Dear Diary.

I think I finally figured out what a Hokie is. It’s a two faced, starting job promising liar. We believe in you Sean, your our guy Sean. Tyrod is being redshirted Sean. You’re the starting QB this year Sean.” Gee Wiz Sloth, I mean Frank, that’s what you said last year. Frankly I should have known better, but I figured, this is my senior year. I was supposed to be the big man on campus. Driving around in my newly supped up pimpmobile.

My mom went and got all dolled up to sit in the parents section, and my pops even got himself a new camera. But now thanks to Frank and his Indian giving ways my dad has gotten sick of taking pictures of me on the sidelines. As a result, lately mom and I have found some pictures on his phone that we find a little disconcerting.

It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. My first ever pass was for a touchdown. I’ve been carried off the field in the arms of Cheerleaders dammit, one of which I even touched her boob. And not just grazed, but an open hand cup for at least 3 battleships, documented by photographic proof. The world was my oyster.

Ever since that LSU game its been downhill. Well EXCUSE ME for losing on the road to the eventual National Champions. What was I thinking getting burned for 48 points, oh wait I DON’T PLAY DEFENSE. One bad game and you bring in the Freshman.

Him and his fancy feet. Don’t they realize if he wants to run with the ball 90% of the time, we have a position for that. Heck, I will even hand it off to him. But noo.. a running quarter back reminds everyone of the good ole days. They called him the second coming of Vick. Not the trouble maker one, the other one. You know, the one that has only been arrested once, granted the jail sentence was longer but still he waited until after college to disgrace his team.

Regardless, I sucked it up, though it was confusing at times, I was a team player and not only did I take our team to the ACC championship game, but we won the damn thing. I guess I had a decent game, I mean some would probably consider winning THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP MVP OF THE GAME to be outstanding and a testament to my abilities as a QB. Oh, but not Frankie boy. One little stumble this year against ECU, and I was almost kicked off the team. After sputtering to a 3-0 lead over 1AA Furman; Frank basically hid my jersey from me at halftime. I said screw that, I’ll make my own. That’s what you call ingenuity, it’s a trait leaders possess. Look it up Frank, and while you are doing that look up in the stands and see all of the #7 jerseys looking back at you.

Sure some of them are left over Vick jerseys that people are either too cheap or too lazy to replace. Not that they have to replace the whole jersey, but for $11.99 you could have the Vick nameplate removed, and a Glennon one sewn in its place. Heck for $6 you could just sew the Glennon plate on top of the vick plate. I priced it out in town at MISH MISH and they said they could give us a better deal if we did it in bulk. So let’s get off our butts people, the season hangs in the balance. And I hate to break it to ya, but the Hokie Pokie aint helping no one.
I just hope when Frank and his buddy Tyrod, are Thelma and Louising Hokie Nation off a cliff that if called upon, I can summon some of my ACC MVP football prowess to muster them out of whatever jam Sloth got them into.

Until then, don’t choke

Glennon out!!

I’m done, I’m tired of it, I won’t do it again for the rest of the season…I’ve given up trying to look at conferences as a whole and trying to figure out strengths. Which conference is the best, which one sucks. It is a lost cause anymore. But I have come to one conclusion about this college football season, there are a handful (maybe 5) really good teams, while the rest of teams are so close, they are only separated by a player here or there.

The teams that I think are head and shoulders above the rest are: USC, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Florida. I am not ready to throw Georgia or LSU in that mix just yet. If Georgia does beat Alabama this weekend, I promise to add them to my 5. Another team right on that bubble is the Texas Longhorns. Mack Brown’s team is flying way under the radar, taking care of business in convincing fashion. Their first real test will come in two weeks again Colorado.

What has happened to Tennessee? First they lose an overtime game at UCLA, who to be honest, has looked like the bottom tier Pac-10 team that I thought they would be. Then the Vols did not any kind of fight against Florida in their 30-6 loss on Saturday. With the emergence of Vanderbilt, Tennessee could be the 4th or 5th best team in the SEC East.

The Big Ten boasts 4 teams who are undefeated right now: Wisconsin, Penn State, Minnesota, and Northwestern. With Big Ten play starting this week I think we will see the Gophers and Wildcats fall back to the pack a bit. I still say Northwestern makes a bowl game this year. The team I still like is the Michigan State Spartans. Javon Ringer had another 200 yard game against the Irish, and with a ball control offense like they have and a tough defense, the Spartans are going to finish in the Top 4 of the Big Ten this season.

We all forget that the Connecticut Huskies had a chance to win the Big East last year, but West Virginia put an end to it. But look out, they are 4-0 again! The Huskies play Louisville on Friday, and with only South Florida emerging in the Big East, the Huskies can once again have a shot at the Big East Championship.

That is it for now…more to come later.

