Week 3 Predictions

California @ Nevada (+2.5)

Let's see, the top defense so far vs the top offense so far - but who have they played? The Bears have beaten UC Davis and Colorado, while the Wolfpack have beaten Eastern Washington and Colorado State. Gotta give the edge to Cal in this one.

The Call: California by 7

The Result: Nevada 52-31
And there go the Bears, faltering again. the Wolfpack looked quite solid - might they make a run at Boise State in the WAC?
_________________________________

Arkansas @ Georgia (-2.5)

I gotta believe the bulldogs are going to be ready for this one, if only because they've actually had a tough match so far. Going from Tennessee Tech and Louisiana Monroe to Georgia might be a bit of a wakeup call for the Razorbacks.

The Call: Georgia by 4

The Result: Arkansas 31-24
Aw, dawgs, are we gonna do this again this year? I thought we were over all this wishy-washy stuff. Apparently this is going to be a rebuilding year, with a new freshman QB (who didn't look completely bad). The Razorbacks still aren't clicking on all cylinders, and I'll be curious to see what they do against Bama next week.
_________________________________

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina (-2)

Hmmm... a tricky one. The Yellow Jackets need a big rebound game after dropping one to Kansas last week, while the Tar Heels have had two weeks to recuperate from their loss to LSU a couple of weeks back. In a lot of ways, this'll be like starting over for the Tar Heels - but they should be okay.

The Call: North Carolina by 7

The Result: Georgia Tech 30-24
And, they're still in the starting blocks. Losing so many players is pretty much going to doom UNC for the rest of the year. They still might win some, but they're already behind in the ACC, which is no place to be. Good comeback for the Yellow Jackets, but they need to stay on that roll.
_________________________________

Maryland (+10) @ West Virginia

The Terrapins haven't really shown me much this year - after a close call last week, the Mountaineers should be able to get back on track.

The Call: West Virginia by 14

The Result: West Virginia 31-17
That was the result the Mountaineers needed before heading to LSU next week.
_________________________________

East Carolina @ Virginia Tech (-20.5)

This is bad. I really have no desire to make a call on this one whatsoever. Who knows what's going to happen between these two. A 20+ point spread is pretty big though...

The Call: Virginia Tech wins, but East Carolina covers the spread

The Result: Virginia Tech 49-27
The Hokies finally seemed to come alive in the second half there. What will they be able to manage in the ACC?
_________________________________

Hawaii @ Colorado (-12.5)

The Buffs are just too sketchy to me right now. At least Hawaii has shown some oomph at times.

The Call: Hawaii by 7

The Result: Colorado 31-13
Okay, sketchiness has been upgraded to acceptable.
_________________________________

BYU (+10.5) @ Florida State

Both of these two lost big road games last weekend - who will be able to recover and save their season?

The Call: Florida State wins, but BYU covers the spread

The Result: Florida State 34-10
That'd be the Seminoles. Not the toughest path going forward the next few weeks, so they should be able to keep the momentum going. The opening week win over Washington has lost a lot of it's luster, for both the Cougars & the Huskies.
_________________________________

USC (-11.5) @ Minnesota

Since nobody has any idea which Trojan team is going to show up, let's talk about the Gophers. Beat Middle Tennessee State, lost last week to North Dakota State. On second thought, let's not talk about them either.

The Call: USC by 14

The Result: USC 32-21
Dammit, I can't stand garbage-time touchdowns that cover the spread. Argh. And really, Kiffin, what's up with the 2-point conversions? At 13-7 in the first half? Going for 2? I just don't get that.
_________________________________

Alabama @ Duke (+24)

The best of a good SEC vs the worst of a bad ACC. Meh.

The Call: Alabama by 31

The Result: Alabama 62-13
Double Meh.
_________________________________

Air Force @ Oklahoma (-16.5)

We saw what the Sooners are capable of last week - any chance they have a letdown against the Falcons?

The Call: Oklahoma by 24

The Result: Oklahoma 27-24
Hmmm... Oklahoma is looking a tad bit shaky. Not in their potential, but in how they get it done. They're gonna have to start getting things under control before the Big12 catches up.
_________________________________

Nebraska @ Washington (+3)

Maybe it's me, but I get the feeling that a lot of people are basing Nebraska on last year. That could partly be because they've played Western Kentucky and Idaho so far this year. The Huskies on the other hand are a bit more seasoned at this point. Gonna pull the upset trigger on this one.

The Call: Washington by 7

The Result: Nebraska 56-21
Okay, I'm more of a believer. Not as much as I probably should be though - Washington isn't anywhere near the team people thought they were going to be in August.
_________________________________

Arizona State @ Wisconsin (-13.5)

The Sun Devils don't have enough, and the Badgers are just too much.

The Call: Wisconsin by 17

The Result: Wisconsin 20-19
Arizona State almost pulled the upset there - good effort. Badger fans can exhale for now, until their tough October begins.
_________________________________

Florida (-14) @ Tennessee

Despite what they may think, the Gators do not have the personnel that the Ducks did last week. And I gotta think that the Vols will keep the engine running sometime.

The Call: Florida wins, but Tennessee covers the spread

The Result: Florida 31-17
Apparently the Gators don't feel the need to start playing until the second half. The Vols are in for a loooong season.
_________________________________

Northwestern @ Rice (+6.5)

Got a good feeling about the Wildcats in this one.

The Call: Northwestern by 14

The Result: Northwestern 30-13
I'm not saying Northwestern is going to win the Big10, but I think they'll upset at least one of the big boys.
_________________________________

Clemson @ Auburn (+7)

The Tigers are taking seven points at home? People know that CJ Spiller's gone, right?

The Call: Auburn by 3

The Result: Auburn 27-24
Good comeback by Auburn - they're going to be the wildcard in the SEC West. The ACC's problems continue...
_________________________________

Notre Dame @ Michigan State (-3.5)

The Irish need Crist to play well, but his health is an issue, whether or not they want to admit it. You know the Spartans are going to be attacking.

The Call: Michigan State by 9

The Result: Michigan State 34-31
Ballsy.
_________________________________

Texas (-3) @ Texas Tech

The first meeting between Brown & Tuberville. Tommy is going to pull out all the stops to try to knock the big boys off their hill, but it's not going to be enough.

The Call: Texas by 10

The Result: Texas 24-14
The Longhorns are looking solid, though their competition this last month before the showdown with Oklahoma in two weeks might leave them lacking. Sorry, Tommy - how're you gonna spin this one?
_________________________________

Iowa (+1) @ Arizona

As I've said, I really like the Hawkeyes this season. The Wildcats are improving, but I don't think they'll be able to keep up.

The Call: Iowa by 10

The Result: Arizona 34-27
I still like the Hawkeyes, but the Wildcats were just ready to win this one. Solid defensive effort until they got a little shaky there, but leadership to drive and seal it up.
_________________________________

Houston @ UCLA (+3)

Really? The Bruins are only getting 3 points?

The Call: Houston by 17

The Result: UCLA 31-13
Apparently someone knew something I didn't. I like calling early season Pac10 games, because they usually schedule good non-conference competition, but they're killing me this week.
_________________________________

Not a good picking week at all. 12-7 straight up, 5.5-13.5 AtS. Ouch.