California
at
Tennessee
5:30 pm EST
ESPN
Saturday, September 2nd Why to Watch: Florida State vs.
Miami is the marquee game and everyone
will be watching Notre Dame battle
Georgia Tech, but this will likely be
the most important battle of week one.
If the Pac 10 really wants to be taken
seriously by everyone east of the Rocky
Mountains, this is a must win for Cal.
The Bears are better than the
Volunteers. They have more offensive
firepower, better running backs, better
linebackers, and the all-around talent
to be in the hunt for the national
title. However, Cal hasn't won a really,
really big game since USC half-assed it
in the 2003 loss. Jeff Tedford's program
could use a splashy victory to get the
national respect it's been so close to
cementing for the last few years. If you
believe everything you read, Tennessee
is being considered just a shade better
than Temple after an overblown 5-6
season, but it has to come up with the
opening day home win to ease the
pressure off Phil Fulmer and his staff
with the Florida showdown in two weeks.
A win by the Vols would show that things
are back to normal in Knoxville. Why California Might Win: It's
the better team. Tennessee can be back
to being Tennessee and it still might
mean the Bears will come away with the
win. The jury is still out on Vol QB
Erik Ainge and whether or not he can be
a consistent enough passer to be a
difference maker in a game like this.
He'll be under pressure from the start
with the Vol offensive line still a work
in progress after trying to get tougher
and more physical with a stepped up
off-season regimen. The improvement
might not matter with All-America DT
Brandon Mebane and the the Cal line good
enough to control the trenches. There's
also rebuilding being done on the Vol
defensive front seven. That's not a plus
with Marshawn Lynch and the Cal running
game certain to be solid right off the
bat. Why Tennessee Might Win: Cal's
most impressive road win in the Tedford
era came against ....um, uh ... there
were a few nice victories against
average Arizona State teams, and that's
about it. The Bears have gone a mediocre
14-8 on the road over the last four
years with most of the wins coming
against the basement Pac 10 teams. Is
the team ready to step up to the big boy
table and win in a place like Neyland
Stadium? This is still Tennessee at
home, and it's still full of pro
prospects and enough talent to beat
anyone in America. Who to Watch: Is Ainge really
going to be better now that David
Cutcliffe is the offensive coordinator?
Yeah, but he'll also get help from an
improved receiving corps that should
struggle a bit after losing starting
corner Tim Mixon for the year with a
knee injury. There's no plan B this year
if Ainge stinks, so if he's not on, the
panic sirens will go off. ... Cal's
backup situation is far better. Nate
Longshore was finally announced as the
starter on Tuesday with the broken leg
suffered in last year's season opener
fully healed. That doesn't mean he'll
play the whole game with last year's
starter, Joe Ayoob, improved enough to
be in the hunt for playing time. What Will Happen: This
should be fantastic. Tennessee will play
far better than it did over the second
half of last year, but Cal will be too
consistent and too strong on both sides
of the ball with the ground game taking
over late. CFN Prediction:
California 27 ... Tennessee 24
... Line: Tennessee -2 Must See Rating:(5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
Pants Off, Dance Off) ... 5 Final Score:
South
Carolina
at
Mississippi State
8 pm EST
ESPN Thursday, August 31st Why to Watch: The SEC
season kicks off with an interesting
Thursday night game that might make or
break each team's conference season.
Yeah, it's a bit dramatic, but
Mississippi State needs every win it can
possibly get, especially at home in SEC
play. South Carolina closed last season
on an ugly note losing close games to
Clemson and Missouri to sour Steve
Spurrier's first season in Columbia.