Conference play starts next week for most of the teams so this is the last week for many of the bottom feeders to pad their wins. It will be interesting to see how Ohio State bounces back from their loss last week. The two key games on this week’s schedule are Iowa at Pittsburgh and Notre Dame at Michigan State. Those are two games you should watch.

Ohio at Northwestern - Big Ten Network 12pm - With a win, the Northwestern Wildcats will only be 2 wins away from bowl eligibility. They have used a balanced offensive attack and a solid defense that only given up a little more than 12 points per game. Their opponents, the Ohio Bobcats, gave Ohio State a scare a few weeks ago, but have yet to win a game. This will not be a cakewalk for the Wildcats. The issue going on with the Bobcats is the ability to get consistant play from their quarterbacks Boo Jackson and Theo Scott. The two have combined to throw 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in the first 3 games. On the flip side, CJ Bacher and Tyrell Sutton are a good one two punch. Ohio’s defense will keep this game close, but in the end Northwestern gets the win. Northwestern 24-18

Florida Atlantic at Minnesota - Big Ten Network 12pm - If you are a Golden Gopher fan, you have to be elated so far this season. Minnesota has tripled their win total of 2007, Adam Weber has 6 touchdowns while competing passes close to 70% of the time, and Eric Decker is becoming a real threat at wide receiver. For the Owls of Florida Atlantic, spirts are not as high. In week one they lost to Texas 52-10, and remember before the game Coach Schnellenberger ran his mouth about how they were going to challenge Texas, and last week they got shut out 17-0 by Michigan State. Quarterback Rusty Smith has been struggling and isn’t even completing 50% of his passes. The Owls gave up a ton of yards on the ground to the Spartans, but lucky for them, Minnesota’s ground game is not where near the quality of Michigan State. FAU is going to have trouble containing Weber, and Minnesota has just enough of a rushing game to keep the Owls off balance. Gophers get to 4-0 with a win. Minnesota 27-20

Troy at Ohio State - Big Ten Network 12pm - There really isn’t much more to say about Ohio State than has already been said. They were exposed against USC, and without Beanie Wells, they really need to find a threat on the ground. Insert freshman Quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor has taken more than half the snaps in practice this week and will split time with Boeckman at quarterback. It wasn’t just the offense that was exposed against the Trojans, but the Buckeyes’ defense needs work too. They will get it this week when Troy brings in the 10th rated offense in the country. All of those yards came against the likes of Middle Tennessee State and Alcorn State. The Troy Trojans know how to beat tough opponents, but this week I think the Buckeyes are just too talent to let these Trojans beat them. Ohio State 31-16

Temple at Penn State - Big Ten Network 12pm - I should get a few laughs when I make this next statement: the Temple Owls will be Penn State’s toughest test to date. Temple is much improved even though their record does not show it. They lost two close games to Connecticut in overtime, and on a last second hailmary pass against Buffalo last week. Penn State has just rolled over their opponents both offensively and defensively. They are 8th in the country, averaging close to 540 yards per game and quarterbacks Darryl Clark and Pat Devlin have combined for 7 touchdowns, 737 yards passing, and no interceptions. On the ground Evan Royster is averaging 8 yards every time he touches the ball. At wideout, both Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler are coming off a 100 yard game against Syracuse. Even though this will be their toughest test, the score will not be close. The Nittany Lions win easy and gear up for their Big Ten opener against Illinois. Penn State 45-14

Iowa at Pittsburgh - ESPN2 12pm - This should be the best game of the week as far as the Big Ten games are concerned. The Hawkeyes take their defense, which has only given up 8 total points this year, to Pittsburgh. The Panthers have strugged a bit on offense only scoring 44 total points against the likes of Buffalo and Bowling Green. LeSean McCoy is the cornerstone of their offense, but is going through a bit of a sophomore slump because he can’t find any running room behind Pitt’s offensive line. Iowa on the other hand is looking for consistent play from their quarterbacks. Both Ricky Stanzi and Jake Christensen have played this year, but neither have been consistent enough to become the full time starter. The key match up in this game will be Iowa’s defensive line against Pitt’s offensive line. Bill Stull has had issues throwing the ball down field and some question his arm strength, so for Pitt to be successful they are going to have to control the clock with McCoy. I think Iowa, although a little unproven, is better in the trenches and will use that decided advantage to win a close one. Iowa 19-16

