SnoTap CFB Picks Week 3: Tale of Two Scandals

This week in college football has not been about Texas A&M and Alabama truthfully. People were talking about it and sure, ESPN was at Kyle Field all week, Drake might be showing up tonight at Midnight Yell, it's a big game yet still not the top story. Sports Illustrated's Oklahoma State 'scandal' story and Yahoo! report on agents and SEC players dominated the headlines. Both of these stories are interesting, but not really eye-opening however Yahoo! showed how to cover a story such as this one.

While the layout of Yahoo! is tough to read, they source out all sorts of documents ranging from emails, text messages to Western Union transcripts providing the proof.  In recent investigating sports reporting, people beg for more information and finally a group of writers and editors nailed it. As for Oklahoma State, there are no documents, no emails, no real concrete evidence and they have came out with four parts with one still to go next week  But things seem to be falling in on Sports Illustrated.  

It all starts actually with ESPN. Brent McMurphy is one of the best college football reporters and he happens to be an Oklahoma State alum. McMurphy dug up all sorts of information proving Faith Carter, arguably SI's best sources, may have fabricated some of the things he said to Thayer Evans, the reporter of the SI story. Why is it important to mention McMurphy being an Oklahoma State alum?  Because he probably has much better sources there compared to other reporters in the sports media world. Even though they are a fan blog, Pistols Firing has done a great job with this all week and this outlines why everything could get real ugly, real quick. I feel like the criticism has gotten larger seeing what Yahoo! has done with all the different sources, documents, etc. Let's actually talk football now.

Grab Beers & Bros
1. Alabama at 6. Texas A&M 2:30 pm CBS - Oh baby. I cannot remember a September conference game with this much hype. It is weird the concerns I have for both Bama and A&M blend together pretty nicely.  The Crimson Tide's offensive line is still completely fresh. They did not look good at all against Virginia Tech and I cannot get out of my head they only had 14 offensive points against the Hokies. Now for the Aggies, they cannot play defense. They gave up 25-plus points to both Rice and Sam Houston State, and now we are talking about Alabama.  The Bama offense could look like revelation this week, but it could be a smoke and mirrors situation.

But is their a chance for a shootout?  I say yes because I believe Johnny Manziel is a better player than he was last season. He threw for 400 yards last week. I do not care if it is against a FBS team, that for Manziel is impressive and I truly believe Kevin Sumlin will have a new scheme for him to combat Nick Saban getting ready for them. My heart wants to take the Aggies, but my head tells me to never bet against Alabama and Saban in a revenge game. Alabama in a squeaker and classic we all talking about Monday. BAMA 38-34

16. UCLA at 23. Nebraska 11:00 am ABC - I am so puzzled by this game. Everything tells me take UCLA to win this one. They have a great offense and the Cornhuskers have not figured out the recipe for Tom Osborne's special defense. I keep coming back to the intangibles like this is an 11 am start time for the West Coast kids meaning they are usually getting up to get ready for their game in Los Angeles. Additionally, Lincoln is a tough place to play for any team and they will want revenge from last year's drubbing by the Bruins. I really really hate myself for doing this but I am taking Nebraska. Goddammit.  NEB 30-27

20. Wisconsin at Arizona State 9:30 pm ESPN - See my preview from earlier today on the game. I think this one should be a special one.

25. Ole Miss at Texas 7:00 pm Longhorn Network - I feature this game in our top section because Texas might be the most-watched team this weekend even if the game is on LHN. The reason is to see how Greg Robinson will run this defense.  I feel like this was the worst time to fire Manny Diaz. Texas has Ole Miss coming in with Bo Wallace, Laquon Treadwell, Donte Moncrief and Jeff Scott, all talented offensive players in their own right.  Sure, Diaz's defense looked as bad as spoiled milk on a hot day, but bringing in a new defensive coordinator to face a high-powered SEC offense does not sound like a great idea. I like the Rebels on the road. It will be shootout with a ton of points, but I really like this Ole Miss team. OLE MISS 41-35

3.) Ohio State at California 6:00 pm FOX - Oh boy. When I saw this on the schedule, I thought the Buckeyes might be in for a challenge and I still think they will have their hands full. Berkeley should be at full tilt and Northwestern struggled with the 'Bear Raid' even if the Wildcats won the football game. Now, Ohio State has better athletes than Northwestern, but this is still an offense that is not used in the B1G. Braxton Miller is day-to-day and might not play in this one. That would be a concern, but the Buckeyes have Kenny Guiton, a guy I think could be the next Matt Cassel in terms of not playing much in college, but be a pro quarterback. Jared Goff is a freshman quarterback, and I cannot see him putting the Bears over the top against Ohio State.  Buckeyes by a field goal.  OSU 31-28

