Week 1 of the college football season brought about a lot of surprises, as well as a few delighting surprises. While some of the big surprises were in the NFL, there were also quite a few surprises in college football. Could USC actually win the National Championship? Could Florida pull of the upset in the Fiesta Bowl? Those questions and more will be answered this week as we go through our College Football Picks of the Week.
Michigan State Spartans
It was pretty easy to figure the Michigan State Spartans would not repeat as national champions. They had little trouble beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish last season. However, we could see some surprises this season as Michigan State visits Miles Park in Dallas. They will also be playing their sixth game against a schedule that includes trips to Iowa and Chicago, two of the worst teams in the country.
After a ton of injuries suffered by the Spartans last season (9 to be pokerlegenda), retaking the conference was not a stretch. Started and finished second in the polls in quarterback James Allan Mc Conversan and went on to win the conference in 2005. Because of all of the losses in 2005, experts expect the Spartans to be a step slower offensively in 2006. This will not matter much if the defense can get it together, as it should be strong once again. Winning the North is always a bonus when looking at a schedule like the Spartans.
On defense, they will once again be thorough with a strong run defense and a strong pass defense. Obviously, like the offense, the defense will come into the season with a lot of questions. They will have to rely on a young secondary with injuries all season long. Despite all of the injuries, they will still be very solid and the defense led by OT Matt Calcett and unmanwritten rusher peak Gene Glasco will be the toughest in the country to run on.
Offense will be centered by freshman Chase Daniel. He is an excellent quarterback who takes control of the offense with his feet. He is accurate and he can also run the ball very well. He is a great runner and will be able to run on a veteran defense. The problem with the Spartans is that their secondary was a joke last season and they give up big plays on the defensive end. They had a tendency to give up big plays and that was the reason for their rankings in the AP. Make sure you take a look at their schedule the first two games as those are certainly a cakewalk.
This is a very tough non-conference run through the middle that includes North Carolina, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. They all should be at home this season to try to get a look at this youth and inexperienced slate. As a punter, I am not too high on this Illinois team. Oklahoma is the toughest home test that the Spartans will have at home this season. As a whole, the North is probably too inexperienced to make it to the title game.
If you take a look at the bottom of the NFC West, the real powerhouses are the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. Both have won several Super Bowls and now both are in position to win their divisions. The Cardinals are the current favorite in the NFC West while the Seahawks are looking great in their bid to get in the top two. The two teams head coaches are Bill Parcells and Mike Holmgren. Both have plenty of experience and both have shown they can win games. However, I think the Seahawks will have a little trouble with the Cardinals’ strength in their run game.
The bottom of the NFC East is very weak. The three teams have a combined WSOP of 13 since 2000. The deciding factor in my mind is that the three teams were all under .500 towards the end of last season. Playing against a poor Falcons team is never easy indeed, but the Giants, Jets and Pats should be able to get the job done.
The most difficult part of the schedule is the dates in New England. If the Pats can’t find the end zone, Brady will surely get a pass as he knows that the majority of these games will be blow jobs for him. In the opener, it will most likely be game day for the Jets. That is if they can even qualify. The Charity Day home game against the Steelers should be a good one. downside is that the Jets will most likely be too tired to play their third game in a row.