COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 PICKS

    Yes everyone, I did go 19-0 last week. Granted it really wasn't that tough of a week. Regardless, a perfect week is a perfect week and I will continue to strive for perfection. This week will be much more challenging, with almost every game being a conference game, and even 4 ranked matchups. Overall record is now 68-11 or 86% overall. 

#11 Oklahoma State @ West Virginia: Oklahoma State is flying way under the radar right now, and happily so. Meanwhile West Virginia's struggles continue after being both shutout and blown out by Maryland last week. While West Virginia may put on a more inspiring performance at home, the cards still favor the Cowboys to kick off the Big 12 season on a winning note.    OkSt 31 WV 7

#12 South Carolina @  UCF: UCF is a team people really need to start paying more attention to. Over the past few years they've recruited and put together a team that's willing to compete, and now they're 3-0 because of it, which includes a victory over Penn State. It should also be noted the South Carolina loves to toy around in these kind of games...remember the past 2 meetings with Wofford? So what does all this mean? South Carolina plays a poor half and an average 2nd half, but does just enough to win and then grab the quickest flight out of Orlando.    SC 27 UCF 24

#15 Miami @ USF: Give Miami credit, they tried to better themselves by scheduling games against all the major Florida schools. But USF is just bad right now. The Hurricanes are coming off a big offensive performance last week, hanging 77 on Savannah State. USF has a habit of playing good against good teams though, so this one may be tight for a half, but the final outcome favors Miami.    Miami 24 USF 10

Wake Forest @ #3 Clemson: The Tigers got their first conference game out of the way last week, and now they get a less talented opponent at home. Wake has struggled with the non conference games that have been thrown at them so far. Clemson should respond from last week's scare with an early statement and a big offensive performance.     Clemson 49 Wake 14

#6 LSU @ #9 Georgia: Get your popcorn out for this one. This is the best LSU offense we've seen in awhile, the pieces of the puzzle are finally falling together for Zach Mettenberger and he's getting big help in the backfield from Jeremy Hill and Terrance Magee. Georgia's offense is also dynamic, and Andy Murray proved against South Carolina that he could finally win big games. While I'd really like to pick the Dawgs at home, these are the games that LSU and Les Miles live for and that Georgia crumbles in. Expect one or two big plays to change the game and sweep it in the Tigers favor.     LSU 24 Georgia 23

#14 Oklahoma @ #22 Notre Dame: Despite their high ranking, Oklahoma has looked no better than average to me thus far. Notre Dame is getting big play from Tommy Rees and has already played a big game this year in the Big House against Michigan. Now the Irish play a less experienced team in South Bend, where the gold helmets will prevail for the 2nd year in a row.      ND 27 OK 17

#21 Ole Miss @ #1 Alabama: 2 weeks ago everyone would have thought Alabama would be untouched in their path to the national title game. Then came the Colorado State Rams, who entered the 4th quarter only trailing the Tide 17-6. Meanwhile Ole Miss is experiencing their best success since the Eli Manning era, beating good competition such as Texas and Vanderbilt. They also had a bye giving them extra time to prepare. But Alabama has a history of following up really bad performances with really amazing ones, and although Ole Miss is the new kid on the block, they're not ready for a Saturday smackdown in Tuscaloosa.      Bama 42 Ole Miss 21

#10 Texas A&M @ Arkansas: Just when it looked like Arkansas football might be back on the right track, they blew a game to Rutgers. Johnny Manziel is too much for Arkansas to handle, although it will be interesting to see the TAMU defense in it's first SEC action of the year.    TAMU 45 Ark 27

Arizona @ #16 Washington: Washington came from nowhere to being on the edge of breaking the top 15. The road hasn't been smooth, and expect this one to have it's bumps as well, but if they can stick to their gameplan and defend the homefield Washington will find themselves with a rare 4-0 record.     Wash 27 Arz 19

#20 Florida @ Kentucky: Florida lost Jeff Driskel for the season last week with a broken fibula, but the blessing in disguise for Gator's fans was the debut of Tyler Murphy. This game created a lot of hype for the kid, and after one game people were even proclaiming him the best UF QB since that Tebow guy. It was a home game against Tennessee though... Murphy now has to go do it in a hostile environment, against a head coach and a staff that know a lot about UF. But at the end of the day, it's Kentucky and the Gators have the better athletes.    UF 27 UK 13

#23 Wisconsin @ #4 Ohio State: After 4 warm up games, Ohio State finally faces some real competition. It's assumed Braxton Miller will start, but if the first few possessions don't go well then Kenny Guiton should be ready. The Badgers tend to give the Buckeyes trouble, and they'll come out motivated to continue that trend, but at the end of the day Wisconsin is inexperienced and the Buckeyes should hold their ground in Ohio, regardless of whose taking the snaps.     OSU 29 Wisc 17

California @ #2 Oregon: California couldn't slow Ohio State down 2 weeks ago. Now they face an even faster, more dynamic offense. The Ducks should run all over the Golden Bears, just like they've done to everyone else so far.     Oregon 58 Cal 21

#5 Stanford @ Washington State: Stanford put on an impressive showcase against Arizona State last week. But Washington State isn't bad either. They beat conference powerhouse USC and took Auburn to the wire in week 1. This is a new and improved Washington State, but Stanford is still the more talented team here.    Stan 35 Wasu 14

#25 Fresno State @ Hawaii: Well I'm supposed to pick all top 25 games, so I'm stuck picking this one too. Fresno...      Fresno 35 Hawaii 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 4 PICKS

     After a record of 15-3 last week, my overall record now stands at 49-11, slightly bumping up my accuracy to 82%. This week should be no different because unfortunately, this might be the most uneventful week of the season. Regardless, I'll go through everything and see if I forsee any upsets, here we go.

