2008 Weekly Picks

Weekly Record 64-9 (87.7%)
Season Record 64-9 (87.7%)


Thursday, August 28

Northeastern at Ball St
UTEP at Buffalo
NC State at South Carolina
Jacksonville St at Georgia Tech
Charleston Southern at Miami
South Dakota St at Iowa St
Eastern Kentucky at Cincinnati
Hofstra at Connecticut
Eastern Illinois at Central Michigan
Indiana St at Eastern Michigan
Oregon St at Stanford
Troy at MTSU
Wake Forest at Baylor
Vanderbilt at Miami (OH)


Friday, August 29

SMU at Rice
Temple at Army


Saturday, August 30

Syracuse at Northwestern
Western Kentucky at Indiana
Virginia Tech vs East Carolina in Charlotte
Youngstown St at Ohio St
Coastal Carolina at Penn St
Bowling Green at Pittsburgh
Akron at Wisconsin
Maine at Iowa
Hawaii at Florida
Georgia Southern at Georgia

Southern Utah at Air Force
Ohio at Wyoming
Utah at Michigan
USC at Virginia
Oklahoma St at Washington St at Seattle
Villanova at West Virginia
Towson at Navy
Delaware at Maryland
Tulsa at UAB
Illinois St at Marshall

Appalachian St at LSU
McNeese St at North Carolina
TCU at New Mexico
Northern Iowa at BYU
South Carolina St at UCF
Mississippi St at Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Monroe at Auburn
Western Illinois at Arkansas
Northern Illinois at Minnesota
Memphis at Mississippi

James Madison at Duke
Western Michigan at Nebraska
Chattanooga at Oklahoma
Arkansas St at Texas A&M
Southern at Houston
FAU at Texas
FIU at Kansas
Louisiana Lafayette at Southern Miss
Eastern Washington at Texas Tech
North Texas at Kansas St

Tennessee-Martin at South Florida
Boston College at Kent St in Cleveland
UC Davis at San Jose St
Michigan St at California
Idaho St at Boise St
Alabama vs Clemson in Atlanta
Illinois vs Missouri in St. Louis
Grambling St at Nevada
Cal Poly at San Diego St
Northern Arizona at Arizona St
Idaho at Arizona
Utah St at UNLV
Washington at Oregon


Sunday, August 31
Kentucky at Louisville
Colorado St vs Colorado in Denver


Monday, September 1

Fresno St at Rutgers
Tennessee at UCLA

2008 Preseason Top 25

1 - Florida
2 - Oklahoma
3 - Georgia
4 - USC
5 - Ohio St
6 - Missouri
7 - South Florida
8 - Texas Tech
9 - Clemson
10 - Auburn
11 - Oregon
12 - West Virginia
13 - Penn St
14 - BYU
15 - LSU
16 - Wisconsin
17 - Texas
18 - Utah
19 - Virginia Tech
20 - Boise St
21 - Cincinnati
22 - Wake Forest
23 - Tennessee
24 - Fresno St
25 - Arizona St

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama, Florida St, Michigan St, North Carolina, Tulsa

Newcomers: (unranked at the end of last year)
Fresno St, Penn St, Utah, Wake Forest, Wisconsin

Notably Absent: (ranked at the end of last year)
Boston College, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, UCF

2008 Preseason Bowl Predictions

BCS Bowls
BCS Championship Game: Florida vs. USC
Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Penn St
Rose Bowl: Ohio St vs. Texas Tech
Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. South Florida
Orange Bowl: Clemson vs. West Virginia


Other Bowls
Cotton Bowl: Missouri vs. LSU
Liberty Bowl: East Carolina vs. Alabama
Capital One: Wisconsin vs. Georgia
Gator Bowl: Florida St vs. Notre Dame
Outback Bowl: Michigan vs. Tennessee
Insight Bowl: Northwestern vs. Colorado
Chik-Fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina
Sun Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Arizona St
Music City Bowl: Miami vs. Mississippi St
Armed Forces Bowl: Southern Miss vs. TCU
Holiday Bowl: Texas vs. Oregon
Texas Bowl: Oklahoma St vs. Houston
Humanitarian Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Boise St
Alamo Bowl: Nebraska vs. Iowa
Papajohns.com Bowl: Louisville vs. Kentucky
Independence Bowl: Kansas vs. Troy**
Emerald Bowl: Boston College vs. Indiana**
Champs Sports Bowl: North Carolina vs. Michigan St
Car Care Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Cincinnati
Motor City Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Illinois
Hawaii Bowl: UCLA vs. Fresno St
Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. Miami (OH)
New Orleans Bowl: Memphis vs. FAU
Congressional Bowl: Maryland vs. Buffalo
Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. California
St. Petersburg Bowl: UCF vs. Connecticut
New Mexico Bowl: UNLV vs. Nevada
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa vs. Ball St
International Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Pittsburgh