With a showdown with Georgia next week,
the Gamecocks can't afford to start out
with a loss against one of the teams
projected to finish near the SEC's
basement. Will the USC Cock 'n' Fire
offense be a bit more explosive? Will
the Bulldog offense show a sign of life
after averaging a mere 13.9 points and
276 yards per game? SEC fans will see if
things have changed over the last nine
months. Why South Carolina Might Win:
The MSU offense can't be any worse, but
that still doesn't mean things are
appreciably better. This isn't an attack
built on making a stirring comeback, so
it shouldn't take too many points to put
things away early. There will be more
balance this season with an improved
running game. However ... Why Mississippi State Might Win: ...
the Bulldog defense is good enough to
keep things tight. Nine starters return
to the nation's 29th ranked defense with
a strong secondary and a fantastic star
linebacker in Quinton Culberson and
banged up but ready running mate Gabe
O'Neal. The USC offensive line was shaky
at best last season and will need a
little while before everything comes
together. The Bulldog defense will take
advantage. Who to Watch: Is Michael
Henig going to be able to hold on to the
MSU starting quarterback job? He hasn't
been lights out in practice and has to
prove he can be more accurate and far
more consistent. If he's not, the Tray
Rutland era will kick off. The redshirt
freshman has size, mobility, and a rifle
arm, but he's not quite ready yet. Even
so, he might turn out to be the better
option than Henig, who should have
issues with All-America candidate Fred
Bennett and the Gamecock secondary
that'll turn out to be fine despite
losing Ko Simpson, Johnathan Jackson and
Tremaine Tyler. What Will Happen: If South
Carolina throws a few early haymakers,
it's over. However, the MSU defense will
keep things tight and force at least two
big mistakes that the inept offense will
capitalize on. USC QB Blake Mitchell
will either be lights out or will
struggle so badly that he might be
pulled. Whichever one shows up will
determine the outcome. CFN Prediction:
Mississippi State 17 ... South Carolina
16
... Line: South Carolina -6.5 Must See Rating:(5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
Pants Off, Dance Off) ... 3
Final Score:
Vanderbilt
at
Michigan
12 pm EST
ESPN
Saturday, September 2nd Why to Watch: It seems like
years ago since Michigan tight end Tyler
Ecker just missed getting in the end
zone on an improbable kickoff return in
the Alamo Bowl loss to Nebraska, and now
head coach Lloyd Carr are on double
secret probation needing a big year or
else more major changes will be made.
The Wolverines seem to be everyone's
sleeper team in the BCS race with enough
talent and experience to do some big
things, but they have to prove they can
be more consistent on both sides of the
ball. Vanderbilt is in the first year
after the Jay Cutler era and no one is
expecting more than a lousy year. This
is still a plucky team with most of the
non-Cutler key pieces back, especially
on defense. It'll be a monster upset if
the Commodores pull off the win, but it
should be more competitive than most
Maize and Blue fans would like. Why Vanderbilt Might Win: Call
this a feeling out process for Michigan
with new coordinators Mike DeBord and
Ron English getting their feet wet.
There's isn't one screaming Vandy
weakness with a decent enough run
defense to keep the slimmed down
Wolverines from dominating on the
ground. Consider the Michigan O line a
big question mark early on. If it
doesn't dominate, this might be close. Why Michigan Might Win: Does
Vanderbilt have enough big play
playmakers to win a game like this in
The Big House? Everything needs to go
right for the upset, and that's asking
an awful lot considering the Commodore
quarterback situation is still up in the
air. It's a three man race to replace
Jay Cutler with sophomore Chris Nickson
holding the slight edge. That's not a
good thing when compared to Michigan
veteran Chad Henne running a Michigan
offense that has a healthy Mike Hart
back. The Wolverines are 10-2 when Hart
gets 20 carries or more. Who to Watch: The NFL
scouts will be watching with key
interest how Michigan senior corner Leon
Hall handles Vandy's burgeoning star
receiver Earl Bennett. Many though
Bennett's breakout freshman season and
unbelievable final four games (49
catches for 545 yards and nine
touchdowns) was because Cutler was
slinging it, but he's the real deal. If
Hall is the best corner in the nation
and a first round pro prospect, he keeps
Bennett in check when matched up on him. What Will Happen: Michigan will
dominate. This isn't your button-down,
corporate Michigan team that you're used
to. This is a lean, mean, fighting
machine that's looking to make an early
statement. CFN Prediction:
Michigan 38 ... Vanderbilt 14
... Line: Michigan -25.5 Must See Rating:(5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
Pants Off, Dance Off) ...