     #3. Clemson @ N.C. State: N.C. State has a habit of playing really good teams tough at home. But then again they looked pitiful last week against Richmond. Clemson looks scary good so far, and I can't see N.C. State tripping them up. Maybe it's close for a half since it's a road game on Thursday night, but Clemson's offense is too much for N.C. State in the end.    Clem 45  NCST 17

FAMU @ #4 Ohio State: Even without Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes have had no shortage of offense. Guiton has been an incredible back up, throwing 7 touchdowns in less than 2 games. No matter who takes the snaps on Saturday, the Buckeyes should roll over the Rattlers pretty convincingly.    Bucks 52 FAMU 0

FIU @ #7 Louisville: Another week, another crappy opponent for Louisville. I'll keep it short and sweet, big numbers for Bridgewater and a big W for Louisville.   L'ville 48 FIU 7

North Texas @ #9 Georgia: Things are finally clicking for Georgia after the opening week loss to Clemson. They looked much better against South Carolina, and after playing two top ten teams, they deserve a light game. And that's what this should be, a straight blowout.    UGA 45 UNT 6

Idaho State @ #17 Washington: Washington also deserves a break after playing Boise and Illinois in their first 2 games. Granted that's not too tough but it's better than most played so far. Washington benefits from playing good competition and gets by Idaho State without much effort.    Wash 45 Idaho State 13

Maine @ #18 Northwestern: Don't be fooled by their 3-0 record...Maine is still crap. It's Northwestern's last game before the Big 10 conference schedule so they may look ahead and have a slow start, but they're still way more talented then Maine's athletes.    NW 42 Maine 7

Tennessee @ #19 Florida: UF had a bye week to recover after a loss at Miami and get back on track. Tennessee got pounded by Oregon. Lately UF has had the best of the rivalry...and I expect that tradition to continue in the swamp.    UF 20 Tenn 10

Michigan State @ #22 Notre Dame: Michigan State is trying to return to the college football threat that they once were, and starting 3-0 is a good first step. Meanwhile the Irish rebounded from a loss in the big house to defeat their rival Purdue last week on the road. Notre Dame's early competition should help them prepare for this one, along with Tommy Rees' experience should help the Irish win this one at home.    ND 27 MSU 20

Purdue @ #24 Wisconsin: Last week's ending to the Wisconsin game was one of the most controversial conclusions to a football game I have ever seen. Wisconsin had the game won, I'm not even sure how you recover from that. But sports are weird like that, maybe Wisconsin can channel this as motivation and put on a big performance at home. And Purdue is coming off a tough loss as well. It should be a good fight...but I think Wisconsin needs the win more right now.    Wisc 24 Purdue 21

Louisiana-Monroe @ #20 Baylor: So far the Baylor offense is up there with the best. scoring 139 points in 2 games. While ULM is slightly more well rounded than Baylor's first 2 opponents, they just don't have the firepower to stand toe to toe with Baylor's offense.    Baylor 56 ULM 21

Bethune-Cookman @ #8 Florida State: There's no nice way of putting this...FSU's playing Bethune Cookman today and they're going to obliterate them...with both the rush and pass. Another big day for Jameis.    FSU 70 BC 3

Colorado State @ #1 Alabama: Bama finally catches a break after playing Virginia Tech and Texas A&M in their first 2 games. Handling Colorado State is nothing compared to those teams. Bama wins big.      Bama 48 Colorado State 0

#23 Arizona State @ #5 Stanford: The only ranked game of the week....and only because Arizona State won off bad officiating the week before. While I'm still not sold on Stanford as a top 5 team, I do think they're more well rounded than Arizona State, especially on the defensive side. And that will make all the difference and lead to a home victory.    Stan 27 ASU 13

Southern-Methodist @ #10 Texas A&M: The Aggies should be able to rebound from a close loss to Bama. They picked apart the nation's greatest defense of the past 4-5 years for 42 points. Expect a big day for Manziell, but more woes from the defense.     TAMU 56 SM 21

Savannah State @ #16 Miami: Miami still has some question marks offensively, but Savannah State won't be able to keep up with Miami's speed, strength, or athleticism. Hurricanes continue their hot start.    Miami 45 Savannah State 0

Texas State @ #25 Texas Tech: Texas Tech gets ranked simply because they beat an overrated TCU team at home. I'm not buying Texas Tech as a ranked team, but I am buying that they beat Texas State.    TT 35 Texas State 7

Auburn @ #6 LSU: This might actually be the best game of the weekend. LSU looks solid, actually they look better than they have in years past. Auburn might be back too, starting 3-0 and winning their first SEC game last week against Mississippi State. I think Auburn will compete and remind people of what they're capable of...but you can almost always count on LSU to make enough big plays in Death Valley to seal the deal.    LSU 27 Auburn 17

#15 Michigan @ Connecticut: Is this game really on ABC?? Connecticut won't be able to hang with the Wolverines at the current rate both teams are playing. Although Michigan almost lost to Akron last week so nothing is certain. But Michigan is a better football team at the end of the day.    Mich 31 Uconn 10

New Mexico State @ #13 UCLA: UCLA showed last week that they were a contender not a pretender. 38 unanswered to beat Nebraska on the road and this team is riding an emotional high. Expect that to carry over to this week as the Bruins pick up another W.    UCLA 45 NMST 7

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PICKS

     Week 2 was a slight step backward for me, going 15-5 after going 19-3 the week before. For those of you keeping score at home, that brings my overall record to 34-8, an 81% accuracy. The weeks to come won't be as easy though. The match ups are no longer lop-sided as we move towards conference play and teams finally pick on people their own size. That's no reason for me to try to match my success rate though. Diving into week 3 headfirst.

#24 TCU @ Texas Tech: TCU rebounded from their week 1 loss to LSU and put their first deposit in the win column last week. They'd like for that tradition to continue. The Red Raiders arrive well rested off a bye and not needing to travel. This one has every reason to be on upset alert as both teams open up conference play on a Thursday night. But my gut is telling me TCU will narrowly pull it out.
TCU 17 TT 14

#5. Stanford @ Army: I will always back up the Army on the battlefield, but on the football field it's a bit harder. Stanford did what I said they would last week, slow start followed by a strong finish. Even though it's still early, there's no reason to believe the Cardinal won't easily dispose of Army on Saturday.    Stan 35 Army 7

#7 Louisville @ Kentucky: The annual in-state rivalry returns and once again it's not that exciting. You can't even call this a state championship game because Kentucky fell to Western Kentucky back on August 31st. There's no need to make a big deal about Louisville playing an SEC team or a rival, they should breeze through this one pretty casually.     L'Ville 42 Kentucky 10

Akron @ #11 Michigan: While most teams should stop playing cupcakes around week 3, Michigan deserves an easy week. Riding high off their victory over Notre Dame in the Big House Michigan should walk in with a lot of confidence, rightfully so. Using the comparison theorem: Michigan > Notre Dame > Akron = Big Michigan victory.    Michigan 35 Akron 13

Tulsa @ #14. Oklahoma: Boomer Sooner struggled with West Virginia last week, who we still really aren't sure exactly how to judge. Regardless, the Sooners advanced to 2-0 and 1-0 in the conference. Now they get the Green Wave at home. While it could be interesting for a quarter or two, Oklahoma's athletes should still be superior to Tulsa's and I don't expect any surprises on OU's turf.      OU 29 Tulsa 14