Central Michigan at Purdue - Big Ten Network 12pm - For the third time in a calender year, the Boilermakers will face the Chippewas. Central Michigan’s quarterback Dan LeFevour was Mr. All-Everything for them last year, but it seems teams have found a way to slow him down. He is not nearly effective on the ground, but he is still efficient passing the ball. Purdue lost a heart breaker last week to Oregon at home. In that game the Boilermakers were leading 20-3 in the second half, but couldn’t hold on to win, losing in overtime. Even with the loss, Purdue showed that they can play with the upper tier of teams in the country. Unlike in years past, they have developed a running game with Kory Sheets, and now all they need is Curtis Painter to get back to form and the Boilermakers will start rolling. I think that begins this week. The previous two games between these schools were close, but I think Purdue is much better on both sides of the ball than the Chippewas. Purdue 38-20

Notre Dame at Michigan State - ABC 3:30pm - I have been a bit hard on the Irish, but in reality, they have not looked all that spectacular in their first two wins. Last week against Michigan, they capitalized on 5 turnovers to win that game, and while the defense looked strong, they did it against a Michigan offense who has yet to find an identity. The Spartans are an old fashioned running Big Ten team. They hand the ball of to Javon Ringer, since he is small he hides behind their big offensive line, and then at the last second cuts behind the for his yards. Michigan State right now is 2-1, with an opening week 7 point loss to Cal. For the Spartans to have success, Brian Hoyer must start producing. Notre Dame does have talent and speed on defense, and if Michigan State is one dimensional, the Irish will stop them. Notre Dame must get the same production from their quarterback Jimmy Clausen. In 2 games Clausen has 4 interceptions, and those could be key in a close game like this. This is the make or break game in my mind for Notre Dame. If they win, they quiet all the doubters (myself included), and if they lose people will point to the weak first two opponents that they had. I am still not a believer, therefore I am going with the Spartans. A steady diet of Javon Ringer gets the job done. Michigan State 28-20

Ball State at Indiana - Big Ten Network 7pm - The Indiana Hoosiers are one of 6 undefeated Big Ten teams coming into week 4. Both teams have high powered offenses, but they contrast in styles. Ball State uses a passing game led by Nate Davis. In 3 games, Davis has thrown for over 900 yards, with 9 touchdowns, and completing 75% of his passes. Indiana does most of their damage on the ground, led again by their quarterback Kellen Lewis. Lewis not only leads the team in passing with 314 yards, but he is also the leading rusher with 183 yards. If you like offense you will want to tune into this game. Indiana has only given up 16 points in two games, but don’t let that fool you. It came against lesser competition, and honestly, I think Ball State holds the edge on defense too. Looking ahead at the rest of the Hoosiers’ schedule, they need this win if they want to get to bowl eligibility. At the end of the year, Ball State will probably be playing for the MAC Championship, while Indiana will be sitting at home watching the bowl games. Ball State 49-20

Last Week: 8-2 (.800)
Overall: 26-5 (.839)

Dear Diary,

It wasn’t suppose to happen this way Diary! This year was MY year, the year of The Boeckman. I was going to lead the Buckeyes to the Championship…it was going to be Todd that brought Jimmy T back to glory. They were going to love me for it…even bring me back 20 years from now to dot the I. I paid my dues…I’ve done so much for this university.

Back in 2004 I let Troy Smith use MY cell phone when Coach T took his away from him. Troy told me he’d teach me the finer points of being a quarterback. Nothing I did was ever good enough for Troy. I thought he was being a pal, he told me to tag along in New York City when he was there for the Heisman Ceremony. Great friend right??? Hell no!!! Troy made me drive him around all night as he went from strip club to strip club.

You think he’d hook his boy Todd up with a classy girl or even a lap dance?? NEVER…all I got was a half eaten quarter pounder that one of his skanks threw on the floor and a damn frosty. The stupid S.O.B even made me wear white gloves to touch the trophy. I know for sure my hands are cleaner than some of the places he put that trophy that night!

I WAS FIRST TEAM BIG TEN IN 2007!!! Does anyone care!?!?! F**K No! All they care is about Terrelle Pryor this and Terrelle Pryor that. Watch Terrelle run…he walks on water…look at his fancy earrings. I’ve been QB for two seasons; you think Coach T would hook me up with a ride? Seriously, I WAS FIRST TEAM BIG TEN IN 2007 and I am still riding around in a 1999 Dodge Shadow. While Toilet Paper (my name for Terrelle Pryor…Tee hee), has a damn Corvette. Where is the justice in that…I WAS FIRST TEAM BIG TEN IN 2007!!!!!!

I can’t sleep Diary. I close my eyes and I hear the screams…I hear the boos…they are laughing at me, pointing at me, jeering me. I thought Buckeye fans were passionate and loyal. I walk around campus and am thankful classes haven’t started yet. Need I remind everyone that I’ve thrown for 837 yards against teams from Ohio while throwing for 8 touchdowns and only two interceptions?

Is that good enough for people around here???? Noooo! All they want to talk about is the 3 interceptions against Illinois or how I lost the BCS title game against LSU, and now I’ll have to hear about this latest game.

