind four Jimmy Clausen touchdown throws. ND travels to the Big House this week to determine which storied program is closer to full recovery.

The biggest game in the heartland will take place in Columbus. Ohio State welcomes USC to the horseshoe for a primetime Saturday night game.

South … A tale of two conferences … was not a positive story for the ACC. Out of conference losses by Duke, Maryland, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest knocked half the league from the ranks of the unbeaten before Labor Day.

Georgia Tech is the ACC’s best team in my opinion and hosts Clemson in a big Thursday night game.

In the SEC, Georgia lost to Oklahoma State but all other league teams thrived.

This week’s top games with SEC teams include UCLA at Tennessee, Miss State at Auburn, South Carolina at Georgia, and Vandy at LSU.

East … Can anybody top Papa? Penn State hosts an improved Syracuse this week, while East Carolina ventures to West Virginia to face the Mountaineers.

West … Aren’t Cowboys supposed to lasso Longhorns? Texas makes a rare trip to Rocky Mountain territory to face the Cowboys of Wyoming, but expect the Cowboys to be the ones getting all tied up.

Campus Game Top Ten Rankings (Week 2)

10. Cal: Golden Bears easily handled Maryland get E. Washington.

9. Oklahoma State: Cowboys gunned down Georgia and face tough Houston.

8. Ole Miss: Rebels should cruise against SE Louisiana.

7. Penn State: Nittany Lions host an improved Syracuse squad.

6. Georgia Tech: Yellow Jackets face one of their season’s sterner tests with visiting Clemson.

5. Ohio State: Bucks will need more solid effort to contain SC.

4. USC: Trojans travel to Big Ten country for showdown with Buckeyes.

3. Alabama: Tide was best looking team of Week 1 to me … host Florida International.

2. Texas: Longhorns venture to Cowboy country to play Wyoming.

1. Florida: Gators play second preseason exhibition against Troy.

Campus Game Tuesday’s Top Ten Games (Week 2):

1o. Stanford at Wake Forest: Jim Harbaugh’s squad is fiesty while Wake is wounded.

9. East Carolina at West Virginia: Skip Holtz and the Pirates were impressive in Week 1.

8. Air Force at Minnesota: The Gophers were fortunate to beat Syracuse in overtime, while the AFA strafed Nicholls State.

7. Vanderbilt at LSU: Tigers might be feeling jet lag after 2500 mile trip to Washington.

6. South Carolina at Georgia: Gamecocks tough defense threatens an 0-2 start for UGA.

5. Houston at Oklahoma State: The Cougars from C-USA pose a nice test for the Cowboys after the big win over Georgia.

4. UCLA at Tennessee: Lane Kiffin got off to a great start last week … Bruins will be a bigger challenge.

3. Clemson at Georgia Tech: The Rambling Wreck’s option will need to be at full speed for a Thursday night game on the Flats.

2. ND at Michigan: Irish and Wolverines looked mighty solid in season openers.

1. USC at Ohio State: Buckeyes received a scare against Navy, now welcome the talented Trojans.

Visit Thursday for Professor’s Picks of all the big games.

See you at kickoff!

Professor’s Pigskin Picks Week 1

Hello and welcome to Professor’s Pigskin Picks.

If you have not visited Prof’s Picks in seasons past, here is a brief primer:

Growing up, I often enjoyed listening to “Leonard’s Losers,” a humorous radio program hosted by the late Leonard Postero (aka Leonard Post Toasties) that was carried across the South and much of the nation. On the show, Leonard (a fellow University of Georgia alum by the way) picked losers rather than winners and used funny phrases and voices in discussing the games. Just a lighthearted, enjoyable, and innocent listen.

With Professor’s Picks, I try to choose winners instead of losers and am certainly not as funny as Leonard, but do try to keep the segment light-hearted and enjoyable for the reader.

That said … here we go …

PROFESSOR’S PICKS

Season Record 0-0 (2008 Regular Season Record 68-24)

SEC GAMES

South Carolina at NC State
7 p.m. ET Thursday
Raleigh: Carter-Finley Stadium (57,583)
ESPN [Sean McDonough, play-by-play; Craig James, color analyst; Jessie Palmer, color analyst; Erin Andrews, sidelines]

Comment: SC QB Stephen Garcia is unpredictable, the running backs are unproven, and we are not sure whether the team has game-breaking potential at WR. The Gamecock defense better be good because Tom O’Brien’s Wolfpack should be improved.