#16. UCLA @ #23 Nebraska: Well this is certainly an interesting non conference match up. The Bruins have the benefit of an extra week of rest, the Cornhuskers have the benefit of home field advantage. I think Nebraska has the better Quarterback and the best player on the field in Taylor Martinez, but I think UCLA has a better coach in Jim Mora Jr. This is a real toss up for me...I'm thinking Martinez makes big plays down the stretch and Nebraska defends the home field.     Nebraska 27 UCLA 23

#1. Alabama @ #6. Texas A&M: When the schedule first came out, this was definately the most anticipated match up of 2013. Johnny Manziell made his name in the world by taking down the Goliath Alabama last season in Tuscaloosca and nearly foiling their national title hopes. But Alabama doesn't take their rare losses lightly, remember how many times LSU crossed the 50 yard line in that 2012 national title game? Another factor I'd like to point out, Texas A&M's defense is struggling: they've allowed 31 and 28 points to Rice and Sam Houston State respectively. Alabama will have them beat on the defensive side of the ball and avenge last year's loss.       Bama 38 TAMU 27

Tennessee @ #2. Oregon: The Volunteers are used to good beginnings, but not really familiar with happy endings once the easy games are out of the way. On the other hand, the Ducks really look like contenders, and booking an ACC and an SEC team in their non conference schedule will look good upon the eyes of the voters. The Oregon offense has been picking up right where Chip Kelly left it and I don't think the Tennessee defense can keep up with it or slow it down.     Oregon 52 Tennessee 20

Nevada @ #10. Florida State: Well it's no secret anymore, Jameis Winston has some serious potential. The freshman has no chance of flying under the radar after his 27/29 5 TD Monday night debut in Pittsburgh back on Labor day. Now his task becomes a bit easier, beat a smaller school in front of the home crowd. Nevada shouldn't be taken lightly, they were only trailing UCLA by 4 at the half of week 1 before falling apart. But at the end of the day there's really no reason FSU shouldn't enjoy a big opening at Doak.     FSU 45 Nevada 13

#19. Washington @ Illinois: After crushing Boise impressively on week 1, Washington finds themselves in unfamiliar territory....the top 20 of the AP poll. They hit the job hard again by booking a Big 10 school in a non conference game. Illinois also enters the game 2-0 with some steam after their rout of Cincinatti. It's too early to tell whether Washington is pretender or contender but Saturday should give us at least a better idea. I could be sniffing upset, but I'm still feeling Washington by a tad in this one.     Wash 22 Illinois 20

#4 Ohio State @ California: Cal was no match for other Big 10 opponent Northwestern, who I still don't believe to be as good as Ohio State. Braxton Miller is listed as "questionable", but I'm confident he'll play. He could have played if they really needed him last week. Even if he doesn't Kenny Guiton has gotten some valuable reps the past 2 weeks and shown his athleticism and ability as a dual threat QB. Ohio State may start a bit shakey since they really haven't had any real competition yet, but they're still the favorite here.     Bucks 28 Cal 14

Kent State @ #8. LSU: Zach Mettenberger FINALLY put together a complete brilliant game, which is big for his confidence regardless of who he's facing. He threw more touchdowns than incompletions and it's still a great possibility that he could be in for a big Senior year. Kent State gets props because they have a habit of booking big games, they just don't have a habit of winning them. Tigers advance to 3-0.     LSU 31 Kent State 13

Vanderbilt @ #13. South Carolina: Both teams already got to play an early conference game, and they both started off on the wrong foot. But that's no reason to not watch out for either of them. South Carolina lost to a great football team on the road and all the tools are still there for a late season BCS run. Vandy has made great strides in recent years, they're competing with their big SEC opponents and last year they made it to a bowl game. At this point in time though, South Carolina is still a better team with a better coach and a better program. I like them to rebound at home.    SC 27 Vandy 14

Lamar @ #12. Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State got the offensive jumpstart that they were so desperately searching for last week, and they're really starting to gain some confidence. The Cowboys should keep the mojo going against Lamar at home and perhaps the national title whispers will begin to emerge.    OKST 45 Lamar 3

#21 Notre Dame @ Purdue: A good rivalry that's lost it's flavor over the last 6-7 years. While it doesn't look that exciting at face value, Purdue has quietly made a habit of really challenging ND as of recently. Notre Dame needs to forget about what happened last week and try to still turn this season into a productive one that they can look at and be proud of. The National Championship isn't out of question if they win out. But that only happens if they take it one step at a time. I think they'll suffer from some adversity but beat Purdue in the last quarter to steal the game.     Notre Dame 21 Purdue 17

#25 Ole Miss @ Texas: I really expected big things from Texas this year with the experience they bring to the table, but after that embarrassing performance against BYU I'm forced to rethink things. I may have also misjudged Ole Miss. I thought they were a team to watch in a few years, but they may be a "now" team. Anyways, my inaccuracies make the crystal ball quite foggy on this one, but I think I'll try to ride the SEC team to victory.     Ole Miss 26 Texas 20

Western Michigan @ #17 Northwestern: Northwestern quietly took care of 2 decent teams without anyone really noticing or acknowledging it. They feel disrespected that their entire conference pays more attention to Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and even Nebraska. Northwestern's opportunity will come as long as they remain patient and make their layups along the way to the bigger games. But they played good enough competition to be more than prepared for Western Michigan.    NW 38 West. Mich. 15

#20. Wisconsin @ Arizona State: I understand Wisconsin's competition has been poor the first 2 weeks, but posting two shutouts shouldn't be overlooked either. Arizona State has only played one game....which was also a shutout. So perhaps a defensive battle is in store for the latest of ranked games this week. Despite the loss of their coach and big players, Wisconsin's been a great team for some time now, and Arizona State is still trying to establish themselves as an NCAA force. I still believe in Wisconsin and the program they've put together.      Wisc 26 Arizona State 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 2 PICKS

     Last week once again showed us that nothing is certain, with the FCS uprising and knocking off 7 FBS teams last week. While the rest of the world watched in shock, I sat back and enjoyed my 19-3 record in week 1. Of the three, I gave up one for being greedy and trying to pick Nevada to upset UCLA, and in another one I could have never foreseen Eastern Washington upsetting Oregon State. I guess I'll accept the blame on the Boise game, but I'm still pretty happy overall. Anyways, week 2 provides another step up from last week's slate, with more evenly matched games and even some conference match-ups. Shall we?

