SnoTap College Try Week 4

Yes, enjoy the cupcake. This was truly a boring week of college football.  A good Saturday to get some stuff around the house, maybe attend a wedding, go apple picking with your significant other and it might be the last Saturday where we have such a weak schedule. Next Saturday gets better and it is only the beginning for college football.

Stanford bullies Arizona State - The Cardinal made sure people realized they are for real and here to play this season. They punished Arizona State in a convincing win on Saturday night winning 42-28.   The game looks a lot closer than it truly was as the Sun Devils had three garbage time touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Goofy Tree led the game 39-7 at the end of the third quarter. Stanford rushed for 248 yards on the ground with a combination of Tyler Gaffney, Anthony Wilkerson and Kevin Hogan. Hogan also had 150 yards through the air. Arizona State continues their gauntlet start heading to USC next weekend while Stanford heads to the always dangerous Pullman, Washington.

Just how good is Michigan? - I truly have no idea at this point. The Wolverines looked great against Notre Dame and then the next two games were for a lack of a better word, horseshit. They did not play well whatsoever against UConn, a team who lost to Towson. Towson!  Michigan had four turnovers with one turning into a return touchdown for the Huskies. If there is a bright spot for the Wolverines, they get a week off to figure out what the hell is going on.  Beating Akron and Uconn by a combined seven points is a concern for team who looked poise to take the next step just a short two weeks ago. They could be playing down to their opponent, but that is still something you do not want to see heading into conference play.

Worth talking about Utah? - Let's take a look at the Utes. Dennis Erickson known offensive mastermind comes to Salt Lake City and the Utes find they have an offensive concept after all. In their first four games of the season, the Utes have averaged 42 points this season and beat the crosstown rivals, Utah State and BYU. There are currently 0-1 in the Pac-12 falling in overtime to Oregon State, but that does not mean this team is not lethal with a tough home environment facing almost all their toughest competition at home this year minus a field trip to Eugene, Oregon in mid-November. It starts Thursday with playing UCLA at home before hosting Stanford the following week.  Travis Wilson is flourishing under Erickson's system already passing for 1118 yards with eleven touchdowns and three interceptions which all came in one game against Oregon State.

Baylor drops another 70 point bomb - In their first four games of the season, Baylor's point total... 69, 70, 70.  But hey, let's not talk about them that much because they are ranked below the top 15. The Big 12 is weak this year and Baylor might be the team everyone is talking about in November.

USC and Virginia Tech survive - Both teams could have suffered bad home losses on Saturday as USC beat Utah State with a field goal in the fourth quarter and tough defense. Virginia Tech had one of the derpiest overtime sessions you will ever see in college football.  No shame in Ethan Keyserling's game missing a 50 yard field goal in the first overtime, but a lot shame in choking a 32-yarder in the second when the Hokies defense forced a fumble. Marshall also missed a field goal in the overtime period. Logan Thomas and a pass interference call ensured the Hokies would not lose at Lane Stadium getting a touchdown in the third overtime period.

APU gains stream - In Saturday's game, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Northwestern players wore things that had the hasthag #APU. For those unfamiliar, this would be the athletic players union. It is an interesting concept that could gain some major steam before the season is over. I am not saying I agree with it, but it would be one way to steer the direction of trying to figure out what to do about paying college athletes. At the end of the day, something needs to change but in my honest opinion, it is one big grey area. There is causation for reasons to do it and reasons not do it.  The biggest part of the problem is the other sports like tennis, hockey, soccer, etc. Those players will expect to get paid too and informing them they will receive much less than the regular college athlete creates a massive domino effect. The NCAA as a whole is treading water as an institution in my opinion.

-Charlie.

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SnoTap's College Football Try Week 2

I feel like Eminem's blank stare reflects the second week of college football. There is still so much sorting out to do. Some teams have really played no one to start the year off while others are playing tough opponents for the first two weeks leading to wild overreactions about them.  Things that are said today could be entirely different in November. That's the beauty of non-conference college football.  The exciting unknown of what is to come with a great year.

The Michigan difference - Honestly, I probably did not give this rivalry the credit it deserved on Friday morning. When the game was starting, I started to get genuinely excited about the game itself. I would say that makes a rivalry great when a person like me without a horse in the race starts actually caring about the game.  Michigan played great on Saturday night and basically showed why they should be taken seriously when it comes to be a National Championship contender (Yes their November schedule appears difficult as of September 9th).  Michigan looked strong on both sides of the football. They had an inexperience interior offensive line hold their own against the likes of Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt. Michigan already has great offensive tackles and if their guards and centers play like they did on Saturday, number 98 is not getting very dirty.  If Devon Gardner does not have a boneheaded interception, Notre Dame gets blown out.