Prof’s Pick: NC STATE

Kentucky vs. Miami (Ohio)
Noon ET Saturday
Cincinnati: Paul Brown Stadium(65,535 )

ESPNU [Clay Matvick,play-by-play; David Diaz-Infante,color analyst]

Comment: Rich Brooks and the bluegrass felines have gotten to be real wildcats, good enough to expect to win against teams from smaller conferences. Still, MAC squads are tough and the pro stadium atmosphere should make this one fun. The RedHawks return 7 starters on offense, including three-year starting QB Daniel Raudabaugh. Cats should have more speed with WR/QB Randall Cobb, and RBs Alfonso Smith and Derrick Locke.

Prof’s Pick: KENTUCKY

W. KENTUCKY at TENNESSEE
Noon ET Saturday
Knoxville: Neyland Stadium (100,011)
SEC Network [DaveNeal, play-by-play; Andre Ware,color analyst; Cara Capuano,sideline reporter]
Comment: The Hilltoppers have a steep Smoky Mountain to climb when they visit Rocky Top. Expect the Vols, especially Monte Kiffin’s defense with All-American DB Eric Berry, to look impressive in Lane Kiffin’s debut. A nice cupcake to start his college head coaching career.

Prof’s Pick: TENNESSEE

GEORGIA at OKLAHOMA ST.
3:30 ET Saturday
Stillwater: Boone Pickens Stadium (60,218)
ABC Sports [SeanMcDonough, play-by-play; MattMillen, color analyst; HollyRowe, sideline reporter]

Comment: One of the week’s premier matchups. The Dogs lost a bunch of bite on offense, but senior QB Joe Cox should be steady, new RBs Richard Samuel and Carlton Thomas at least serviceable, and soph WR A.J. Green spectacular. The Cowboys are not slow pokes on the O side either with Dez Bryant, Kendall Hunter, and crew. To me the game turns on the defense, and the SEC plays better D. Dogs show some new fight on the defensive side and lasso the Cowboys in Stillwater.

Prof’s Pick: GEORGIA

JACKSON ST. at MISS. ST.
3:30 ET Saturday
Starkville: Davis Wade Stadium/ScottField (55,082)
ESPNU[Todd Harris, play-by-play;Charles Arbuckle, color analyst]

Comment: The game is significant as the first for new Bully head coach Dan Mullen, and because it marks the first time an SEC team has played a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) squad. Neither of the Magnolia State’s SEC teams has ever played a team from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). A neat story which should have a nice ending for MSU.

Prof’s Pick: MISS STATE

LOUISIANA TECH at AUBURN
7:00 ET Saturday
Auburn: Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451)
ESPNU [Eric Collins,play-by-play; Brock Huard, coloranalyst; Beth Mowins, sidelines]

Comment: Yet another new coach, Auburn’s Gene Chizik, opens play. The Tigers have a legitimate opponent in LA Tech and the man I actually thought should have been considered for the Plainsmen job (Derek Dooley). Auburn had well-documented offensive problems last season, so watch to see how consistently the Tigers move the ball. On the other side, the Bulldogs have a fine running back in Daniel Porter, on pace to become Tech’s all-time leading rusher. Close enough to make the toilet paper throwers on Toomer’s Corner nervous.

Prof’s Pick: AUBURN

MISSOURI ST. at ARKANSAS
7:00 ET Saturday
Little Rock: War Memorial Stadium (53,727)
Arkansas PPV

Comment: Many people, including the professor, expect Arkansas to be this year’s version of Ole Miss to some extent. Petrino’s Pigs should have plenty of offensive weapons with big QB Ryan Mallett leading the way. This one should get ugly early.

Prof’s Pick: ARKANSAS

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN at FLORIDA
7:00 ET Saturday
Gainesville: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548)
FSN [Bob Rathbun ,play-by-play; Dave Archer, coloranalyst; Jenn Hildreth, sidelines]

Comment: Really now … what is there to say. Gator coach Urban Meyer gets to name the score and he’ll probably keep it within 5o or so. For interested fans, this one is worth watching just to see how Florida’s receivers fare and to see backup QB John Brantley (who has the best website of any backup quarterback in America by the way).

Prof’s Pick: FLORIDA

W. CAROLINA at VANDERBILT
7:30 ET Saturday
Nashville: Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773)
CSS[Doug Bell, play-by-play;Chris Doering, color analyst]

Comment: In years past, Vandy fans might have fretted a bit about a game like this. No more. Let’s see how QB Larry Smith fares against the Catamounts from Cullowhee. Probably very well.