Eastern Kentucky @ #8 Louisville: Teddy Bridgewater looked sharp last week against Ohio. And as bad as Ohio is, they're still probably better than Eastern Kentucky. There's a select few scenarios in which Eastern Kentucky steals a W...you know like the entire Louisville roster gets hit by an airplane or something. Cards should have no trouble on their home field.    L'Ville 45 EKU 7

#12 Florida @ Miami: Big game in the Sunshine State this weekend. Last Saturday Florida looked good, but not great in their 24-6 win over Toledo. And Miami should be really amped to play this one. Miami is eager to remind fans that they can stand toe to toe with in-state rivals Florida and Florida State, they want show they're a forreal ACC contender too and what better way to do then to take down an SEC giant. Miami will compete in their stadium, but Florida will make enough key defensive plays to leave Miami with a W.    Florida 20 Miami 17

#13. Oklahoma State @ UTSA: Oklahoma State struggled last week to get the ball rolling offensively and they still have some doubt at the QB slot. Playing UTSA will provide them another week to search for answers and find their groove offensively. Expect another slow start, but at the end of the day OKST's athletes are on a much higher tier than UTSA's and that will make all the difference.
OKST 28 UTSA 3

Tennessee-Tech @ #21 Wisconsin: Wisconsin looked sharper than I expected last week, and Tennessee-Tech really shouldn't change that. Should be another easy day at work for the Badgers up north.   Wisconsin 46 TT 6

Southeastern Louisiana @ #24 TCU: TCU will try to recover after an opening night loss to LSU last Saturday. They still haven't fully decided on a starting QB, but playing LSU early should have certainly helped the entire team prepare for much lighter competition. Unfortunately for Southern Louisiana, that means them. TCU will still struggle a bit offensively, but still generate a good amount of points and pick up their first win of 2013.    TCU 31 SE Louisiana 6

South Carolina State @ #4 Clemson: Clemson gets rewarded with a much lighter week after dethroning Georgia from the top 5 on week 1. Clemson's offense appears to be a well oiled machine once again and should post a big number on SCST. I'll spot SCST a few points since the Clemson-D is still figuring things out, but there's no danger of an upset here.     Clemson 59 SCST 16

#2 Oregon @ Virginia: What we learned from Oregon last week? No Chip Kelly= No problem. Oregon's offense is still functioning at light speed and definately much too quickly for Virginia to slow down. Although they won't score as many as last week.     Oregon 55 Virginia 13

San Diego State @ #3 Ohio State: Ohio State wasn't exactly spectacular last week either. Braxton Miller didn't even hit 200 yards and the defense allowed 20 points to Buffalo. Because of it Ohio State got jumped by Oregon in the rankings, who looked much better. Ohio State gets a second chance this week though, and there will be no mercy shown when San Diego State comes to town.         Ohio State 45 SDST 13

Buffalo @ #23 Baylor: Buffalo plays a ranked opponent for the second week in a row. But on the bright side, they actually played decent last week against Ohio State, who is much better than Baylor. Baylor arrived in the top 25 simply due to an impressive performance last week against FCS team Wofford. There's a possibility Baylor is over-confident, or Buffalo is rightfully confident, but I still like Baylor in the end.     Baylor 34 Buffalo 16

#6. South Carolina @ #11 Georgia: I went back and forth on this decision all week. Georgia is still recovering from an opening night loss to Clemson which puts a dent in their national title aspirations, but at the same time Georgia should be prepared for the big game atmosphere. South Carolina ran Georgia out of the building last year, and Georgia hasn't forgotten and what better way to avenger both last year's loss and last week's with a big win over the Cocks at home. Buttttt, I think South Carolina is a more well-rounded team, whereas Georgia is still week defensively. If South Carolina can hurlde this, they have a good looking path to at least the SEC title, but everyone takes a loss in the SEC and I just can't fathom Georgia losing 2 years and 2 weeks in a row. But I could be very very wrong.    UGA 28 SC 24

Syracuse @ #19 Northwestern: Both teams had nice tune-up games last week, with Syracuse taking Penn State to the wire and Northwestern taking down California. This week should also be very tight. Syracuse is quietly one of the most underrated teams in the NCAA, they beat Louisville last year and compete with people on a consistent basis, and part of me really wants to pick the upset.....screw it let's go.    Syracuse 23 Northwestern 19

Southern Miss @ #22 Nebraska: The Nebraska defense gave up 34 points to Wyoming last week. And Southern Miss has been a perennial bowl contender for a while now. I think this one will be a lot closer than it looks, but Nebraska's offense will still out gun USM.   Nebraska 37 USM 31

Sam Houston State @ #7 Texas A&M: Johnny Manziell's suspension is over...even though it should be longer. The focus this week should be maintaining his level of football while keeping his mouth shut simultaneously. Johnny Manziell's troubles come when he isn't taking snaps, but he is on Saturday which is bad news for SHS.    TAMU 49 SHS 17

#15 Texas @ BYU: It took Texas a quarter and a half to get going last week, but once they did they looked solid. But BYU is no slouch, they almost had Virginia last week and they've made habbits of competing with big schools. It should be low scoring, but Texas will benefit from their experience and advance to 2-0.   Texas 24 BYU 14

UAB @ #9 LSU: LSU showed last week that they've still got it. They put up 37 points on a good TCU defense. Mettenberger struggled, but at times he showed moments of brilliance, picking apart the d on long drives that used a lot of clock. If LSU can handle TCU, then UAB should be no problem. Though LSU might revert to struggles at times, they'll stay undefeated.     LSU 27 UAB 10

West Virginia @ #16 Oklahoma: Both teams open up conference play in this game. Oklahoma looked good last week, the offense scored 34 points and the defense posted a shutout. Meanwhile there's much more to worry about at West Virginia. They beat William & Mary by a measly touchdown. West Virginia hates life without Geno Smith, and if week 1 is any indicator, this one belongs to Boomer Sooner at home.   Oklahoma 27 West Virginia 9

#14. Notre Dame @ #17. Michigan: One of the most heralded rivalries in college football arrives on it's annual week 2 date. Michigan rolled last week, but Devin Gardner didn't have the best start throwing, beginning 1/5. Meanwhile Notre Dame looked solid against Temple. Tommy Rees was both accurate and efficient and playing behind Everett Golson last year didn't seem to hurt his confidence at all. Normally I love taking Michigan at the Big House, but I really liked what I saw from Notre Dame last week and I'm riding the luck of the Irish.     ND 24 Mich 21

Washington State @ #25 USC: USC had a slow start but handled Hawaii nicely last Thursday. Now they're more confident and well rested. Washington State gave Auburn a scare last week, but we're still not sure whether Auburn is good or bad. I still think they're overrated, but I'm taking the Trojans for the 2nd week in a row.    USC 31 WASU 15

San Jose State @ #5 Stanford: Stanford had what every true fan of the sport hates...a week 1 bye. So expect them to shed a little rust at the beginning, but they're still plenty better than SJSU. Fans should be a bit louder and more rambunctious for having to wait an extra week for their time. Cardinal by a lot.    Stanford 41 SJSU 10 

WEEK 1 PICKS

     Praise God, college football is finally returning on Thursday. While the opening week does provide everyone with a clean slate and a new beginning, it doesn't change the fact that every game during the college season is a must-win. Unlike previous years where the entire week 1 schedule has consisted of top ranked teams pounding non fbs teams by 50 or more, this week actually provides some appetizing matchups. Each week I'll predict all top 25 games in order of schedule. Starting now.