My mom calls me after the game, I was so happy to hear her voice…but then she started on my case. “Don’t you know the difference between Scarlet red and Cardinal red you moron! You threw the ball right to Rey-Rey. Are you color-blind?!?! Maybe you should go back to kindergarten to learn the colors of the rainbow. ROY-G-BIV Todd!! ROY-G-BIV!!” I tried to tell her that I do have a degree in Family Resource Management but she didn’t want to listen, the pain was too much so I hung up.

Oh Rey-Rey…the other reason I can’t sleep. I close my eyes and there you are…I can’t shake your face…the way you hit… I swear when I saw you running the ball my first instinct was to just fall down. But I knew I had to make an effort even if I did make a number two in my pants as you ran towards me. The play keeps playing over and over in my head like a nightmare.

But Diary, I have to shake it off. This week we have Troy…Smith? That stupid mother…wait no not Troy Smith, the Troy Trojans. Yeah! The real Trojans of the College Football world. I am going to take it all out on them. Better watch out Trojans…Todd is gonna let you have it…Todd is going to take out all his rage on you.

That’s right I WAS FIRST TEAM ALL BIG TEN IN 2007 BITCH!

Boeckman Out

Dear Diarthy,

How can thomeone be happy for a perthon, yet totally torn inthide for a school that they love? I thought that Notre Dame would win 11 games this year, and I still thand by that prediction, but now with rumors that my own flesh and blood could potentially be the next coach of the Fighting Iriths. I don’t know what to root for, my Thon, or the Irish?

Thkip has done a great job with Easth Carolina, he has come a long way from jumping on the trampoline, from being an assthant with me, to now beating two Bee Thee Esss schools Virginia Tech and West Virginia. He doesn’t quite give the same great motivational thpeeches that I can, but that is thomething that can be taught. Looking ahead at the Pirate sthedule, I thee no reason why they can’t go 13-0 and be Bee Thee Esss Championthip Game. Wow thay that three thimes fast.

Oh no! What if the are 13-0 and Notre Dame is 12-0 (which is entirely possible)…oh please lord…don’t do that to me…wait you are a Notre Dame fan…oh boy…who do I turn to now…the devil? I can’t, he is buthy coaching Michigan. This can’t be happening, pleaths, lord strike me down first. I swear not to fight with Mark May anymore if you pleathes take care of this horrible dilliema that seems unfortheeeable in my eyes. Can’t there be two champions this year?

I know you will do the right thing. The Doctor is out!

Dr. Lou

P.thss. - Reeth Davis doesn’t wear long panths under the table and he hath a butterfly tramp thamp. Tee hee.

—————————————-
All props go to SMQ for this idea.
Chris Fowler
Tim Tebow

Actual picture of a WVU fan’s head exploding

Last week’s games, were to put it bluntly, really boring. There weren’t any great match-ups which made our friend Orson go crazy and pick the Oregon State Beavers to upset Penn State Nitaly Lions. He fully repented to me on last night EDSBS Live, and gives us a whole slue of other picks that we should not follow if we are a betting man.

One of the biggest upsets of this past weekend was East Carolina beating up West Virginia and possibly de-Heismaning Pat White. My first thoughts were not of sorrow for Mountaineer fans, but I immediately wondered if our pal John Radcliff had the stones to write a song mocking his team. John never fails and here is his songbook from this week on how Bill Stewart Ruined His Dreams.

Kate is the only thing more beautiful than Neuheisel

Speaking of Skip Holtz, Sean Keeley over at TNIAAM is already looking forward to the end of the Greg Robinson era and possibly the start of the Skip Holtz era? He points us to an article which discusses the possibility but calls the Syracuse job…a coach killer! Since when has Syracuse drop to the depth of coaching hell that was the Temple Owls? Don’t worry Sean, things can only get better, Midnight Madness for College Basketball is only a short time away.

Rebounding from their Week 1 loss to Bowling Green, who by the way lost to Minnesota this week, Pitt Panther fans are still left scratching their head about their offense. There was a lot of concerned among the faithful when it was found that the offense playbook was leaked on the internet and Buffalo had full access to it. But later it was noted that Offensive Coordinator Matt Cavanaugh believes the fact that between the hashes was a no-fly zone for passing.

BYU beat Washington at the end of the game by blocking an extra point. This week they play pretty boy Rick Neuheisel and his upstart UCLA Bruins. For some discussion and analysis on the game where the teams will play 3 times in a matter of 10 months, check out Bruins Nation.