Conference Championship Games
ACC: Clemson vs. Virginia Tech
Big XII: Oklahoma vs. Missouri
C-USA: East Carolina vs. Tulsa
MAC: Central Michigan vs. Bowling Green
SEC: Florida vs. Auburn



** Edited on September 9, 2008:
Thanks to an astute reader for pointing out that I had Northwestern in two bowls. Originally, I had Northwestern as an at-large invite to the Independence Bowl. Then the Sun Belt signed an agreement to be the alternate for the Independence Bowl. So Troy leaves the Emerald Bowl to fulfill the Independence Bowl spot with no SEC team projected to be available. Before the season, I re-evaluated Northwestern and put them in the Insight Bowl, but accidently left them in the Independence Bowl. I have Indiana projected to be an at-large in the Emerald Bowl, with no Pac-10 representative projected. The post above is updated to reflect these corrections.

2008 ACC Preview

Projected Standings:

Atlantic

Clemson         |  7-1  |  11-1
Florida St      |  6-2  |  9-3
Wake Forest     |  5-3  |  9-3
Boston College  |  3-5  |  7-5
Maryland        |  3-5  |  6-6
NC State        |  2-6  |  4-8


Coastal

Virginia Tech   |  6-2  |  9-3
North Carolina  |  5-3  |  9-3
Miami           |  4-4  |  7-5
Georgia Tech    |  4-4  |  6-6
Duke            |  2-6  |  3-9
Virginia        |  1-7  |  2-10

Predictions:

- Clemson will break through and win the ACC this season. There is just too much talent there to pick against them, despite their history of falling short.

- Duke will surprise some people, and by surprise I mean win 3-4 games.

- North Carolina will make a push to win the Coastal division, but Virginia Tech won't be dethroned this season.

- Miami will make it back to a bowl game, but will only finish third of fourth in the Coastal, depending on how well Georgia Tech adapts to head coach Paul Johnson's new system.

- Virginia will fall into the Coastal basement, unlikely to win all the close games like they did last season.

2008 Big XII Preview

Projected Standings:

North

Missouri     |  7-1  |  11-1
Nebraska     |  4-4  |  7-5
Kansas       |  4-4  |  7-5
Colorado     |  4-4  |  6-6
Kansas St    |  2-6  |  5-7
Iowa St      |  2-6  |  4-8

South

Oklahoma     |  7-1  |  11-1
Texas Tech   |  7-1  |  11-1
Texas        |  4-4  |  8-4
Texas A&M    |  4-4  |  8-4
Oklahoma St  |  3-5  |  7-5
Baylor       |  0-8  |  2-10

Predictions:

- Again, the Big XII will have three teams worthy of going to a BCS Bowl. Again, Missouri will get snubbed.

- The South division will be decided when Texas Tech travels to Oklahoma. Missouri will win the North division by at least two games.

- Texas and Kansas will have relatively disappointing seasons, as both expect to contend in their respective divisions. Texas seems to be overhyped in the preseason, and Kansas has a much tougher schedule.

- New head coach Bo Pelini will have Nebraska headed back up. Mike Sherman of Texas A&M will make moderate strides too in his first year.

- Art Briles of Baylor won't improve, failing to win a conference game like his predecessor. Baylor will beat Washington State though.

2008 Big East Preview

Projected Standings:

South Florida  |  6-1  |  11-1
West Virginia  |  6-1  |  10-2
Cincinnati     |  5-2  |  10-3
Louisville     |  4-3  |  9-3
Pittsburgh     |  3-4  |  7-5
Rutgers        |  2-5  |  5-7
Connecticut    |  2-5  |  6-6
Syracuse       |  0-7  |  2-10

Predictions:

- South Florida will surprise most by winning the Big East instead of the favorite West Virginia.

- Cincinnati will again have double-digit wins and will again not get much national recognition for it.

- Connecticut and Rutgers will regress noticeably from last season. Connecticut will show just how lucky they were last season, and Rutgers will severely miss Ray Rice. One of them will miss the postseason.

- Louisville will be back with a vengeance. After a .500 record and no bowl game, they will be trying to prove last season was a rebuilding year. Look for them to start 6-0 going into the South Florida game.

- Pittsburgh will have enough talent to make it to a bowl game, but they won't contend for the conference as some have suggested.