North Carolina @ #6 South Carolina: 

     The Gamecocks ride into 2013 with high expectations, despite losing Marcus Lattimore to the draft. But playing on Thursday night on national TV is no easy way to break into a new season either. This game will be interesting for a half, but in the end South Carolina's SEC speed, strength, and athleticism is too much for UNC to overcome on the road.    South Carolina 27 North Carolina 10

#24. USC @ Hawaii

     While I do think USC is overrated and undeserving of their position in the top 25 rankings, they should still beat Hawaii. The Trojans will break in a new QB, most likely Max Wittek, but having Marqise Lee return at wide receiver will take off some of the heat. While this early USC will sturggle to find their identity, they will still receive big plays from their star athletes and begin the season on the right note.  

USC 31 Hawaii 13

Buffalo @ #2 Ohio State

     Ohio State may get the opening day jitters seeing as it's their first time playing a game that actually means something in 2 years. The good news is they're playing Buffalo. Expect a slow first quarter before the Buckeyes get into their groove, but it will be ugly in the end.     Ohio State 42 Buffalo 3

Massachusetts @ #23 Wisconsin

     Wisconsin will embark on life without Brett Bielema sitting on the throne. The Badgers will sturggle to match their recent performance, attending 3 straight Rose Bowls and filling huge shoes. Fortunately, every good football player in Massachusetts plays on the New England Patriots, so Wisconsin will be alright for this week.    Wisconsin 28 Massachusetts 6

Toledo @ #10 Florida

     Florida returns from an off season filled with arrests and allegations, but they return a tremendous amount of talent as well. This game will start slow, with Jeff Driskel adjusting to a new group of receivers, and Toledo is no slouch either when it comes to mid-majors. But like we saw with Bowling Green last year, Florida will benefit from playing in the Swamp and create a couple turnovers to ensure an opening win.

   Florida 23 Toledo 10

Rice @ #7 Texas A&M

     We're assuming the Johnny Football will indeed be eligible on Saturday. Although he's had an off-season far more eventful than he would have preferred, he's still one of the premier players in college football. And though he may not match up to his incredible 2012 season, he should still have no trouble putting up big numbers against Rice.     TAMU 45 Rice 7

Mississippi State vs #13 Oklahoma State  (neutral location):

     This is actually a pretty juicy matchup. Both teams had heated quarterback battles during the summer, and both teams are on the uprising in their programs. I normally like picking SEC teams over non-SEC teams, but I think OkSt is better equipped offensively and will take this one by double digits.

Ok State 26 Miss State 14

Temple @ #14. Notre Dame

     Despite losing Everett Golson, Tommy Rees has played enough big minutes in an Irish uniform to help ND feel a bit more secure. Though Temple's program has made great improvements in recent years, they're not ready to compete with the big boys yet.    Notre Dame 29 Temple 13

Central Michigan vs #17 Michigan: 

     Devin Gardner has the starting job locked up now, which should allow him to play more freely then with Denard Robinson at his back heel. This is a in-state "rivalry" that Michigan has dominated for years now, and I see no reason to predict this season will be any different.      Michigan 45 Central Michigan 7

Nicholls State vs. #3 Oregon:

     Even without Chip Kelly, this is a joke. Let's not even waste time talking about it. Oregon 63 Nicholls State 3

#1 Alabama vs Virginia Tech (neutral location):

     I think Va. Tech can actually make this somewhat interesting....for a bit. Alabama will experience the normal pressures that come with defending a national title, and Virginia Tech is coming off one it's worst years and is hungry to remind the rest of the nation that it can hang with the best. This game is tight at the half, but Bama gets the last laugh with their smashmouth football.      Bama 31 Va. Tech 13

Eastern Washington vs #25 Oregon State:

Oregon State earned itself a top 25 ranking with it's cinderella run early in 2012. While their true colors will be exposed this year, I still predict they will finish in the top half of the conference, and will surely be able to manage EW on their home turf on Saturday.      Oregon State 30 E. Wash 10

Louisiana Monroe @ #16 Oklahoma:

     ULM won't back down easily. They've faithfully played top 20 teams in the first couple weeks every year so they have some experience playing in loud stadiums against elite teams. On the contrary, Oklahoma will have to break in new kid on the bock Trevor Knight at QB after losing Landry Jones. Experience can only take you so far though, and Oklahoma should still be safe in their house.     Oklahoma 27 ULM 9

#5. Georgia @ #8 Clemson:

     By far the best match-up of opening week. Both teams are going to be offensive monsters, so expect a shitload of points. The real question is...can either of them defend? I'm again going to break my SEC rule and take the Tigers. I feel like their offense it's a bit more dynamic, their defense is a bit more experienced (Georgia only returns 1 starter), and homefield will come in handy too.     Clemson 49 Georgia 41

New Mexico State vs #15 Texas:

     Texas struggled in every game they played last year, but still managed to win 75% of them. Now they're the most experienced team in the nation. While they will still struggle to establish themselves as on par with the college football elite, their experience will carry them past New Mexico without too much to worry about.      Texas 34 New Mexico 13

Wyoming @ #18 Nebraska:

     I'm expecting a big day from Taylor Martinez to kick off his senior campaign with the Cornhuskers. Does Wyoming's population even realize they have an fbs football team, do their students?? 

Nebraska 52 Wyoming 7

#12. LSU vs #20. TCU (neutal location):

     Here's another big one. However unlike the Georgia/Clemson score fest, I wouldn't expect too many points in this one. Both teams return QB's who are talented, but still have things to prove and both teams pride themselves on their defensive tenacity. Although TCU will be pumped to be playing in front of the world on opening night against an SEC powerhouse, LSU has a rich history of winning these kinds of games with the Mad Hatter in charge. Expect two or three big plays to make all the difference.     LSU 24 TCU 14

#19. Boise State @ Washington: 

Boise will try to build this up to be something it isn't, simply because their playing a Pac-12 team in prime time. While Washington will have its fair share of things to cheer about, Boise should still have enough offensively to pick up the W.    Boise 30 Washington 19

Nevada vs #21 UCLA:

Make no mistake, Nevada is no slouch and shouldn't be taken lightly. They could give the Bruins quite the scare and maybe...just maybe...have enough to pull out the big upset. The Wolfpack pride themselves in competing toe to toe with power conference teams. But UCLA is also experiencing their best success in awhile under Jim Mora's leadership. But I'm itching to pick an upset, so I'll go with the gambling state.
Nevada 31 UCLA 29

#22 Northwestern @ California:

     Northwestern is that ranked team you really never think about. This year they don't get the privilege of beating on small schools like their other Big 10 foes, but rather play across the country late at night This will be interesting, but Northwestern will be rewarded for their consistency and hard work in recent years.