USC hits rock bottom - Oh man. Two friends and I went out right when Washington State-USC went to halftime. Cody Kessler threw an pick-six interception to Damante Horton right at the end of the first half for the Cougars to tie the game. I did not expect when I looked up at the ESPN Bottom Line at 1 am to see Washington State beat the Trojans. I could not believe it. This is a new low for Lane Kiffin and the Trojans. They are in complete flux. Losing to Washington State in Pullman is one thing. Maybe it is brutal weather conditions which has cost USC a game in the Pacific Northwest before, but losing at home to an inferior opponent is an embarrassment.  In case anyone was wondering, I picked them to win the Pac-12 South, joyous!  

Texas joins USC at rock bottom - Ah Texas. How the mighty have fallen. The Longhorns were in the National Championship in 2005 and then again in 2009, but since then, it has been nothing but bad news bears for the Horns. They thought Johnny Manziel would be a safety, same for Robert Griffin III and Jameis Winston never received an offer from them making them sort of a laughingstock among the college football bloggers when it comes to highly touted quarterback recruits. They also have not played well in the last four years and the cherry of the shit sundae was Saturday night losing to BYU, 40-21, with Texas giving up 550 yards on the ground. They fired Manny Diaz, their defensive coordinator, and brought back Greg Robinson, the same Greg Robinson that is known for running Michigan's defense into the ground. They play Ole Miss at home this weekend. Not an easy task whatsoever for the Longhorns.

Aaron Murray makes a statement - It appears the Georgia quarterback is my new 'Can't quit em' guy in college football. I started selling my stock on Murray last weekend when they lost to Clemson and Murray looked less than stellar. I am repurchasing the stock today because Murray was extremely impressive against a good South Carolina team. He had six out of seven completions on third down, Murray did not have his top receiver in Malcolm Mitchell and his team put up 41 points on a good South Carolina defense. The next test comes against LSU in two weeks once again being played at home.  Murray has another attempt to silence the doubters. When it's all said and done this year, I would not be surprised if Murray gets picked in the first round in the 2014 NFL Draft.  

The rebirth of The U - Liked this team in August, and I feel even better about them after their win against Florida. Miami's defense is their weak point of their team and they forced five turnovers with Florida only scoring 16 points with one of Florida's scoring drive beginning in the red zone after a blocked punt. Miami might be the real deal here, and the ACC might be better than people are giving it credit for at least to start the season. I like what they have in Duke Johnson and Stephen Morris, and if that defense comes around, oh boy, we could have something here. They have Savannah State and South Florida before a big one at home against Georgia Tech on October 5th.

What's the true ceiling of Notre Dame? - I would love an answer to this one because I truly have no idea. They beat a weak Temple team and last week gave up 40 points to a B1G power. There are a few out there, but I feel like Notre Dame is the most unknown team in terms of what they will end up being at the end of the year. Right now, I feel like the Fighting Irish could still be a BCS Bowl team but could also be at the Sun Bowl.  They have a road game against a weak Purdue team this week (It is under the lights and a rivalry game so you never know) and then have a big home affair with Oklahoma the following weekend. I do not think we will have a good read on the Irish until after Arizona State or USC in October.  

Just how legit is Baylor? - Might want to start buying stock in Baylor. The Big 12 has looked awful across the board with Texas losing, Oklahoma not really impressing anyone, Iowa State and Kansas State losing to FCS schools and TCU losing Casey Pachall for eight weeks with a fractured arm. The only team who looks like they could be some gang busters this year are Baylor.  They put up 70 points and 781 yards against Buffalo, a team who stayed with Ohio State for the three quarters last week. Bryce Petty looks like another one in the Art Briles quarterback machine and Lache Seastrunk is living up to expectations. First true test for Baylor might not come until October 12th against Kansas State.



RAPPERS ON EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT - Eminem joined Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit in the booth this week. It was awesome. From Em's blank stare to Musburger asking him about the line for the Lions game on Sunday.  They are in Indiana next week so I see no reason why we could not have Freddie Gibbs in the booth. I also love Brent called him Marshall and Mathers throughout the whole thing, that's such a boss power move that only Musburger could do, he's my favorite.

Charlie.  

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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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SnoTap College Football Preview: Pac-12 South

People do not talk enough about the Pac-12. For my money, it is the second or third-best conference in college football behind the SEC and in a good year, the Big 12. It is truly because some of their best games do not start until 10:30 pm Eastern time, but God bless em for those games. Nothing is better than a good Pac-12 game at the bar to avoid all social interaction.\

The Pac-12 South is more unpredictable than an episode of Homeland. Every time you seem to have things figured out in this conference, another team slides into the top spot unexpectedly.  Therefore you should know any picks in this division are pretty meaningless.


FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
LB Anthony Barr (UCLA) -  He is probably the player not named Jadeveon Clowney that you should pay attention to defensively. Barr is such a playmaker whether it be stuffing the run, rushing the quarterback or covering a tight end, he can do it all. Barr is a surefire top ten draft pick next season and he will definitely create some nightmares for Pac-12 offenses.

WR Marqise Lee (USC) -  One of the best young receivers in the game. He is primarily a possession receiver, but honestly, he can fly for a deep ball as well. Lee is a dynamic receiver who will make whomever is starting at quarterback, a better player. It will be interesting to see how many more double teams Lee gets now that Robert Woods is in the league.

DT Will Sutton (Arizona State) - Another player like Barr whose an absolute freak on the defensive side of the football. Sutton will get into the trenches with the best of em.  Sutton would have been a first round pick in this year's draft but decided to come back for his senior season. Even as a 4-3 defensive tackle, Sutton getting 12.5 sacks last year is truly impressive. I would not be surprised if Barr and Sutton are battling for the top defensive player of the year awards by December.

RB Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona) - In a lot of ways, Carey's offseason was far worse than a Johnny Manziel but he is ready for his junior year. He figures to be a major NFL Draft prospect as Carey rushed for 1,926 yards last season with 23 touchdowns. Carey did not have one game under 50 yards of rushing and only three times did he not reach the 100 yard plateau. One concern with Carey might be his 303 carries last season is quite high for a sophomore running back.

QB Brett Hundley (UCLA)  - Big Brett the Bossman should be his nickname. I would not say he gets slept on, but people forget he is there. After watching him last year progress, I thought the Bruins finally have their quarterback to build on after so many years of players going down with injury. Hundley is the real deal who can do it with both his arm and his legs.

FIVE GAMES TO WATCH
Saturday September 28th - USC at Arizona State - A good game to set the tone of the Pac-12 South in late September. After winning 11 straight matchups, Arizona State notched their first win against the Trojans in 2011 at Sun Devil Stadium and they will hope for much of the same this year.

Saturday October 19th - UCLA at Stanford - Kevin Hogan found a way to beat this team twice last season. Once in the regular season and then again in the Pac-12 Championship. UCLA is the favorite in the Pac-12 South and they will be looking for revenge. This is one of the best Pac-12 games on the schedule.

Saturday October 19th - USC at Notre Dame - This is one of my favorite games of the year. I like seeing two of the best programs face off against each other and it brings back memories of the 'Bush Push' at South Bend. This could be a job decider for Lane Kiffin.

Saturday November 30th - Arizona at Arizona State - As we mentioned, this conference tends to be crazy so you never know what game could be the one that decides the division. This is a rivalry game and one that could so we will leave it there.   

Saturday November 30th- UCLA at USC - Right now on August 22nd, little brother (UCLA) is looking better than big brother (USC). Who knows if that will be the same come late November, but both teams will likely be contending for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship. Fun fact, the Bruins have not won at USC since 1997.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1-10, how unpredictable is this division? - 8, only because Utah and Colorado will not contend for the spot of the top dog in this division. It could be UCLA for the second straight year, but there will be many going after the throne. I expect this coming down to the final weekend.

Who will throw Marqise Lee the ball? - There is great unknown as to who will be pegged as the next USC quarterback. It does not seem like Max Wittek made the most of his time behind the center.  It seems to be between Cody Kessler and Wittek.  The decision will be made soon and ESPN Los Angeles Arash Markazi is putting his money on Kessler.

Breakout year for Brett Hundley? - Yes without question. I think he has a chance to be involved in being picked in the top five. Hundley is that good of a passer and runner something NFL teams are salivating over with the success of Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson. Hundley should be one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12.

Sun Devils to surprise people? - I have a hard time believing it with their schedule. They have to play Wisconsin, Stanford and USC in a row in September. Granted, two of those games are at home but still it will be challenge. To add to that, they start October with Notre Dame. I have no idea how this team will string together enough wins to contend for the crown.

Does Lane Kiffin have a job next year? - Maybe I am sucker but I think he will still be employed by the Trojans. This is the year when there are zero expectations and pressure on Kiffin therefore they will some games they are not supposed to this season.

PROJECTED FINISH
1.) USC
2.) UCLA
3.) Arizona State
4.) Arizona
5.) Utah
6.) Colorado

Basically, USC beats UCLA on the final week of the season to get the Pac-12 South division title. A Stanford-USC rematch is fine by me.

Charlie.  

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