2008 Big Ten Preview

Projected Standings:

Ohio St       |  8-0  |  11-1
Penn St       |  7-1  |  11-1
Wisconsin     |  5-3  |  9-3
Michigan      |  5-3  |  7-5
Michigan St   |  5-3  |  9-3
Illinois      |  4-4  |  7-5
Iowa          |  3-5  |  6-6
Northwestern  |  3-5  |  7-5
Indiana       |  2-6  |  6-6
Purdue        |  1-7  |  3-9
Minnesota     |  1-7  |  4-8

Predictions:

- The conference title will be determined when Penn State travels to Ohio State on October 25. Ohio State will win and finish undefeated in conference play.

- An early season loss to USC will prevent Ohio State from playing in their third straight BCS National Championship game.

- Michigan State will finish with a better record than Michigan. In fact, Michigan will struggle just to make it to a bowl game.

- Illinois will fall hard without the services of RB Rashard Mendenhall. They will lean too hard on QB Juice Williams, and he won't be able to handle the load. Illinois will still make it to a bowl game, but look for them to get lit up by Missouri in the opener and by Ohio State in a revenge game.

- Minnesota will improve slightly in head coach Tim Brewster's second season, but that's not saying much considering they only won a single game last year.

2008 C-USA Preview

Projected Standings:

East

East Carolina  |  7-1  |  9-3
UCF            |  6-2  |  7-5
Southern Miss  |  5-3  |  7-5
Memphis        |  4-4  |  6-6
Marshall       |  2-6  |  3-9
UAB            |  2-6  |  3-9


West

Tulsa          |  8-0  |  11-1
SMU            |  4-4  |  5-7
Houston        |  4-4  |  7-5
Rice           |  3-5  |  5-7
UTEP           |  2-6  |  4-8
Tulane         |  1-7  |  3-9

Predictions:

- East Carolina, who has the toughest non-conference slate of all the non-BCS schools, will win two of their OOC games.

- Tulsa will flirt with an undefeated season and a BCS Bowl bid, but come up short on both goals. They will however blow away the competition in the West division and cruise to a third conference championship appearence in four years.

- June Jones will transform the SMU offense immediately, but the wins won't some right away. They will still finish with a losing record.

- Marshall will have another subpar year under head coach Mark Snyder, who will be fired at the end of the season.

- Rice will again have an explosive offense spear-headed by QB Chase Clement and WR Jarrett Dillard, but they will only have a marginal improvement in their record. No postseason for the Owls this year.

2008 Independent Preview

Projected Standings:

Notre Dame  |  8-4
Navy        |  5-7
Army        |  3-9

Predictions:

- Notre Dame will have a much better record this season and will go bowling. Last year's schedule had ten games against bowl teams. This year the slate will probably have only six.

- With Paul Johnson gone, Navy will take at least a one year hiatus from the postseason.

2008 MAC Preview

Projected Standings:

East

Bowling Green      |  7-1  |  9-3
Miami (OH)         |  6-2  |  7-5
Buffalo            |  5-3  |  6-6
Temple             |  4-4  |  5-7
Kent St            |  2-6  |  3-9
Akron              |  2-6  |  2-10
Ohio               |  1-7  |  2-10


West

Central Michigan   |  7-1  |  8-4
Ball St            |  5-3  |  8-4
Northern Illinois  |  5-3  |  7-5
Western Michigan   |  4-4  |  6-6
Toledo             |  2-6  |  3-9
Eastern Michigan   |  2-6  |  3-9

Predictions:

- Central Michigan will win the West division for a third straight season, but they will have a lot more competition this time around. Ball State, Western Michigan, and a rebounding Northern Illinois will be in the hunt.

- Northern Illinois will take a giant step forward in head coach Jerry Kill's first year. They will go from a two win season in 2007 to bowl eligibility in 2008.

- Eastern Michigan showed a lot of promise last season, but won't be able to capitalize on in this year. The overall conference has improved too much for them to keep up. They will be battling Toledo to avoid the Western cellar.

- The East division will be won by either Bowling Green or Miami, but Buffalo and Temple will make some noise too.

- Bowling Green will beat Minnesota for the second consecutive season.

2008 Mountain West Preview

Projected Standings:

BYU           |  7-1  |  11-1
Utah          |  7-1  |  11-1
TCU           |  6-2  |  9-3
New Mexico    |  4-4  |  5-7
UNLV          |  4-4  |  6-6
Wyoming       |  3-5  |  4-8
Air Force     |  2-6  |  5-7
San Diego St  |  2-6  |  4-8
Colorado St   |  1-7  |  2-10

Predictions:

- BYU and Utah will square off on November 22 with the conference championship on the line. Both teams have a shot at going 12-0, which would result in an Orange Bowl berth.