NW 20 Cal 14

Ohio @ #9 Louisville:

Louisville benefits from playing the most god-awful schedule in college football. Ohio may scrap out a few scores, but Louisville is still running of the emotional high that came with pounding UF in the sugar bowl and Teddy Bridgewater should tear apart the Bobcat-D.     L'Ville 45 Ohio 13

#11 Florida State @ Pittsburg

     It pains me to say this as an FSU student...but this game will also be much closer than most anticipate. The Noles are forced with the challenges of breaking in a plethora of new starters into a hostile environment on a Monday night. Pitt will be loud and pulling for the upset to go with the day off from school, but I'd like to believe that FSU still has enough talent to overcome the adversity. Perhaps a late turnover to cue the fat lady.    FSU 27 Pitt 13

    As always, any comments or predictions of your own can be listed below or any upset alerts you think I should add to my radar. See you all next week!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25 AND PREDICTIONS

     On Thursday, USA Today released their preseason top 25 less than 30 days before the beginning of the season. One could argue the releasing of pre-season polls is the 2nd biggest non-sporting NCAA event each year only behind Selection Sunday. There weren't many surprises in this year's USA Today preseason poll, however I made some minor tweaks and shifts to my own top 25 and created a preview of the upcoming 2013-14 college football season, which begins on August 29th!

#25. USC Trojans

     USC continues to fade, but not completely out of the picture. Max Wittek wasn't all that impressive in his 2 late starts last season, but to be fair one of those was against the National runners up and the other was a bowl game against the ACC runners up. It's still unclear whether or not he will remain the starter, and with six halfbacks in the rotation the offense is a huge question mark. Regardless, USC historically has a way of figuring these things out and I predict they'll find a way to win 9 games this year.

#24. Miami Hurricanes 

     It's as if the rest of the country has almost forgotten about Miami after some recruiting violations and post-season ineligibility. The 'Canes have quietly put together a deep, talented, athletic roster. Match that with their weak ACC schedule which doesn't include Clemson and Miami has an opportunity to make some national noise once again. Their performance against in-state rivals Florida and Florida State will be the determining factor of their success.

#23. Penn State Nittany Lions

     I realize that people are going to moan and groan that I put an ineligible postseason team on the list. But they shouldn't. After a summer filled with adversity and two early embarrassing losses, Penn State rallied to win 8 of its last 10, including a win over conference champ Wisconsin. PSU made do with what it had left and spun it into something successful, it's players should return with a lot of confidence but still a sense of something to prove.

#22. TCU Horned Frogs

     TCU has had their year to adjust to life in the Big XII. Casey Pachall returns after treatment for alcohol addiction and his efficiency after time away from the game will be the x-factor for Texas Christian. We will find out quickly how real TCU is this year as they play LSU in their first game.

#21. Wisconsin Badgers

     It seems extremely disrespectful to place a team that's reached 3 straight rose bowls so low on the list, but then again maybe it's just realistic. There is no more Bret Bielema, or Montee Ball, or even Russel Wilson for that matter. Wisconsin has benefited in years past from Heisman caliber players and great coaching, but those are some huge shoes to fill in such a short period of time.

#20. UCLA Bruins

     UCLA was one of the pleasant surprises of last year, reaching the Pac-12 final when all people talked about was Oregon, Stanford, and overrated USC. Jim Mora has the bruins headed in the right direction once again, but their still a couple steps away from being taken as serious contenders. The Bruins will be judged by their road performance, which includes an early trip to Nebraska, and then back to back trips to Stanford and Oregon.

 #19. Oklahoma Sooners

     After an unfortunate foot injury to Kendall Thompson, it does look like Blake Bell will get the nod at QB for the Sooners. Though his action was limited, playing behind and learning from Landry Jones should have been beneficial for Bell. Though there's a lot of uncertainty for OU on both sides of the ball, they were a couple big plays away from being conference champs last year. Bob Stoops also landed a contract extension until 2020, and as long as he's still around the Sooners should still be in the mix.

 #18 Oklahoma State Cowboys

     With Wes Lunt transferring to Illinois, Clint Chelf seems to be the favorite to be taking the snaps for OSU. We saw last year that this offense is capable of putting up large amounts of points and there's no reason to believe that won't continue. If the Cowboys made the proper adjustments on the defensive side they're in contention for a conference title.

#17. Boise State Broncos

     Boise State continues to be the most predictable team in the nation. We know they're going to breeze through the majority of their Mountain West schedule and score over 40 points almost every week, and we guess they'll get lazy and drop a game or two along the way. Even if Boise goes a perfect 12-0, a BCS game isn't even a guarantee. The Broncos need to start scheduling better opponents if they ever want to be taken seriously, and no a road game against Washington does not count.

#16. Nebraska Cornhuskers

     Things are looking bright for Nebraska these days, Taylor Martinez is ready for a big senior year campaign after proving his throwing arm last year while simultaneously rushing for over 1000 yards. As a bonus, Nebraska enjoys a schedule that doesn't include Ohio State or Wisconsin (though it's almost certain they'll face one of them in a potential Big Ten title game). As long as the Cornhuskers continue to tame the bottom feeders of the conference a 10 win season looks like a high probability.

#15. Texas Longhorns

Despite a roller coaster of a season last year, Texas managed to pull a 9-4 record out of their ass and still be left wanting more. Now they lead the nation with 19 returning starters, good luck finding a team more experienced. David Ash should be sharper this year after a full year of seasoning and will provide the consistency at the QB position that Texas lacked last year. Rumor has it Mack Brown is on the hot seat, but this guy's been winning big games since 1998 and still has some fight in him.

#14. Michigan Wolverines

     Denard Robinson wasn't all what Michigan built him up to be. Devin Gardner still can be though. Gardner relieved Robinson towards the end of the year and ultimately snagged the starting position. He almost lead them to a win over South Carolina in the outback bowl last season if not for a Conner Shaw hail mary. Michigan will have to deal with perennial foes Ohio State and Notre Dame as well as relatively new Nebraska, but all three of those games are in "The Big House" so a Wolverine run isn't completely out of the realm of possibility.

#13. Notre Dame

     After a long break from national acclaim, Notre Dame made a heroic return to greatness last year with a perfect regular season and national title appearance. Brian Kelly seems to have the Irish headed in the right direction, but Everett Golson's temporary leave from the university does hurt. Luckily the Irish once again have Tommy Rees in their back pocket, who is arguably the most experienced back up in the country. Notre Dame faces its perennial difficult schedule, and it would be hard to imagine a second straight title appearance.