Channel Flip Worthy
Vanderbilt at 13. South Carolina 6:00 pm ESPN - South Carolina heads back to Columbia after losing their first one in Athens while Vandy tries not to go 0-2 to begin the SEC season.  The Dores bounced back last week by munching on a cupcake known as Austin Peay. If Vanderbilt wants to win this game, they need to control the ball and let Jordan Matthews work as much as he can. But I cannot trust an inexperienced quarterback to come into Columbia and win the game. I like the Cocks in a close game. SCAR 23-17

21. Notre Dame at Purdue 7:00 pm ABC - The Irish are trying to get back to the drawing board after losing to Michigan. Purdue does not get many night games given their current football culture, and they will be fired up for this one. Although Purdue needs to find a way to get some points and that is going to be hard on this Notre Dame defense. For reference, the Boilermakers only beat Indiana State by six points on Saturday scoring 20 points while their rival Indiana put 70 on the Sycamores the prior week. That's not good especially playing a team like the Irish. I feel Notre Dame comes up big in this one. ND 31-6

Tennessee at 2. Oregon 2:30 pm ABC - I do not know if enough was made of the Ducks heading to Charlottesville and beating the complete shit out of Virginia. They now have Tennessee who has won their first two games of the year. They are without Maurice Couch after the Yahoo! allegations, but the Vols have ran the ball well with Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane. Oregon picked up where Chip Kelly left them. Marcus Mariotta is off to a great start and once again, not many are talking about him. De'Anthony Thomas is becoming more a threat in the rushing game and their defense is doing fine yet unproven. I think the Vols could hang with this team for a half, but that's about it.  Mariotta and Thomas are too much. ORE 42-16

Nevada at 10. Florida State 2:30 pm ESPN - Best part of this game?  No, not Jameis Winston. It is Brock Hekking who has a GLORIOUS mullet. Like this is what we mean when we are talking about a mullet. This needs to be worn by at least one defensive lineman or linebacker with every FCS team. A mullet can only take you so far, the Noles and Winston will roll. FSU 39-21

Upset Special
Oregon State at Utah 9:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - This is something new from last year. I am going to just pick a Top 25 upset for the hell of it. If I believe no Top 25 team will lose in what I would deem an upset, I will find another game that smells like an upset.  I present you with this one. Utah is off to a good start with two wins, but one of those is against Weber State. I realize Oregon State lost to Eastern Washington but they were preseason ranked with a ton of talent. They are also very good as road underdogs in the past couple of years. Give me the Beavers on the road. OSU 34-29

A palate cleanser for your Netlix binge watch 
7. Louisville at Kentucky 11:00 am ESPN - This is a basketball rivalry, but people are both schools want this to be a football rivalry as well.  It might become a bigger rivalry in a couple years when Kentucky starts assembling the four-star talent they have been getting in recruiting recently. But right now, Louisville is clearly the better team. Look for another big Teddy Bridgewater game. LOU 45-17

Tulsa at 14. Oklahoma 11:00 am ESPN2 - I am not sold on the Sooners yet. They put up 16 points on an inept West Virginia defense and Blake Bell is back in the saddle at quarterback, a man who does not throw the football much at all. For this career, he has thrown 26 passes in two years and some change. Oklahoma needs to be more run-orientated with Bell behind center. I will take Oklahoma in one that looks like a blowout but it is not. OK 27-10

19. Washington at Illinois  (Played at Soldier Field) 5:00 pm Big Ten Network - Somehow Illinois is 2-0, they win another game, they are three away from being bowl eligible. Washington had a week off against being Boise so they have had a week to prepare for the Fightin' Illini. I feel like Illinois comes down to earth this week; Bishop Sankey has a big game. WASH 34-21

5. Stanford at Army 11:00 am CBS Sports Network - Could this be an upset in the making? Probably not, but it is still commendable to see Stanford head to West Point for a game. My assumption is they are doing it for recruiting purposes.  I will take the Goofy Tree

Sleep off your hangover
Kent State at 8. LSU 6:00 pm ESPNU - LSU 52-14
Akron at 11. Michigan 11:00 am Big Ten Network - MICH 49-6
Lamar at 12. Oklahoma State 6:30 pm No TV - OK State 63-10
Western Michigan at 17. Northwestern 8:00 pm Big Ten Network - NW 55-7

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SnoTap College Football Preview: Tapping The Keg Episode 52

We talk all things college football for the latest Tapping The Keg podcast to get you ready for the seasonstarting on Thursday. The team we spent the most time with is the Wisconsin Badgers talking about their chances this season as well as their roster.  We then expand to the entire B1G looking at Ohio State, Michigan and others. The transition heads to the SEC discussing our fondness for Georgia and why we only save a couple words for Alabama.  Pac-12 sparks an interesting discussion talking about Stanford, Oregon and why Washington is truly the Milwaukee Bucks for college football; we also talk about the Pac-12 South. Big 12, ACC, American Athletic Conference and Notre Dame are also discussed in the final moments. Oh and we start with five minutes about the VMA's.

