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Kent State at Iowa State 8:00 PM
Why to watch:
Iowa State played Toledo in last
year’s apparently no-big-deal
opener, and it turned out to be
one of the most exciting games
of the first half of the year.
This might not be a
triple-overtime thriller, but it
will be a great duel between
Iowa State’s Bret Meyer and Kent
State’s Julian Edelman, a pair
of underrated playmakers who
might just be the best
quarterbacks in their respective
conferences. Despite limited
support, Meyer begins the year
as the Cyclones’ all-time
leading passer, while Edelman
was a sparkplug in his first
year out of the College of San
Mateo (Calif.), throwing for
1,859 yards and ten touchdowns,
and rushing 658 yards and seven
scores. The game also marks the
debut of Iowa State head coach
Gene Chizik, who had a wildly
successful career as a defensive
coordinator and brings some
much-needed energy to Ames.
Don’t, however, expect miracles
right away, or at least until
the coach can upgrade the level
of talent, especially along the
lines. Kent will be seeking
stability this fall after being
maddeningly schizophrenic a year
ago. Edelman is the clear-cut
catalyst for the Flashes, but
needs more help if the program
is going to pick off a major
conference opponent for the
first time since 1987.
Why Kent State might win:
Iowa State has a very beatable
defense that just might be the
Big 12’s worst heading into the
season. Besides tackling
machine Alvin Bowen, this is a
painfully pedestrian crew
that’ll labor to contain Edelman
and mighty-mite RB Eugene
Jarvis. Defensively, the
Flashes are just feisty enough
with DE Kevin Hogan and DT Colin
Ferrell to frustrate a patchwork
Cyclone offensive line.
Why Iowa State might win:
Although Kent State’s defense
may hold up against MAC
opponents, it lacks the speed,
size and depth to shut down Iowa
State’s playmakers, namely Meyer
and his favorite target, Todd
Blythe. Kent CB Jack Williams
is a good one with blazing
speed, but at just over 5-8,
will be giving away almost nine
inches and a lot of upper body
strength to the 6-5 Blythe.
Against an undersized Kent
front, the Cyclones will also
establish a ground presence
with…
Who to watch: J.J. Bass,
one of the highest rated JUCO
backs in the nation last year
and a big coup for Iowa State.
He’ll share carries with Jason
Scales, but Bass has the 4.4
speed in a 215-pound frame
that’ll make it impossible to
keep him off the field as the
season develops.
What will happen: Expect
a pre-season feel, as both
schools search for consistency
and starters in key areas. Much
like last season, poor play on
special teams will cost Kent
State a game that’s it’s capable
of pulling out.
CFN Prediction:
Iowa State
27 … Kent State 20
... Line: Iowa State -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2 |
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Colorado State at Colorado
12:00 PM
Why to watch:
A pair of intense rivals coming
off awful seasons would like
nothing more than a fast start
and to add to the other
program’s misery. This is
supposed to be a bounce-back
year for each team, but that’ll
end with a crashing thud for the
loser. After Colorado reached
bedrock with a 2-10 record last
year, it’ll slowly begin the
climb back toward prominence
with head coach Dan Hawkins
leading the way. While the
defense will carry the team in
the early going, the biggest
strides will be seen with an
offense that couldn’t get out of
its way in 2006. The coach’s
son, Cody, will be behind
center, and despite being young
and just 5-11, will prove to be
a much better fit for the attack
than Bernard Jackson was last
year. Colorado won’t be a
favorite often this year, so
this is close to a must-win
situation. Over the last 40
games, Colorado State has gone
16-24, and been a shell of the
program that rocked from
1994-2003. Optimism for a
return to prosperity comes in
the form of 18 returning
starters and the re-emergence of
RB Kyle Bell, who missed all of
last year with a knee injury. A
6-2, 230-pound hammer, he’ll be
looking to regain the form that
led to 1,288 yards rushing and
ten touchdowns in 2005.
Why Colorado might win:
Lost in the Buffs’ implosion a
year ago was the fact that
defensive coordinator Ron
Collins laid the foundation of a
solid unit that stopped the run
and created takeaways with its
aggressive style. Much of that
group returns, including tackles
George Hypolite and Brandon
Nicolas, outside backers Jordon
Dizon and Brad Jones, and
Terrence Wheatley is a true
shutdown corner. Colorado will
corral Bell in his return to
action, turning mistake-prone QB
Caleb Hanie into the focal point
of the Ram offense.
Why Colorado State might win:
Can the Buffaloes score enough
to win this game? Hawkins will
eventually be an upgrade at
quarterback, but not this early
in his career, or in front of
75,000 insane fans at Invesco
Field. Like Colorado, Colorado
State can play a little D as
well. The Rams welcome back
nine defensive starters and
crackerjack punter Jimmie Kaylor,
who’ll give the Buffs a long
field to navigate all
afternoon. Even if Bell doesn’t
crank out huge numbers, his
presence alone is going to an
emotional jolt to Colorado
State.