Now for the big game, THE Ohio State BUCKEYES against the USC Trojans. I’ll talk more abotu this game on the podcast tomorrow night with Adam Nettina, but there is already so much good stuff around the blogosphere about the game:

• Conversation With Buckeye Commentary
• Keep Your Friends Close, Enemies Closer: Southern Cal
• Key match-up: The Ohio State D line vs. The USC O line
• Bruce Feldman: Top 10 USC-Ohio State subplots

It was another great day of college football, but one game had a little bit of controversy at the end of it. Washington’s quarterback Jake Locker scored a touchdown late in their game with BYU to get the Huskies within a point. Locker then proceeded to throw the ball high in the air and draw an excessive celebration penalty. With the ball located on the 18 yard line, Washington could not convert on the extra point as BYU blocked it and won the game.

I have heard it all from people, the ref wanted to be the center of attention, Locker was just excited…etc. The official did not lose the game for Washington. He did not miss the block that got the kick blocked. He was not the kicker who got the ball off too slow or too low. He made a call based on a rule in the book.

All the talking heads and those calling for his head are wrong, the Official in that case was just following the rules. This year the NCAA made it a point of emphasis to all Officials to enforce this excessive celebration rule. In the rule it states:

After a score or any other play; the player in possession immediately must return the ball to the official or leave it near the dead ball spot.

Then the part that no one seems to understand:

This prohibits:
(c) Throwing the ball high into the air.

Clearly Locker threw the ball high in the air, so high that it goes out of the picture. If you do not agree with this, do not get mad at the official. Get mad at the NCAA for having the rule. The official is just doing his job and enforcing this rule. If he didn’t, there could be an observer there grading him and he could never work a game.

To all the talking heads that complained about this rule, Kirk Herbstreit, Mark May, Lou Holtz, Mel Kiper; you all need to learn the rules before you go spouting off. And if you still don’t agree, next time your boss on ESPN tells you to do something on the air, be brave and don’t do it. We’ll see how happy he is after.

I have always heard that you make your biggest strides during the year between your first and second game. We will see how much teams improve and find out their true identities this week. All eleven Big Ten teams play this week, but conference play still does not start for a few weeks.

Eastern Michigan at Michigan State - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Spartans had a good effort, but it wasn’t enough last week as they fell to the Cal Bears by 7 points. It is a shame that they didn’t get this game against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan before Cal. Both teams are going to try and shove it down each others throat with the run. The Eagles have Terrence Blevins who had 176 yards last week against Indiana State, and the Spartans have Javon Ringer who had 21 carries last week for only 3 ypc. The difference in this game will be Michigan State’s passing game. Hoyer had a nice game against Cal last week, and I expect more of the same this week against EMU. The Spartans are a bit too talented and better on the defensive end to lose this one. Michigan State 35-14

Marshall at Wisconsin - Big Ten Network 12pm - PJ Hill made easy work of Akron last week as he ran for over 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. His counterpart on the Thundering Herd, Darius Marshall, did not do to shabby himself totaling 115 yards, 1 touchdown, and averaging 7.2 ypc as Marshall beat Illinois State. Both of these teams will make a living running the ball, and if you Wisconsin who returns 5 starters on the offensive line, why not? What I would like to see from the Badgers, is a little more out of the passing game. Last week Allan Evridge only threw for 75 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception; they cannot totally rely on Hill to carry this team. Marshall has a shot at pulling an upset here if they can match the physical play of the Badgers. Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is an astounding 15-0 at Camp Randall Stadium, and I think he takes his mark to 16-0, but that’s not before have a bit of a stomach ache as Marshall will keep this game close. Wisconsin 31-21

Florida International at Iowa - Big Ten Network 12pm - Behind Shonn Greene’s 109 yards on the ground and a blanketing defense, the Iowa Hawkeyes made easy work of Maine 46-3. It might not seem like a huge victory, but for a Hawkeyes’ team trying to find an identity, it’s a good victory. Their opponent this week, FIU, got thrashed by #14 Kansas 41-10 in a game where there only amounted 150 yards of total offense. Eight-five came through the air and another sixty-six came on the ground. They are not facing a defense as tough as last week, but Iowa will still give FIU fits. This would be a great game for the Hawkeyes’ to throw the ball a little more to get the confidence of Jake Christensen up. Iowa should win this one with ease. Iowa 41-17

Eastern Illinois at Illinois - Big Ten Network 12pm - Even though the Illini lost 52-42 to Missouri, I believe Ron Zook and his team have to take a lot of positives out of that game. One being Juice Williams; the Juice threw for over 450 yards with 5 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Will Judson led the recievers with 177 yards on 7 catches, while Daniel Dufrene averaged almost 6 yards on the ground. The defense can always improve, but I am willing to bet that they will not be the last team to give up over 50 points to Missouri this season. Eastern Illinois last week lost to Central Michigan, giving up 31 points to them. Unfortunately for EIU, they are playing a team with more offensive talent than CMU which in their last meeting between these two schools dropped a 42-17 game to the Illini in 2006. Expect more of the same. Illinois 49-7