Charlie.

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SnoTap College Football Preview: B1G Leaders

Finally, the college football previews are beginning on SnoTap. We are trying something new looking at divisions/conferences as a whole versus breaking down every team. We look at the power six conferences, Notre Dame and independents and mid-majors. 

After multiple years of still writing out Big Ten, I finally have succumbed to using B1G for all my posts moving forward. This is a conference wanting a seat at the biggest of big boys table, but they are still some paces away from truly being there. Ohio State and Michigan will probably not leave the top 15 all year, but there is not that third and fourth team who can bet there with them.  Hence there is the problem with the league as a whole.

END OF AN ERA as the legends and leaders are dead after next year along with a new realignment. For whatever it's worth, we did not do any cross divisional games in the ACC and that was probably a mistake. We make up for it here a bit.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Braxton Miller (Ohio State) - We talked about Miller in the our '12 players to watch' earlier this month and the Ohio State quarterback will have a lot of eyes on him this year. Miller playing in his second year of Urban Meyer's system tends to mean a National Championship, Heisman or at least getting an unbeaten season. I think what might be lost on Miller's season in 2012 is he had over 1,200 yards of rushing and he average 5.6 yards a carry when he did run with the ball. Those are insane numbers for a quarterback and oh by the way, he also threw for over 2,000 yards.

QB Curt Phillips/Joel Stave (Wisconsin) - Ah nothing like a good ole quarterback battle. There is no signs right now as to who will be the quarterback of the Badgers this season. Both bring different aspects for the table whether it be Phillips' ability to run the football or Stave's deep ball.  They are unique talents and do different things for Gary Anderson.  My opinion is Phillips will get the job because Anderson's system needs a bit of a runner and with their running game, the Badgers should not be in many third and long situations.

WR Allen Robinson (Penn State) -  The Big Ten Receiver of the Year returns for another year and the best question for him is 'Who will be throwing the ball?  Great question as Matt McGloin graduated and it sounds like they might go with a true freshman. No matter whom the quarterback is, Robinson will be one of the best wide receivers in the B1G.  How many times have local Pennsylvania news programs have used 'Here's to you, Mr. Robinson' in their sports segments? Like all of them?  I bet all of them.

WR Cody Latimer (Indiana)  - While Robinson is a great player, Latimer is not a bad option at Indiana. He had an all-Big Ten year last year with over 800 yards of receiving with six touchdowns and averaging 67 yards per game. Latimer will have his quarterback, Cameron Coffman, back for another year and those two should be one of the best duos in the B1G.

LB Ryan Shazier (Ohio State) - He had a massive sophomore campaign and there is a reason why many expect Shazier to be drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft if he decides to come out. Shazier had 115 tackles last season along with five sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception. He will be one of the leaders of the Ohio State defense along with Bradley Roby after he finishes his one-game suspension. Expect to be hearing Shazier's name a lot this season.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday September 28th - Wisconsin at Ohio State - Even though Badgers fans would probably love this game to be played in November, I still think this has a chance to be a great one. These two teams always play close games and last year's overtime thriller in Camp Randall was one of the best of the year.

Saturday October 5th - Penn State at Indiana -  So why is this a game to watch?  What could be so appealing about Indiana? Well the Hoosiers might be a bowl team this year for the first time since 2007. This is probably their toughest home game, and it could be their biggest win even if Penn State might not be one of the best in the Big Ten.

Saturday November 2nd - Ohio State at Purdue - For whatever reason, Ohio State struggles against Purdue. They have not won in West Lafayette since 2007 and they needed a late rally to beat the Boilermakers last year in Columbus. If you are looking for a game that might trip the Buckeyes, look no forward than to this one.

Saturday November 30th - Penn State at Wisconsin - I realize it is just two times, but I like how Wisconsin is now playing Penn State to end the year. Hopefully, this continues for at least a couple years. I like they have the yearly meeting at a specific date. Who knows, the Badgers might need this win to get into a bowl game although I doubt that happens, but you never know with college football.