#12. LSU Tigers

     No matter how average LSU looks at the beginning of each season, they always find ways to win football games and stir up the BCS pot. Zach Mettenberger returns at QB for the Tigers, and though things seemed shaky early on last year he seems to be slowly putting things together just in time. Once again, LSU lost a plethora of talented defensive stars to the NFL draft, but once again we believe their ready to reload as they do every year. The Mad Hatter always has a trick or two up his sleeve to win big games, so we're still confident that LSU is a force to be reckoned with.

#11. Florida State Seminoles

     Florida State has a lot of holes to fill after kissing goodbye a senior class that helped return them to the top of the college football tier. But FSU has helped its case by putting together top 10 recruiting classes every year during the Jimbo Fisher era. There's been a lot of hype surrounding new QB Jameis Winston at training camp, but if he's everything they claim he is then an FSU run isn't out of question. Road games against both UF and Clemson are a real thorn in FSU's title chances, but if they find a way to steal both of those they would be a dark horse title contender.

#10. Florda Gators

As an FSU student, it really pains me to do this. But writing from an unbiased standpoint, Florida has a slight edge with the experience. Furthermore they don't have to play Bama or A&M so if they were to make a run, this might be a good year to do it. UF will be solid, but if it wants to contend for a national title there are some off the field issues that need to be addressed. Multiple arrests, alleged recruiting violations, and a starting QB who signs MLB contracts shouldn't be overlooked. As for on the field? We know the defense will be among the best, but unless Jeff Driskel grows up they won't win the conference, let alone a national title.

#9. South Carolina Gamecocks

Steve Spurrier enters his 9th season as the Gamecock's head coach, if that doesn't make you feel old I don't know what will. What's more surprising? Spurrier has nothing to show for those 9 seasons of work. South Carolina always shows glimpses of hope, but when it comes down two it, there's normally two games that seperate the Gamecocks from the top of the pack. South Carolina showed us their depth after continuing to compete after Lattimore's season ending injury, but I don't really see any sign that this team can compete with the top 5 ot so.

 #8. Stanford Cardinal

     Stanford has quietly been one of the best teams of the new decade. I'd bet most of you didn't realize Stanford has been in 3 straight BCS bowl games, winning two of them and dropping the third in OT. David Shaw is 23-4 in 2 years as the head coach, which is simply amazing for any division 1 power conference team. That includes 2 wins against Oregon and a goal line debateable loss to national runner up Notre Dame. The crazy part? People still haven't caught on. When it comes to the Pac-12, people rave about Oregon and even talk about USC as much as they speak of Stanford. The voters finally got smart, putting the Cardinal at preseason #4. I don't think they'll quite finish that high, but I've been wrong about them for the past 3 years now.

#7. Louisville Cardinals

Louisville gained some major respect after an explosive Sugar Bowl performance back in January. But at the same time, they played a team who didn't care and don't forget that same team lost to Syracuse and Uconn. Regardless of how overrated/underrated you think Louisville is, there is no excuse for them not to go undefeated when their hardest game is Cincinatti. Even with a perfect record, computer polls aren't going to favor Louisville's weak schedule. And just because the SEC is the best conference in football, doesn't mean playing Kentucky on week 1 should help you any.

#6. Georgia Bulldogs

This team shocked the world last year by coming out of left field to only be a spiked ball and a 5 yard pattern away from possibly a national title. The offense that produced 400 total yards and nearly 5 touchdowns on the Crimson Tide defense returns 10 starters, which means you can expect a lot of points. The defense however returns only 3, which once again means you can expect a lot of points. In a conference that prides its defense, Georgia will be the oddball winning games by scores of 49-37 on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, if  Mark Richt can figure out how to refuel his defense, Georgia is going to be scary good.

#5. Clemson Tigers

Another team that is going to put up insane amounts of points. Last year their offense was 2nd most efficient nationally only behind Oregon, and they return almost every key component of the unit except De'Andre Hopkins. What we also learned last year, is that Clemson didn't bother defend anybody. In more then half their games the opposing team scored at least 20 points. We expect the Clemson offense to be as good as any in the nation this year, but for a national title a better defense and a perfect record are mandatory. And with a schedule that features two top 10 SEC foes and annual rival FSU, an average defense won't go 3-0.

#4. Ohio State Buckeyes

Everyone else has them at #2, but not this guy. Going undefeated is easy when you play in a bad conference and have nothing to lose. This year, the pressure will be on and the strength of the conference has increased as well. The Ohio State schedule is a cupcake until playing Michigan on rivalry week, and saying this team would go at least 11-1 is a good bet. But that 1 would really hurt when December rolls around.

#3. Texas A&M Aggies

Two words: Johnny. Football. Sure his offseason has been a bit more eventful than fans would have hoped, skipping camps, getting kicked out of parties, old arrest files popping up, but there's no reason to believe this guy still isn't the best player in college football. The winner of a very early week 3 Texas A&M/Bama showdown holds the key to the national title, and you can assume Tuscaloosa will be loud and the Tide will be bloodthirsty. But if they can clear that hurdle, all that remains is an LSU trip and an SEC title game.

#2. Oregon Ducks

Even with Chip Kelly out of the picture, Oregon's way to stacked offensively to assume anything short of the top 5. Mariotta, Thomas, and their new addition Tyner will be too much speed for any defense to keep up with in the Pac-12, and I just don't see Stanford beating them 3 years in a row. Their offense is good enough to take them all the way to the national title game, but to win they'll need a bit more.

#1. Alabama Crimson Tide

It should come as no surprise that the Tide roll in at #1 once again. Alabama is sound on both sides of the ball, and it's indisputable that they have the best coach in the nation. Texas A&M will give them a run in week 3, and Oregon could give them a run in the national title, but Alabama will once again prove that in football good defense beats good offense and through a wild series of events secure another national title if all goes according to plan. Don't quote me on that, cuz anyone in the top 15 is fair game, but this is the safest bet.

TOP 10 HEISMAN CANDIDATES

     After a long, dull, July and August where MLB, Wimbledon, and Gold Cup are the most exciting things going on, college football will finally make its triumphant return. It's no secret that the Heisman trophy, college football's most prestigious award, is about as tough to predict as picking the lottery as of recently. But we'll give it a shot anyway! Here's 10 players to keep a close watch on during their 2013 Heisman campaign.