2.5
Final Score:
Western Kentucky
at
Georgia
12:30 pm EST
GamePlan
Saturday, September 2nd Why to Watch: When last we saw
Georgia, it was getting its doors blown
off by West Virginia's ground game in an
improbable Sugar Bowl loss. Now the
defending SEC champions are getting as
much respect as Vanderbilt or
Mississippi State in the conference race
with plenty of key players needing to be
replaced. With the SEC opener at South
Carolina next week, the Bulldogs have to
work out all the kinks against a Western
Kentucky team coming off a decent 6-5
season. This should be a better team
than the one that lost 37-14 at Auburn
early last year and should be a bit more
than a speed bump for at least a
quarter. Why Western Kentucky Might Win:
It won't, but if the Georgia offense is
as inconsistent as it was last year and
the new offensive line isn't playing
well, this might not be the walk in the
park that Dawg fans are hoping for.
Unlike Georgia, the WKU quarterback
situation is settled and solid with
senior Justin Haddix almost certain to
become the school's all-time leader in
touchdown passes midway through the
season. Why Georgia Might Win: New
quarterback or not, the Bulldogs should
be able to pick apart a Hilltopper
defense that sells out to stop the run
and doesn't do much against the pass. s
good as Haddix might be, he won't have
room to breathe with the Dawg defensive
line certain to be camped out in the
backfield from the opening snap. WKU was
mediocre in pass protection last year
and won't have a prayer against Quentin
Moses and Charles Johnson. Who to Watch: Georgia senior Joe
Tereshinski is the starting quarterback,
but it's almost universally acknowledged
that he's just keeping the seat warm
until super-recruit Matthew Stafford is
ready. Stafford isn't even the number
two man, for now that's Joe Cox, and he
didn't get nearly enough meaningful work
with the starters in summer practices to
suggest he's ready to take over. There's
still the possibility of redshirting the
franchise passer, and that'll be far
easier to do if Tereshinski is sharp
from the start. What Will Happen: Georgia
won't be sharp, but it won't have to be. CFN Prediction:
Georgia
44 ... Western Kentucky 10
... Line: No Line Must See Rating:(5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
Pants Off, Dance Off) ... 1 Final Score:
Southern Miss
at
Florida
6 pm EST GamePlan
Saturday, September 2nd
Why to watch:
The beginning of year two of the Urban
Meyer era signals the end of the
honeymoon in Gainesville. There were
rough patches in 2005, but Gator fans
are now expecting the school’s first SEC
title in six years, and maybe more if
the offense takes a quantum leap running
Meyer’s spread option. The defense has
no such issues and will contend all fall
for the honor of being the nastiest unit
in America. Southern Miss has long had
a reputation as a giant killer, and will
be a nice opening day test for Florida.