Who to watch: Bell’s
return from a serious knee
injury will make headlines, but
the main storyline will be
Hawkins’ debut as Colorado’s
starting quarterback. He’ll
have his baptism under fire in
front of a rabid audience and in
the face of a hostile opponent.
Hawkins has been running this
offense since he was in diapers,
but will need help from an
average line and a vanilla set
of receivers.
What will happen: As
always, the intensity in Denver
will be a mile high. Offensive
execution, however, will not.
In a nip-and-tuck defensive
struggle, Colorado will make a
late stop to preserve an
emotional and poignant victory.
CFN Prediction:
Colorado 23 … Colorado State 19
... Line: Colorado -3
Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 3
Nevada at Nebraska 3:30
PM ABC
Why to watch:
Don't look ahead ... don't look
ahead ... don't look ahead.
You'll have to forgive Nebraska
fans if they're just a wee bit
excited for the coming weeks
with a trip to face defending
ACC champion Wake Forest coming
next week followed up with the
showdown that's basically been
five years in the making for the
Husker program when USC comes to
town. In the meantime, there's
still a lot to cover, with Sam
Keller taking over the
quarterback reins and needing to
get his feet wet in what could
be the most dynamic passing
attack in school history. Nevada
is in a true transition phase,
with a good team that should be
far, far better after a few
games under its belt. The Wolf
Pack won't be a pushover and
should keep it competitive for
at least a half.
Why Nevada might win: The
Wolf Pack should be able to keep
the Nebraska ground game in
relative check. The Husker
offensive line is good, but not
a killer, while Nevada's
strength early on should be in
the defensive front, more
importantly, in the linebacking
corps. This is a tougher team
than Husker fans might realize,
and it has the strength to force
Keller to be the one to keep the
offense moving.
Why Nebraska might win:
It's never, ever a good thing
when a team is still uncertain
about its starting quarterback
situation this late in the
summer. Nevada's average
offensive line should have big
problems early on if the Huskers
can generate any semblance of a
pass rush, while the Pack
secondary will have a hard time
with the Nebraska receivers if
they get on a roll. This might
be a good Nevada team that
should be in the WAC title race,
but it's not quite as strong as
its been in previous years, and
it's not the same team that gave
Miami such a hard time in the
MPC Computers Bowl.
Who to watch: Nevada's
starting quarterback won't be
under the microscope like
Keller, but he'll still need to
be efficient to keep this from
being ugly. Trying to replace
long-time starter Jeff Rowe will
be either Nick Graziano or Colin
Kaepernick, who can both run and
who can each lead the offense.
Graziano has a little bit of
experience with great skills,
while the rail-thin 6-6
Kaepernick has to throw like a
tall player and has to be
consistent. Also not throwing up
to his size is Keller, who'll be
overanalyzed by the pro scouts
as well as the more demanding
Husker fans. Keller tends to
drop down on his throws, but
that won't matter if he's making
plays. He has to show that this
is his offense and his team from
the first drive.
What will happen: Nevada
will be plucky, and should be
good enough defensively to hang
around for a little while, but
the Huskers will have too much
pop on both sides of the ball.
After about 20 minutes, this
will start to look like a
special Nebraska team.
CFN Prediction:
Nebraska
38 ... Nevada 14 ... Line:
Nebraska -19.5
Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2.5
Missouri at Illinois
3:30 PM
Big Ten Network
Why to Watch: Of
all the Big Ten and Big 12 week one
games, few are more intriguing when it
comes to two programs in search of a
2007 identity. Missouri appeared to
finally be on its way to turning the
corner and becoming a Big 12 powerhouse,
at least in the North, and then it lost
four of its final five games, bottoming
out with a choke (there's simply no
other word for it) against Oregon State
in the Sun Bowl. If it's ever going to
happen in the Gary Pinkel era, it has to
happen this year with the most talented
and loaded team Missouri has had in
decades. It's a different story for an
Illinois program that's won just four
games in the Ron Zook era, including a
seven-game losing streak to end last
year. However, the buzz around Champaign
is deafening with a few jaw-dropping
recruiting classes yielding as many good
young players as anyone in the Big Ten.
Basically, if Missouri is as good as
it's supposed to be, it wins a game like
this without a problem, and if Illinois
is as good as it's expected to become,
it finds a way to pull off an upset here
and announces that things have finally
changed.
Why Missouri Might Win: For
all the headlines and all the hullabaloo
around the Illini, there are still
mega-question marks for the young team.