Ohio at Ohio State - ESPN 12pm - No Beanie Wells this week…no problem for the Buckeyes. This is their last “warm-up” game before the big one next week at Southern California which will define both team’s seasons. Ohio State has won 27 straight games against teams from their own state, going the whole way back to 1921. The Bobcats travel to the Horseshoe sporting a 0-1 record after losing to Wyoming last week by one point. In that game, Ohio only managed 39 yards on the ground. Surprisingly enough, that number might be lower this week. I expect Jim Tressel to play freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor about 25% of the time against Ohio to give USC a few more plays and formations to think about. This game won’t be close, and I am predicting that all the starters will be out by half time because Coach Tressell does not want to chance losing a starter the week before the biggest game of the year. Ohio State 51-3

Miami (OH) at Michigan - ESPN2 12pm - I wasn’t so much surprised how poorly the Michigan offense looked as I was how the Michigan defense still hasn’t figured out how to defend the spread offense. The Red Hawks and the Wolverine come into this week 2 game sporting a 0-1 record. The Wolverines lost last week at home to Utah while Miami (OH) lost 34-13 to a Vanderbilt team which just knocked off South Carolina. I really believe Michigan is in for another tough game. In years past they could take teams like this for granted, but not the way they have been playing. Michigan will again be shuffling between Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet as neither looked really good last week, and same goes at running back where Brandon Minor was the leading rusher last week with 21 yards. Look for the Redhawks to throw the ball with Daniel Raudabaugh, and if he can cut back with his turnovers, 3 last week, Miami (OH) could pull the upset. After watching Vandy’s offense and not being really impressed with it, I think Michigan can score enough to hold on to win. Michigan 24-16

Northern Colorado at Purdue - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Curtis Painter for Heisman tour begins as does the Joe Tiller farewell tour, against the Bears of Northern Colorado. Both teams were off last week so nothing of importance to note on the injury or stat front. The Bears last year were horrid defensively as they allowed 490 yards per game, 281 of those through the air. I really think that is all you need to know about this game. It won’t be pretty, Painter will pass for a ton of yards, Purdue will once again beat up on a weaker opponent, and the Joe Tiller farewell tour will start out with a victory. Unless you are a Purdue fan, there is no reason to even watch this game. Purdue 63-9

Oregon State at Penn State - ABC 3:30pm - With the suspensions of Maurice Evans, Andrew Quarless and Abe Koroma, this game just got really interesting. Last week Penn State had it’s way with Coastal Carolina, scoring 66 points. Daryll Clark looked good as did Pat Devlin at quarterback. What impressed me most was the running of Evan Royster and Stephfon Green. I think those two will strike fear in opponent’s eyes for years to come. The Nittany Lions’ defense concerns me, and now even more without Evans and Koroma. The defensive line is thin and linebacker Josh Hull in the middle looks out of place. The Beavers lost a heart breaker to Stanford. Oregon State is in the middle of a rebuilding year, but that did not stop Lyle Moevao from throwing for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. What concerns me for the Beavers is their inability to tackle, and how they gave up huge numbers to Stanford, who won’t be known for their offensive prowless this year. This will be a high scoring close game, I give the edge to the ones who play in Beaver Stadium because of their balance on offense. Penn State 38-28

Murray State at Indiana - Big Ten Network 7pm -The Hooisers started off the year on a good note, looking to go to bowl games in consecutive years beating Western Kentucky 31-13. Kellen Lewis once again led the Hooisers in passing (144 yards & 2 touchdowns) as well as in rushing (185 yards & 2 touchdowns). I look for him to have a similar game this week against Murray State. The Racers come to Bloomington sporting a 1-0 record after beating Lambuth 41-17. Murray State had two quarterbacks who threw for over 100 yards each and 3 touchdowns, but failed to really put together a solid ground game. I expect the Hoosiers to have an easy time with the Racers which should put them 2-0 going into next week’s test with Ball State. Indiana 41-14

Northwestern at Duke - No Television - I can’t remember the last time I can say this, but Duke and Northwestern come into this game a combined 2-0. Honestly, I think this will be a pretty good game. Northwestern had a nice win last week against Syracuse where CJ Bacher threw for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tyrell Sutton regained a bit of his old form running for 144 yards and a 7 ypc average. Duke’s win over James Madison was not as impressive as beating a team like Syracuse, but for Duke it is a building block. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis had a nice game throwing for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns while their ground game gained 218 yards led by Clifford Harris’ 95 yards. I think Duke has the tools to keep this game close, but the Wildcats just have too much talent and balance with Sutton and Bacher. Throw in the fact that I believe that Northwestern sports the better defense and you can figure out my pick here. Northwestern 30-20