Saturday November 30th - Ohio State at Michigan - Am I the only one whom wishes this would be played in late October. I realize the pageantry that comes with The Big Game being played at 11 am on ABC. It has been going on since I can remember watching college football, but with the Big Ten Championship the following week, it is very possible we will get a repeat game of these two teams.  Personally, I feel like this could dent Ohio State's chances at going undefeated for the season more than anything else on their schedule.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO PONDER
Ohio State running the table for the second straight year? - Their schedule and team set up to be the first B1G team back in the National Championship for the first time since 2007 when Ohio State lost their second straight National Championship final to an SEC team.  We did point out two of their pitfalls against Purdue and possibly playing Michigan twice, but this is Ohio State's best chance in recent memory to return to the National Championship game.  Although it is hard for any college team to have two straight undefeated seasons so the Buckeyes will need to keep their composure.

Which Wisconsin quarterback will come out on top? - It is starting to look like it is Curt Phillips' job to lose and I seem to be the only semi-Badger fan to be okay with this move by Gary Anderson if it does end up being Phillips.  Badger fans seem to like Joel Stave because he can throw the ball more accurately and farther but really Anderson's system values a running quarterback more so than pseudo pocket passer. My guess is Phillips gets until the end of September before an evaluation of his skills because he will face both Arizona State and Ohio State during that stretch.

Will the Gary Anderson era start off on the right foot? - We will have a longer Badger preview upcoming next Thursday or Friday, but as for today, it looks like the Badgers will be fine although it is hard to imagine them being a Rose Bowl team again this year. Anderson needs a year to implement his system plus it is tough when he is not dealing with Bret Bielema's recruits. Looking blindly at the schedule, it looks like a seven to nine win season. Ohio State is the one true difficult road games, but Minnesota, a night game at Illinois and Iowa will not be easy games.

What's the expectations for Bill O'Brien Year 2? - The Nittany Lions begin their second season of their four year suspension for the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Bill O'Brien loses some of his key cogs like McGloin and Michael Mauti so this year could be a little more difficult than expected. It is likely they are going with a true freshman at quarterback adding to the experience, but personally I believe the goal for the Nittany Lions should be six wins and everything else is gravy. They should strive for getting 'bowl-eligible' and anything else will be used to help get recruits for the future.

Braxton Miller will take a new step, but how big will that step be? - The statistics show players in  the second year under Meyer tends to develop to whole new levels. Tim Tebow won a Heisman and put up one of the best years ever for a college quarterback. Alex Smith made the leap as well and turned into the number one draft pick overall.  If Miller becomes as good of a passer as he is running the ball, holy shit Ohio State will be extremely lethal on offense. The one thing I might be worry about Miller is injuries. This is always a worry with running quarterbacks, but the Buckeyes did have a few scares with him last year.

Indiana, a bowl team? - The Hoosiers are bringing a lot back this year on both offense and defense. It seems like Kevin Wilson is putting this team in the right direction. With how many bowl games there are, I would not be surprised at all to see the Hoosiers there with six wins. I see six or seven wins on their schedule definitely. Indiana Hoosiers being a bowl team will probably get laughed at by some, but them being good only helps the B1G return to prominence.

PROJECTED FINISH
1.) Ohio State
2.) Wisconsin
3.) Penn State
4.) Indiana
5.) Purdue
6.) Illinois

O-H-I-O.

Charlie.

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SnoTap Buzz: Wednesday August 7th

Marquette said they might have a special announcement this week and we may have found it out as Madison Square Garden will add two college games before the Miami Heat-New York Knicks on Super Bowl weekend. Those games will be Michigan State-Georgetown and Marquette-St. John's. We know what happened last time MU played a regular season game at MSG.... (MLive.com) 

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Jennings now taking aim at Green Bay in general calling it a 'Brainwashing.'  He just needs to shut up. Full Hollywood Hogan heel turn. (Pro Football Talk) 

Speaking of Green Bay, three fights broke out in training camp and one involving Jermichael Finley where hit another player in the helmet. Personally, I love the passion although others are not pleased he punched it. (Deadspin) 

Auburn journalism professor questions ESPN's Joe Schad's report on Johnny Manziel. If you're in journalism or interested in it, this is a must-read. (Al.com) 

Ohio State believes they have SEC speed and they are looking for 'freaks' to contribute on the lines. The Buckeyes will be a heavy favorite to go to the National Championship game. (CBS Sports) 

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