Prof’s Pick: VANDERBILT

ALABAMA vs. VA. TECH
8:00 ET Saturday
Atlanta: Georgia Dome (71,228)
ABC Sports [BrentMusburger, play-by-play; KirkHerbstreit, color analyst; LisaSalters, sideline reporter]

SEC Game of the Week: An intriguing early season matchup between two consensus top ten teams. Cheers for the Atlanta Sports Council and Chick-fil-A for sponsoring what is quickly becoming a great tradition to kickoff the college football season (next year is LSU-North Carolina).

Conventional wisdom holds that defenses dominate this one, but opening games only occasionally follow the script. My hunch is that the Red Elephant offense is going to be quite a bit stronger than most anticipate. While the line is having to break in three new starters and Greg McElroy replaces John Parker Wilson at QB, Bama still boasts plenty of bling … Julio Jones, Mark Ingram, Terry Grant among them. Highly touted RB Trent Richardson is another to watch. The Tide should be stout across the board on defense.

Tech also makes its living by shutting folks down. The Hokies have gone to two straight BCS bowls and should not shrink from the national spotlight. The loss of star running back Darren Evans puts a lot of pressure on QB Tyrod Taylor, an erratic passer but exciting runner. I expect Nick Saban’s defense to bottle up Taylor in the most important matchup of the game.

Prof’s Pick: ALABAMA

LSU at WASHINGTON
10:30 ET Saturday
Seattle: Husky Stadium (72,500)
ESPN[Mark Jones, play-by-play;Bob Davie, color analyst]

Comment: The Huskies did not win a game last year, and this one may not start so well either. New UW coach Steve Sarkisian may have brought the USC system with him, but too bad he couldn’t bring some players too. LSU has plenty of those and if the Bengal Tigers are focused … watch out.

Prof’s Pick: LSU

OLE MISS at MEMPHIS
3:30 ET Sunday
Memphis: Liberty Bowl (61,000)
ESPN [Joe Tessitore, play-by-play;Rod Gilmore, color analyst]

Comment: Expectations are sky high among Rebel faithful, so opening with a traditional rival might be a bit risky. Most eyes will be on Ole Miss playmakers like QB Jevan Snead and WR/RB Dexter McCluster, but Memphis counters with a pretty good combo of QB Arkelon Hall and RB Curtis Steele.

Prof’s Pick: OLE MISS

SELECTED NATIONAL GAMES

From The Campus Game Tuesdays Top Ten


10. Baylor at Wake Forest (3:30 ABC Regional): Art Briles brings the Bears and exciting QB Robert Griffin to Winston-Salem to face the Demon Deacs and senior QB Riley Skinner.
Prof’s Pick: Wake Forest in a close one

9. Maryland at Cal (10:00 ESPN2): Many predict Cal as the biggest threat to USC’s run of dominance in the PAC-10. Ralph Friedgen typically has the Terps ready to play.
Prof’s Pick: Cal

8. Nevada at Notre Dame (3:30 NBC): The Irish get a chance to start actually backing up some of the hype they’ve been receiving (including from here) against Colin Kaepernick and a sound Wolfpack team.
Prof’s Pick: Notre Dame

7. South Carolina at NC State (Thursday 7:00 ESPN): The head ball coach and unpredictable QB Stephen Garcia visit Raleigh where Tom O’Brien and the Pack are the pick of some to win the ACC Atlantic.
Prof’s Pick: NC State

6. Cincinnati at Rutgers (Monday 4:00 ESPN): Last season’s Big East champ Cincy takes on the Scarlet Knights … a team many expect to take the crown this year.
Prof’s Pick: Rutgers

5. Georgia at Oklahoma State (3:30 ABC): A terrific intersectional meeting between the Dogs from the defensive-minded SEC and the Cowboys of the high-scoring Big 12.
Prof’s Pick: Georgia

4. Miami at Florida State (Monday 8:00 ESPN): Randy Shannon and the Hurricanes begin a tough opening gantlet against a Seminole team expected to contend for the ACC championship.
Prof’s Pick: FSU

3. BYU vs. Oklahoma (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington TX 7:00 ESPN): Heisman winner Sam Bradford and the Sooners open the 2009 season against a legitimate BYU team featuring QB Max Hall. Punters can take aim at Jerry’s Scoreboard sponsored by Target (get it?).
Prof’s Pick: Oklahoma

2. Oregon at Boise State (Thursday 10:15 ESPN): Oregon travels to the blue field and the Ducks may be the team on the Boise schedule with the best chance to bust the Broncs.
Prof’s Pick: Boise State

1. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (Georgia Dome 8:00 ABC): A couple of stout defenses will be banging around in the 2nd Chick-fil-A kickoff classic in front of a national prime-time audience and the ESPN Gameday crew.
Prof’s Pick: Alabama

Enjoy the college football weekend!