Minnesota at Bowling Green - ESPNU 7:30pm - It wasn’t pretty, but the Golden Gophers pulled out a 31-27 victory over Northern Illinois last week. Even with the influx of talent Tim Brewster has recruited, this team is still a long way away from being good. Adam Weber was a bright spot throwing for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns. Their opponents for week 2, the Bowling Green Falcons are coming off an upset of a Pitt Panther team who many thought would contend for the Big East crown. If you watched the game, you saw that neither team’s offense looked exactly stellar, but for Bowling Green to hold Pitt to zero points in the second half is an impressive act. Adam Weber is better at quarterback than what they saw last week, but I don’t think Minnesota has the overall talent to pull this one out. Once again, this game will be close for about two quarters, but I think the Falcons pull away in the end. Bowling Green 29-17

Last Week - 8-2 (.800)
Overall - 8-2 (.800)

There were no monumental upsets, like last year’s upset of Appalachian State over Michigan, but quite a few teams and conferences took some major hits over the weekend.

First we start with the entire ACC Conference. If there are any Tar Heel fans out there that told my friend Adam Nettina that he was a moron for even thinking that McNeese State had a chance against North Carolina, you owe him a big apology. An eight point win against a FCS school is nothing to be proud of, but luckily for Tar Heel fans, Virginia Tech got beat and did not look good at all against East Carolina. I find it pretty ironic that it has been their special teams that have been lauded over the years, and it was a blocked punt for a TD by the Pirates that beat them.

I bought into the hype and was bitten badly, but can you really see one thing the Clemson Tigers did right against Alabama? They have two of the best running backs in the country and they carried the ball a combined 8 times for 20 yards. Someone wake up Tommy Bowden!!

North Carolina State couldn’t muster a point against South Carolina, in what was one of the most boring first halves I have ever seen. The Wolfpack are in for a looooong season.

I didn’t expect Virginia to beat USC, but to get thrashed 52-7 at home was just embarrassing. Southern California looked great, and they might replace Ohio State in my eyes as the #1 team in the Nation. I hope Beanie Wells is ready and healthy for September 13, because I think that is going to be one heck of a game.

Runner up to the ACC in terms of looking bad is the Big East. If you heard a crash and bang sometime around 3:30 pm EST on Saturday, that was the sound of everyone jumping off the Pitt Panthers‘ bandwagon. I try to temper myself with the critism of Pitt since I am a Penn State fan, but I never bought into the hype. The Panthers did beat WVU last year, but the Mountaineers were without Pat White for most of the game. Dave Wannstedt is a heck of a recruiter, but he severely lacks as a game day coach, and you know what else lacks for Pitt? Their offensive line.

The Syracuse Orange lost to Northwestern by 20 points. I don’t think I need to say anymore.

For the second year in a row Kentucky beat Louisville. It is pretty bad for Louisville who was once an offensive juggernaut to not even score an offensive point against Kentucky, who most think will be a SEC cellar dweller. I am not going to pile on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights too much because they did play and lose to a quality Fresno State team. But to lose at home, and by the score of 24-7 is not good. Rutgers blew a ton of early chances where they were in the Bulldogs zone for most of the first half.

The state of Michigan is licking their wounds as both Michigan and Michigan State lost on Saturday. The Wolverines played about as well as I expected on offense, but I thought their defense would be a bit tougher. It still looks like they are baffled against the spread. The Spartans just took too long to get going against Cal.

If you turned the Tennessee and UCLA game off before the 4th quarter, shame on you. What a great 4th quarter and overtime. UCLA really showed a lot, and defensively they did a good job. Great win for UCLA and Tennessee should think twice about starting the year on the west coast after back to back losses to Cal and UCLA.

I am going to throw one last comment out about my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions. They should be utterly humiliated for scheduling Coastal Carolina. How are the coaches or players suppose to get anything out of that game, besides gate revenue. Coastal Carolina had linemen that weighed 230 lbs, and couldn’t stop the Nittany Lions’ 3rd team. They should be embarrassed they charged full price for that game.

I am back for another year of predicting Big Ten games. Each Friday I’ll have a brief summary of what I think the key points are in the games, along with my predictions. Last year I had a good record getting 80% of the games right, so let’s see if I can continue the trend this season.