- Utah will upset Michigan in the Big House in the season opener.

- TCU will be the third dog in the conference title hunt after a bit of a dropoff last season.

- After an amazing nine win campaign in 2007, Air Force will fall back to the middle of the pack.

- Wyoming will be the next FBS team to lose to FCS North Dakota State. Head coach Joe Glenn will be fired, partially due to that game.

2008 PAC-10 Preview

Projected Standings:

USC            |  9-0  |  12-0
Oregon         |  7-2  |  10-2
Arizona St     |  6-3  |  8-4
California     |  6-3  |  8-4
UCLA           |  5-4  |  6-6
Washington     |  4-5  |  4-8
Stanford       |  3-6  |  4-8
Arizona        |  2-7  |  5-7
Oregon St      |  2-7  |  3-9
Washington St  |  1-8  |  3-10

Predictions:

- If USC beats Ohio State on September 13, they will play in the BCS National Championship game.

- Oregon will have double-digit wins and be USC's only threat for the conference title.

- Arizona State's record will be a little worse than last season. Oregon State's will be a lot worse, so much that they won't go bowling.

- With huge wins last season over USC and California, everyone will be high on Stanford this season. I say they are still at least another year away from a bowl game.

- Arizona's Mike Stoops and Washington's Ty Willingham will be on the hot seat at the end of the season after both coaches fail to make the postseason again.

2008 SEC Preview

Projected Standings:

East

Florida         |  8-0  |  12-0
Georgia         |  6-2  |  10-2
South Carolina  |  4-4  |  7-5
Tennessee       |  4-4  |  8-4
Kentucky        |  3-5  |  6-6
Vanderbilt      |  0-8  |  3-9


West

Auburn          |  7-1  |  11-1
LSU             |  5-3  |  9-3
Alabama         |  5-3  |  8-4
Mississippi St  |  3-5  |  7-5
Mississippi     |  2-6  |  5-7
Arkansas        |  1-7  |  4-8

Predictions:

- Florida will finish with a 14-0 record and a National Championship. Tim Tebow won't win a second Heisman though.

- Preseason favorite Georgia will lose a couple of games and will miss the SEC championship game.

- Auburn will have a surprising run at a national title despite breaking in two new coordinators.

- Arkansas will fall hard in head coach Bobby Petrino's first season and will finish last in the West.

- On the other hand, Houston Nutt will pull an upset or two in his first season at Mississippi.

2008 Sun Belt Preview

Projected Standings:

FAU                 |  7-0  |  9-3
Louisiana Monroe    |  5-2  |  6-6
Troy                |  5-2  |  7-5
Louisiana Lafayette |  3-4  |  5-7
MTSU                |  3-4  |  3-9
Arkansas St         |  2-5  |  3-9
North Texas         |  2-5  |  3-9
FIU                 |  1-6  |  1-11
Western Kentucky    |   -   |  4-8

Predictions:

- FAU will win the conference, and it won't even be close. With Troy noticeably weaker from last season and no other contenders stepping up, FAU will be able to roll through everyone in the conference.

- Troy will get an at-large bowl invite this season, after missing out last year although they had an 8-4 record.

- Western Kentucky will take a step back and have a losing season, but they will be competitive in almost every game and beat a couple of Sun Belt teams along the way.

- The North Texas offense will be a lot of fun to watch again with two QBs capable of running the high-octane attack. Unfortunately, the defense still has a long way to go before they have a winning season.

- Louisiana Monroe won't pull a major upset this season, but they will beat Troy and finish #2 in the conference.

2008 WAC Preview

Projected Standings:

Boise St        |  8-0  |  11-1
Fresno St       |  7-1  |  9-3
Nevada          |  6-2  |  8-4
Hawaii          |  5-3  |  6-7
San Jose St     |  3-5  |  5-7
Louisiana Tech  |  3-5  |  5-7
New Mexico St   |  3-5  |  4-8
Utah St         |  1-7  |  1-11
Idaho           |  0-8  |  1-11

Predictions:

- Boise State and Fresno State will play in a de facto championship game when they face off in the season finale. Both teams will be unbeaten in conference play going into the matchup. Boise will come out on top and earn another WAC conference title.

- Nevada won't really be in the running for the conference title, but they will give give one of the two contenders (Boise, Fresno) a scare with a close game. San Jose State will do the same thing.

- Fresno State will beat Rutgers in Week 1.

- Hawaii will fall hard and miss the postseason under first year head coach Greg McMackin.

- Idaho's only win will be against an FCS member ... just like last year.