SnoTap College Football Try Week 3

If you are wondering where the Alabama-Texas A&M and Arizona State-Wisconsin stuff, it is coming later today. I actually wanted to watch the games in full as I saw bits and pieces of both on Saturday as I was at a wedding. The Bama-TAMU will be coming soon with UW-ASU later in the day. While we wait, let's talk about the rest of college football.

Bad Day for B1G - Just when you think the Big Ten is turning the corner, they have an awful weekend making everyone reconsider how good the league really is this season. Sure, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan State and Northwestern beat up on inferior opponents, but it gets pretty ugly after that. Nebraska held a 16-point lead only to get blown out by 20 with 38 unanswered points by UCLA.  Purdue could not complete the upset of Notre Dame as the Irish put up 21 points in the fourth quarter.  Michigan nearly lost to Akron at home. Penn State suffers a home loss to Central Florida. Ohio State got a nice road win and Iowa took care of their rival, Iowa State, but overall, it was a putrid day for the B1G.

No Ole Miss love - Everyone is paying attention to Texas, and yes we will address them too, yet no one is giving Mississippi any credit. The Rebels have went to Vanderbilt and Texas and won both road games. That's truly impressive and the rest of the country should be noticing the Rebs. They play at Alabama in two weeks. I am not saying they could beat the Tide, but do not be surprised if Ole Miss gives them a game. With the way Alabama's secondary played last week plus Ole Miss's wealth of receivers, it could make for a classic. I really think this is a good team who will win at least eight games this season even with their brutal schedule.

Jameis Winston's special encore - Some mid-majors are straight up cupcakes, others are above average mid-majors and can make for a good football game. Nevada would be put in the latter category, but they did not look at way facing Jameis Winston and Florida State on Saturday. This game featured a more efficient Winston with only 15 completions but he still had two more passing touchdowns. For the season, Winston only has five incompletions... Wow.

Anyone noticing the Ducks? - No big deal, but the Ducks put up nearly 60 again for the second straight week. They did it this week against an SEC opponent with Marcus Mariotta throwing over 450 yards. People including me wondered if they would skip a beat with Chip Kelly leaving, and the answer is no, they are the same Oregon team dominating everyone in sight. They start Pac-12 competition in two weeks against California. They just need to avoid the hiccup that seems to happen to Oregon every year.

Texas is a mess-as (Oh that's horrible) -  The Longhorns were beat by 20+ and they gave up 40+ points for the second straight games. They lost at home to Ole Miss, a good but not great SEC team and one, Las Vegas expected them to beat.  The next three games are huge for the Horns as they play Kansas State at home under the lights on national television then a tough road Thursday night game in Ames and then they play Oklahoma. If Texas loses two of three, I doubt Mack Brown still has a job. I realize it would be odd for him to resign mid-season, but I have to think Horns fans would come with pitchforks if that happened.

Underwhelming Louisville performance - This is a weird game where it will probably hurt Louisville in the long run they did not pound Kentucky on Saturday afternoon. They won by 14 points but Teddy Bridgewater looked fairly normal plus the team did not play as well as probably Louisville fans would have hoped given their schedule is weaker than most in the top ten.  The only real way this could end up working out for Louisville is if Kentucky ends up winning a couple meaningful SEC games this year.

Charlie.

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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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Tap's Thursday Night Picks

IT'S TIME. College football returns tonight, and we will have football on Thursdays until some time in January. It is a beautiful thing and I am happy we are back in the saddle for another year. Thursday night picks will be a couple of the college games and the NFL game. Usually, we just do ranked teams, but for Thursday night, we will add some unranked games just for the hell of it. I am pretty excited for everything to begin and for Twitter to be hilarious again (CFB Twitter > than anything else.  Let's have some fun with it and see what happens.

North Carolina at 6.) South Carolina 5 pm ESPN - Do I find it weird these two teams are playing at five?  Yes I do.  Do I care? Absolutely hell no. The earlier the college football season starts, the better I say. This is the first of three ACC v. SEC matchups this weekend.  I still have questions about North Carolina's defense and obviously Jadeveon Clowney will do something special.  SCAR 31-21    

UNLV at Minnesota 6 pm Big Ten Sports Network - There are certain games that set the tone of the season. The Gophers had their best year in some time last season and they need to start off on the right foot. UNLV is not really a mid-major juggernaut, but the first game of the year tends to provoke crazy things. This is close for a half and the Gophers pull away. MINN 42-24

Utah State at Utah 7 pm FOX Sports 1 - 2012 marked the first time since 1997 since the Utah State Aggies beat Utah in a thrilling overtime game. 1997 was also the last time they won in Salt Lake City. Even with Gary Anderson leaving, they still have a solid core led by Chuckie Keaton, one of the most exciting quarterbacks to watch. We need a little bit of an upset so let's go with the Aggies here, not too impressed with the Utes this year. USU 24-16 

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt 8:15 pm  ESPN - This is a great SEC matchup of two teams that are on the second-tier of SEC teams. Vanderbilt does have Jordan Matthews, but they have a new quarterback in there with Austyn Carta-Samuels facing a pretty difficult Ole Miss team returning a lot on both sides of the ball. I think this one is a toss-up and I will take the home team in a squeaker. VAN 23-20   

Rutgers at Fresno State 9:30 pm ESPNU - The Bulldogs are definitely a part of the mid-major sleepers, and could be one challenging the BCS when it's all said and done this year.  They bring back almost their entire defense and Derek Carr is pretty solid at quarterback. Rutgers always features a tough defense although they only bring back four from last year's team. I doubt the Scarlet Knights can travel across the country and win this one. The Valley is a tough place to play and I think Fresno will get it done. FRESNO 27-14   

24.) USC at Hawaii 10 pm CBS Sports Network - Pretty interested to see this one although I do not have CBS Sports Network meaning I will be reaching for the livestream. The reason I am interested is to see whose the quarterback for the Trojans and how they do even if it's just Hawaii. I think this game will be weirdly close. USC 42-34   

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