Youngstown State at Ohio State - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Penguins face a tough task playing against the Buckeyes’ in Columbus. Ohio State has not lost to a team in Ohio since the 1920s, and I have no doubt in my mind that will extend another year. As I said before on the blog, I believe Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten and they will blow Youngstown State out of the water. What I am most looking forward to is seeing some highlights of Terrell Pryor. Ohio State 60-6

Coastal Carolina at Penn State - Big Ten Network 12pm - Penn State made a lot of news this offseason, off the field, now it is time for them to make it on the field. Paterno named Daryll Clark the starter, but we will also see Pat Devlin play in this game with the first team. I am interested in seeing how the defense looks without linebacker Sean Lee and with the defensive line getting thinner and thinner by the moment. The most interesting storyline is the starting quarterback for Coastal Carolina is the brother of former Penn State quarterback Wally Richardson. Penn State 57-7

Maine at Iowa - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Hawkeyes need at least a winning season if they want to save their coach Kirk Ferentz’s job for another year. No one in Iowa City knows what really to expect of this team; it can go anywhere from 3 wins up to 8 wins. Iowa had a lot of off the field issues which they had to deal with and no one knows what to expect each time Jake Christensen steps on the field. If this team struggles against Maine, buckle up Hawkeye fans, but I don’t think they will. Iowa 31-10

Akron at Wisconsin - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Badgers are notorious for making cupcake games hard, look back at last year against UNLV and two years earlier against Bowling Green. Wisconsin is loaded on offense with running back PJ Hill and one of the best tight ends in the country Travis Beckum. It’ll be on quarterback Allan Evridge’s shoulder as to how far this team really does go. Akron is probably the worst team in the MAC East, so the Badgers should dispose of them quite early. Wisconsin 47-13

Western Kentucky at Indiana - Big Ten Network 12pm - This is the second year for the Hilltoppers playing in a FBS conference, the Sun Belt. They were 7-5 last year, but still played a lot of FCS opponents. The Hoosiers made a bowl game for the first time in a long time, but lost their star wide receiver James Hardy to the NFL. Kellen Lewis is back starting at quarterback, even after all of the off the field issues in the spring. Indiana will not be as good as in 2007, but they are good enough to beat Western Kentucky. Although, it might be a bit of a struggle. Indiana 27-17

Syracuse at Northwestern - ESPN2 12pm - This is going to be an interesting game because it will set the tone for each of these teams for the rest of the year. The Orange desperately need to win this one to cool off Greg Robinson’s hot seat, while Northwestern wants to climb back up into the Bowl picture after missing it last season. CJ Bacher is back at quarterback and Tyrell Sutton hopes to regain his freshman year for as a senior. The Orange have to rely a lot on Andrew Robinson and with his favorite target Mike Williams gone for the year, it is going to be tough. I like the Wildcats in this one. Northwestern 28-20

Utah at Michigan - ABC 3:30pm - This is one of our games of the week. We’ve heard it all about Michigan and now this is going to be a down year because of their offense, but with most of their defense returning, they could carry the team until the offense clicks. Utah is one of the best teams in the WAC led by their quarterback Brian Johnson who has been a bit injury prone. Running back Darrell Mack is the star of the Utes offense. Between Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet, Michigan has to find a quarterback and keep an eye on true freshman Sam McGuffie. I predict he make a highlight reel play in his first game in the Big House. Michigan avenges their loss to ASU last year and their defense wins the game for them in a low scoring game. Michigan 17-13

Northern Illinois at Minnesota - Big Ten Network 7pm - Between these two teams they had a total of 3 wins last season. The Huskies are breaking in a new coach Jerry Kill, while in Gopherland it is the second year for Tim Brewster. The Gophers have some nice talent in their system, but it is real young. Adam Weber is the quarterback for Minnesota who can do damage with his arm and his legs as he led the team in both rushing and passing last year. His favorite target is Eric Decker. I think this game will be close for awhile, but over all the Gophers have too much talent for the Huskies. Minnesota 24-16

Michigan State at California - ABC 8pm - These last two games are huge for the overall view of the Big Ten. The Spartans are one team that I think can surprise the ranks of the Big Ten. I like Brian Hoyer at quarterback and I also think Javon Ringer can pick up where he left off last year running the ball. The psyche for both the Bears and the Spartans are very fragile, the can fall from grace in the drop of a hate. The Bears named Kevin Riley, but lost their talent at both wide receiver and running back. Cal will be able to tame the Spartans with their tough corners but I think Sparty grinds away a victory on the ground. Michigan State 31-27

Illinois at Missouri - ESPN 8:30pm - The Missouri Tigers have national title dreams, while Illinois is hoping to repeat from last season and go back to a BCS Bowl game. The Tigers are stacked offensively with Chase Daniel at quarterback and Jeremy Maclin at wide receiver. Maclin is going to cause fits in the Illini secondary. Juice Williams will be the quarterback for the Illini, but Ron Zook is hoping not only does Juice protect the ball better, but his completion percentage rises above the 50% mark. Arrelious Benn will be the main guy for the Juice to throw to, and could be a factor in the return game. Remember last year, Eddie McGee replaced Juice Williams and almost led the Illini in a comeback victory which just fell short on 4th down. This year, it will not be the same. Missouri will step on the gas from the start and Illinois will be left in the dust. Missouri 40-21