Around SEC Football 2009 Week 1

Around the SEC
by Bob Epling
The Campus Game

The long wait for the shortest season in sports is finally over.

Nowhere are fans, players, and coaches more ready for toe to meet leather with the start of a new college football season than in the Southeastern Conference.

2009 holds the potential to be a groundbreaking year for the SEC in many areas.

The league boasts three top ten teams in most preseason polls (Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss), with two more squads lingering just outside that level (LSU, Georgia).

Florida is a near unanimous favorite to capture a second consecutive national championship and a third in four years.

Tim Tebow seeks a second Heisman Trophy award (he won in 2007), and joins Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford (2008 winner) in making history … it’s the first college football season to feature two Heisman winners.

There are plenty of new faces … on the sidelines Lane Kiffin (Tennessee), Gene Chizik (Auburn), and Dan Mullen (Mississippi State) lead their new squads onto the field for the first time this Saturday.

There are plenty of new faces … under center where the only people greener than the new coaches figure to be the players taking snaps. Tebow and Jevan Snead of Ole Miss are the top returning quarterbacks, with most other schools breaking in new or rarely-used signal-callers.

Here are story lines worth watching in Week One:

Can Alabama cope with the recent off-field news? Fish stories with the potential to sideline a couple of star players. A player shot and wounded in a robbery attempt days before the opener. It’s doubtful that any SEC team is more eager to get between the white lines than the Tide.

Will 2009 be yet another installment of last season’s Big 12 vs SEC debate? We’ll get a preview of the two conferences, and early bragging rights will be on the line, when Georgia travels to Oklahoma State.

Is the head ball coach headed into the sunset (and Florida retirement sunshine)? South Carolina and Steve Spurrier kick off the whole season with the Thursday night game against N.C. State. A win might kick start the lethargic Gamecock program … a loss might have the visored one thinking about cleaning up his golf clubs.

Which new SEC coach will be most successful? Dan Mullen of Miss State was the most well-received among his school’s faithful; Lane Kiffin earned kudos for putting together a stellar staff of recruiters, but put his foot in his mouth so many times that the taste of shoe leather still lingers; Gene Chizik’s hiring at Auburn garnered the most skepticism, but he warmed to the job by also hiring a top-notch staff and making some recruiting noise with the limo-powered Tiger Prowl. From now on, wins and losses will determine which school made the best hire.

Check back soon to read the full section of Professor’s Picks for this weekend’s SEC games and selected national tilts too.

Here is my Thursday prediction for South Carolina-NC State.

South Carolina at NC State
Sept. 3 – 7 p.m. ET
Raleigh N.C.Carter-Finley Stadium (57,583)
LIVE TV: ESPN [Sean McDonough, play-by-play; Craig James, color analyst; Jessie Palmer, color analyst; Erin Andrews, sidelines]

Comment: SC QB Stephen Garcia is unpredictable, the running backs are unproven, and we are not sure whether the team has game-breaking potential at WR. The Gamecock defense better be good because Tom O’Brien’s Wolfpack should be improved.

Professor’s Pick: NC STATE

See you at kickoff!

College Football 2009 Week One

Welcome back to The Campus Game and the opening week of the 2009 college football calendar.

This season the weekly posting schedule will typically include:

Tuesdays: Around the Nation and Tuesdays Top Ten Countdown …

• A look at the top national college football stories
• TCG Top Ten rankings
• A glance back at the previous weekend’s major news
• A preview of the ten most interesting games of the coming football Saturday.

Thursdays: Around the SEC and Professor’s Picks …

• A survey of news and notes on the Southeastern Conference
• The popular prognostication section “Professor’s Picks” featuring predictions for all SEC games and selected national contests.

Around the Nation Week 1

If it aint broke … Should you be one of those many misguided souls constantly harping for a college football playoff, consider …

… Virtually every national television network – major and minor – will be televising college football this fall. ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN and all its platforms, Fox Sports, Fox Sports Net, the Big Ten Network, CBS College Sports, the NFL network, Versus, and the Mtn (Mountain West) all have contracts to broadcast games.

… Ratings increased last season for every single one of those networks that broadcast games … ABC Saturday Night Football (+20%), Versus (+33%), Big Ten (+113%), the Mtn (+78%), and NBC (+18%) were among the biggest gainers. The SEC Championship game on CBS was up 58% from the previous year, and that Florida-Alabama game marked the Tiffany network’s top-ranked non-bowl game since 1990 (Miami-Notre Dame).