The passing game will be an ongoing work
in progress, the running game, outside
of the scrambling of QB Juice Williams,
should be mediocre, and the defensive
line should have problems with a good
Missouri O line. The Tigers are just
good enough defensively to keep the
Illini from exploding, while the Mizzou
offense should be able to mix it up just
enough to keep control of the game
throughout. Until Williams, one of
2006's most inefficient passers, can
prove he can throw the forward pass with
any semblance of consistency, Mizzou
should be able to load up against the
run.
Why Illinois Might Win: Even with
all the expectations on Zook and the
Illini, all the pressure is on Missouri,
and over the last few years under Pinkel,
that hasn't been a positive. You can
almost see Mizzou tighten up when the
heat is on as it tries to do too much,
tries to make too many plays that aren't
there, and misses on the plays it needs
to make to pull off the tough wins. At
least that's been the past for the
Tigers. It might be cliché, but the
longer the Illini can hang around, the
looser it should be, thanks to a
playmaker like Williams who can make
things happen with his legs and his arm,
and a defense that should be able to
keep the Tigers from running outside,
thanks to J Leman and the great
linebacking corps.
Who to Watch: Can the Illinois
linebackers handle the Missouri tight
ends? The Tigers have a special tandem
in Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, who
should allow QB Chase Daniel to dink and
dunk to his heart's content against most
teams with mediocre linebackers. The
Illinois secondary is decent, but
nothing special, and if it has to cheat
up to help out on the tight ends, Will
Franklin should be able to make big
plays deep. The 210-pound Antonio Steele
is more like a safety playing
linebacker, and he has to come through
with a strong performance against the
pass, while Leman has to be able to
focus as much as possible on keeping
Daniel from roaming.
What Will Happen: Illinois still
has to prove it can win against anyone,
much less against a team good enough to
contend for the Big 12 title. By the end
of the year, the young Illini might be
mature enough to pull off a win like
this, and it'll certainly tag one of the
Big Ten's big boys along the way, but
Missouri is simply too good all across
the board.
CFN Prediction:
Missouri 27
... Illinois 17
... Line: Missouri -5
Must See Rating: (5 Hef wants you
to take his place on The Girls Next
Door, but you can’t because you have
to watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 3.5
Final Score:
Baylor at TCU 6:00
PM
Why to watch:
If TCU is to remain the trendy
pick to be this year’s Boise
State, it has to neatly dispose
of Baylor and start getting
ready for next week’s monumental
trip down I-35 to face Texas.
Ranked No. 22 in both major
pre-season polls, the Horned
Frogs will be playing with a
target on their backs throughout
the season. To be sure, there
are holes to fill on offense,
but RB Aaron Brown has a high
ceiling, and the all-to-the-ball
defense has the parts to be
downright impervious for a
second straight year. Just how
special the 2007 season becomes
will depend heavily on the
development of QB Andy Dalton, a
rangy redshirt freshman who’ll
be replacing the ultra-steady
Jeff Ballard. For what feels
like the 20th year
in-a-row, Baylor is rebuilding,
and looking up at a very deep
Big 12 South. The situation at
quarterback is a mess, a real
problem in the spread attack,
and the running game will try to
pick up the pieces after
finishing last in the country in
2006. Sophomore LB Joe Pawelek
is a bright spot, but Baylor
would need ten more players like
him to get into the bowl
discussion.
Why Baylor might win: The
Bears get a break by facing a
young quarterback that has
unproven receivers and will be
playing in his first game at
this level. With Pawelek and
Nick Moore at linebacker, and
Dwain Crawford and Jeremy
Williams at safety, Baylor can
pay less attention to the pass
while focusing on stopping
Brown. Despite being a heavy
favorite, TCU doesn’t have the
offensive experience to run away
and hide in this game.
Why TCU might win: The
Frog D is every bit as good as
advertised. Nine starters are
back, including the sensational
pass-rush tandem of Tommy Blake
and Chase Ortiz, from a unit
that was No. 2 in total defense
last year. Expect the Bear
passing game to sputter and
cough under the intense pressure
from the outside. With so much
uncertainty at quarterback in
Waco, and a non-existent running
game, no one should be surprised
if TCU hurls a shutout Saturday
evening.
Who to watch: At least
for the time being, Brown will
be the most important—and
exhausted—member of the TCU
offense. No longer a part of a
committee, he’s got the talent
as a runner and receiver to
explode this fall, and even be a
deep, deep Heisman sleeper if
the Frogs keep winning. Even
with the focus on the running
game, all eyes will be on
Dalton. His early development
will be one of the keys to the
Mountain West race. Everything
is in place for TCU to be
special, but it’ll all fall
apart if Dalton isn’t decent.
What will happen: One Big
12 team down, and one to go.
With the defense predictably
leading the way and creating
turnovers, TCU will never be
threatened.
CFN Prediction:
TCU 30 …
Baylor 13
... Line: TCU -21
Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2
Final Score:
Big
12 Week One Fearless Predictions, Part 2
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