#10. T.J. Yeldon

Why he could win: Alabama running backs have fared well in Heisman voting in recent times, Yeldon should be no different. He's coming off a record-breaking freshman year, setting the Alabama freshman record for rushing yards and tying Mark Ingram's record for freshman rushing TDs. He averaged over 7 yards per carry and came on strong when it mattered most, rushing for 153 yards in the SEC title against Georgia, and 110 against Notre Dame in the National Championship game. With Eddie Lacy going pro, Yeldon will receive the bulk of the carries for the Crimson Tide while attempting to fill the shoes of his predecessors Lacy, Ingram, and Trent Richardson.

                  \

                                          Why he's #10: It's tough for any Alabama player to really stand out from the rest these days. The roster is so deep and so incredibly talented that it's almost impossible for one players efforts to outdo the rest. Especially in his first year as a starter.

#9. Sammy Watkins

Why he could win: I guess you could call this my wildcard pick. If a wide receiver is going to win the trophy, it's either gonna be this guy or Marqise Lee. We give Watkins the upper hand because Tajh Boyd will do a much better job getting him the ball at QB. Though he had a quiet 2012 playing behind DeAndre Hopkins, we still remember Sammy's freshman season in 2011 when he broke 11 freshman school records and became only the 4th Freshman to be a first team all american, along with Herschel Walker, Adrian Peterson, and Marhsall Faulk. Pretty good company

                                                       Why he's #9: The last time a wide receiver actually won the Heisman was 1991 (Desmond Howard). Watkins would have to put up ridiculous numbers, or else the award will just be presented to the best QB or RB.

#8. A.J. McCarron

Why he could win: McCarron enters his senior year as the leader of the back to back national champs. He and Alabama will be the center of attention in the college football world and that publicity attracts voters. As long as McCarron continues to lead and Alabama continues to win, don't count this guy out.

                                                      Why he's #8: While being a quarterback is quickly becoming the best position to win the Heisman at, McCarron has 2 big factors working against him. Firstly, Alabama is a program that loves to run the football till it hurts, so McCarron won't see nearly as many snaps or stats as some of the other front-runners. Secondly, McCarron isn't really the dual-threat quarterback that voters drool over...that is after they're done drooling over his drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend.

#7. Braxton Miller

Why he could win: Braxton Miller is in pretty much everyone's top 5 picks and most people's top 2 or 3. His good play was overlooked last year simply because his team was ineligible for post season play. The Big Ten is slowly becoming one of the weaker conferences in college football, which means Miller's stat-line and record should look pretty good as well.

Why he's #7: It's a lot easier to put up big numbers when there's no pressure and nothing to play for. Miller used that benefit to fly under the radar last year, this year that luxury is gone. Miller is now on the same playing field as everyone else, where every game is a must-win and the heat is on every time you put on the helmet. I think Miller's success can only decline with the pressure shift.

#6. Aaron Murray

Why he could win: Aaron Murray will be a 4th year starter, and if his experience alone isn't enough, Georgia returns 10 of its 11 offensive starters from last year. Murray should be in sync with his experienced offence and stand out in an SEC conference where defense is paramount. 

                                                      Why he's #6: If the first 3 years have taught us one thing, it's that Murray chokes in high pressure situations and can't win the ones that count. While other players rise to the occasion, Murray continues to toss multiple picks or shit his pants and forget to spike the ball with an SEC title on the table. Unless we see a more clutch and composed Murray, he isn't deserving of a Heisman.

#5. Teddy Bridgewater

Why he could win: TB gained some serious publicity after Louisville's sugar bowl victory last year over Florida by torching the nations #1 pass defense and becoming the Sugar Bowl MVP. With the realignment of the Big East and the formation of the new American Athletic Conference, we only expect big stat-lines from Mr. Bridgewater in 2013.

                                                       Why he's #5: While his conference is his strength, it's also his weakness. Voters are unlikely to award the Heisman to a player who dominates a conference whose next best team is Cincinnati. That being said, if Bridgewater loses two games or more, you can pretty much count him out.

#4. Tajh Boyd

Why he could win: Combine his NFL build with his experience and Boyd has all the necessities. Boyd resembles a Cam Newton or E.J. Manuel physically and he enters 2013 as a Senior and 3rd year starter. After skepticism after losing to Florida State and South Carolina, Boyd finally showed the world he could win the big one by leading a last minute drive to beat LSU in the Chick-fil-a Bowl. We expect nothing less from the highly explosive Clemson offense against ACC defenses.

                                                      Why he's #4: The ACC and its football players always seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to respect. Boyd will get his fair share of opportunities though when Clemson plays Georgia, FSU, and South Carolina and those three games will be "make or break" for his Heisman campaign.

#3. Marcus Mariota

Why he could win: This guy quietly had a crazy freshman year, racking up 38 total touchdowns while heading the most explosive offense in the nation. Defenses never know what to expect when Mariota works from shotgun with 2 lightning quick halfbacks which will further open up Mariota's game for both pass and run. The scary part? He's only 19...

Why he's #3: Having to split the hype and touches with De'Anthony Thomas will prove to be Mariota's Achilles heel. Unless one can truly outshine the other, it's likely western voters will split between the two and open the door for yet another southern winner.

 #2. De'Anthony Thomas

Why he could win: If his first 2 years weren't already a good enough indicator, this guy does it all. He's arguably the quickest halfback in the game, and also one of the better receiving halfbacks, and he's also a constant threat when it comes to returning kicks. He's the best athlete in the nation, capable of playing corner and running track. This guy has big goals for the fall, including a Heisman, Pac-12 title, and maybe a national title as well.

Why he's #2: As I said before, Mariota will take away from Thomas's overall domination, just enough so to pull Thomas off the top. The possibilities are still very high, and if a Heisman isn't in store the #1 overall draft pick is still rather likely should he choose to forgo his senior year. Thomas didn't quite reach #1 on my list, by I assure you he came pretty damn close...

#1. Johnny Manziel

Why he could win: The sky's the limit for Johnny football. Although he won't be overlooked anymore as he begins his Heisman defense, it would be foolish not to expect the same greatness we witnessed in 2012. Manziel has every tool, he's a dual threat SEC quarterback who shines above his average teammates and carries them the whole way. Furthermore, he's a humbled, likable character whose already won this award once.

                                                       Why he's #1: If you paid any attention at all to college football last year, it's pretty self-explanatory. He orchestrated possibly the best freshman season we've seen from a qb ever and he should only be expected to grow in year 2. Pending an injury or some type of serious trouble, Manziel is still a solid bet.


     Do you agree with my rankings? Did I leave anyone off the list? Perhaps Marqise Lee or Jadeveon Clowney or a dark horse candidate? Don't hesitate to discuss in the comments below if you wish and expect a bigger college football preview as the season draws nearer.

Written by: Ryan Quigley