… Some complain about the number of bowl games, but attendance and television viewership reached record levels in 2008. More significantly (to those college presidents who count the cabbage), the bowls paid out an estimated $240 million in 2008-09, running the ten-year total to $1.84 billion. Over the next ten years, bowls are projected to pay $2.5 billion to teams and conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I) who participate in football.

So … if you think a playoff is near … better read those numbers again.

Not a “Michigan Man” … Rich Rodriguez is not a Michigan Man (yet), and that fact may cost him his job sooner rather than later. Well, that plus an inaugural 3-win that included ugly losses at home to Toledo (!!) and Northwestern (!), and recent alleged rules violations.

Michigan is college football’s winningest program and has never been found in violation of a major NCAA rule. The allegations against Rich Rod (that he and his staff exceeded NCAA-mandated practice time limits) are serious. Making them potentially more damaging is the somewhat frosty relationship Rodriguez reportedly has with entrenched Big Blue supporters who wanted to follow the Wolverine tradition of bringing in one of their own to coach.

Even the allegations contain of whiff of “us” vs “them” between players recruited by the current staff and those signed by former coach Lloyd Carr. Of course, let Rich Rod reel off ten wins and whip Ohio State this season and he might become a Michigan Man pretty quickly (Bo Schembechler attended Miami of Ohio and coached at Ohio State before coming to Ann Arbor by the way).

Keep an eye on this situation in Big Ten country.

Tuesday’s Top Ten Countdown

Here are the Top Ten Games for Week One
(Unless noted, all games are Saturday and Eastern Time)

10. Baylor at Wake Forest (3:30 ABC Regional): Art Briles brings the Bears and exciting QB Robert Griffin to Winston-Salem to face the Demon Deacs and senior QB Riley Skinner.

9. Maryland at Cal (10:00 ESPN2): Many predict Cal as the biggest threat to USC’s run of dominance in the PAC-10. Ralph Friedgen typically has the Terps ready to play.

8. Nevada at Notre Dame (3:30 NBC): The Irish get a chance to start actually backing up some of the hype they’ve been receiving (including from here) against Colin Kaepernick and a sound Wolfpack team.

7. South Carolina at NC State (Thursday 7:00 ESPN): The head ball coach and unpredictable QB Stephen Garcia visit Raleigh where Tom O’Brien and the Pack are the pick of some to win the ACC Atlantic.

6. Cincinnati at Rutgers (Monday 4:00 ESPN): Last season’s Big East champ Cincy takes on the Scarlet Knights … a team many expect to take the crown this year.

5. Georgia at Oklahoma State (3:30 ABC): A terrific intersectional meeting between the Dogs from the defensive-minded SEC and the Cowboys of the high-scoring Big 12.

4. Miami at Florida State (Monday 8:00 ESPN): Randy Shannon and the Hurricanes begin a tough opening gantlet against a Seminole team expected to contend for the ACC championship.

3. BYU vs. Oklahoma (Cowboys Stadium, Arlington TX 7:00 ESPN): Heisman winner Sam Bradford and the Sooners open the 2009 season against a legitimate BYU team featuring QB Max Hall. Punters can take aim at Jerry’s Scoreboard sponsored by Target (get it?).

2. Oregon at Boise State (Thursday 10:15 ESPN): Oregon travels to the blue field and the Ducks may be the team on the Boise schedule with the best chance to bust the Broncs.

1. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (Georgia Dome 8:00 ABC): A couple of stout defenses will be banging around in the 2nd Chick-fil-A kickoff classic in front of a national prime-time audience and the ESPN Gameday crew.

The Campus Game Top Ten Rankings

While I dislike preseason rankings, here is our initial poll for the 2009 season:

10. Ole Miss … I question whether the Rebels will be this good, but the schedule is favorable.

9. Georgia Tech … this is my dark horse national title contender.

8. Penn State … would surprise very few if Joe Pa is back in a BCS bowl.

7. LSU … I like the talent on this team, but the schedule is tough.

6. Alabama … Expect the Crimson Tide offense to be better than anticipated.

5. USC … a freshman QB, no matter how talented, scares me in the Horseshoe in week 2.

4. Ohio State … higher than most have them, but the Bucks could run the table.

3. Oklahoma … Sooners cannot put up numbers like last year but should still excel.

2. Texas … Longhorns have chip on shoulder from 08 jilting.

1. Florida … Gators an overwhelming favorite but nothing is a given.

See you at kickoff!