The Eagles are fast and well-coached on
defense, but this year’s group lacks
star power, and on offense, unproven
Jeremy Young takes over at quarterback
for three-year starter Dustin Almond. If
the Gators are the real deal, it wins
this without much of a problem, but the
Golden Eagles are more than good enough
to make this interesting. Why Southern Miss might win: The
Golden Eagles led Conference USA in
sacks last year, return top pass rusher
Robert Henderson and will be facing a
Florida offensive line that’s the
Gators’ biggest mystery. To have a
shot, Southern Miss must attack that
weakness, and find a way to force Chris
Leak into turnovers. If Leak struggles
early, will the mumbling start about
getting Tim Tebow in? The last thing the
Gators need two weeks before the
Tennessee showdown is more talk about
the quarterbacks, and USM is good enough
to force the issue. Why Florida might win: This is
about the last defense a first-time
starting quarterback wants to see. From
front to back, the Gators are loaded
with size and speed and will suffocate
an Eagle offense that has a rookie under
center and is short on game-breakers. A
superb Florida defensive line will
neutralize linemen George Batiste and
Travis Cooley, two of USM's’ most
valuable players. Who to watch: He won’t change the
outcome of the game, but Southern Miss
LB Marcus Raines bears watching for
having one of the most unique debuts of
anyone suiting up this weekend. He’s
the former star recruit, who saw his
offers evaporate when it was learned he
played a role in the May 2000 death of a
high school student. Only time will
tell how Raines will pay back USM for
their confidence and controversial
second chance. What will happen: For the first
of many times in 2006, Florida will win,
and the defense will get most of the
attaboys. The offense will produce more
than 400 yards and a couple of Leak
touchdown flips, neither of which will
satisfy critics. CFN Prediction:
Florida
34 ... Southern Miss 10
... Line: Florida -20 Must See Rating:(5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
Pants Off, Dance Off) ...
2.5
Final Score:
Hawaii
at
Alabama
7 pm EST
GamePlan
Saturday, September 2nd Why to Watch: No game is better
than one that pits two so distinctly
different styles against one another.
Similar to last year’s Cotton Bowl when
Bama had to face the high-powered Texas
Tech attack, the Tide has to face
another pass first, pass last offense,
but this will be on their turf. On
their terms. And, Hawaii doesn’t play
nearly as well when they jump across the
pond, so it’ll be exciting to see how it
responds to the trip to the deep south.
The Warriors have one of the nation's
most exciting offenses and should push
the Tide in a fantastic battle. Why Hawaii Might Win: For all of
the great quarterbacks in the nation,
primarily those named Quinn, Smith and
Leak, Hawaii's Colt Brennan throws it
with the best of them. His quick
release and ability to make reads
rapidly make him a perfect fit in this
offense, but he also has excellent
mobility and one of the best group of
receivers anywhere in the nation
highlighted by Ryan Grice-Mullen and
Davone Bess. If UH gets up early, does
Alabama have the type of offense to come
back? Not if it plays like it did last
year. Why Alabama Might Win: Alabama
RB Darby is one of the nation's most
underrated, unnoticed backs could be on
pace for a 1,500-yard season as the
centerpiece of the offense. He can do a
little bit of everything – run with
power, make people miss and catch the
ball out of the backfield. The defense
suffered some graduation casualties, but
it still has pressure players like DE
Wallace Gilberry and OLB Juwan Simpson
to keep things rolling after a
phenomenal 2005. The latter will be the
key to how deep into the defensive
playbook defensive coordinator Joe Kines
can dig. Simpson's speed and ability to
blitz off the edge and make plays in
space should allow Kines the opportunity
to get very creative against Brennan and
crew. Who to Watch: Bess is an
electrifying receiver who's as explosive
a threat as anyone Alabama will play
this season. He had 89 catches last
year, but he faces two good Bama corners
in Ramzee Robinson and Simeon Castille.
Alabama WR D.J. Hall has had his moments
in his first two years, but he needs to
take the next step, especially with new
quarterback John Parker Wilson taking
snaps this season. If Wilson and Hall
aren't clicking, then the Hawaii defense
can tee off against the run. What Will Happen: Kines will
throw every different look possible at
Brennan not allowing him to throw in
rhythm. Either Kines will show eight at
the line of scrimmage and then drop
eight into coverage to try to get
Brennan to throw into coverage, or he’ll
bring eight and not allow the Hawaii
signal caller to set his feet to throw.
Darby should get the ball 25 times, and
that will be enough to keep the time of
possession battle in the favor of the
Crimson Tide. CFN Prediction:
Alabama
31 ... Hawaii 18
... Line: Alabama -17 Must See Rating:(5
skip the birth of your first born - 1
Pants Off, Dance Off) ... 3
Final Score:
