|
William & Mary (0-0) at NC State
(0-1),
6:00 EST
Why to watch: It may be a
new season for Tom O’Brien and
the Wolfpack, but the team needs
a big-time turnaround to avoid a
second straight underwhelming
years. NC State had no delusions
of grandeur this fall, but
losing 34-0 to South Carolina
was a cold reminder just how far
the program has to go to become
an ACC contender. Injuries and a
lack of playmakers are on-going
problems that plagues the Pack
throughout last season. William
& Mary returns 19 starters to a
team that went 4-7 a year ago in
the Colonial Athletic
Association. As most the country
kicked off a week ago, the Pride
was idle.
Why William & Mary might win:
Not only was NC State blanked in
the opener, but O’Brien’s choice
at quarterback, Russell Wilson,
suffered a concussion and is not
expected to play this week. A
long-time problem in Raleigh,
the Pack passing game is
miserable and won’t be much of a
threat to a decent Pride
defensive backfield. Against the
Gamecocks, three quarterbacks
combined to go 5-of-20 for 49
yards and two interceptions.
Why NC State might win:
Although the final score
indicates otherwise, the
Wolfpack defense played well
last Thursday night, picking off
four passes and getting to the
quarterback five times. Led by
LB Nate Irving and DE Shea
McKeen, State constantly got
upfield pressure. Against an
uncertain William & Mary
offensive line, the Pack D will
deliver a second straight sound
effort.
Who to watch: With Wilson
injured, Daniel Evans has one
final chance to show the staff
that he can consistently move
the chains. He’s had a history
of problems as the starter, and
was miserable off the bench last
week. If he has trouble sparking
the offense, he’ll get a quick
hook in favor of backup Harrison
Beck. Although it has to be
tempting, O’Brien insists he
wants to redshirt star recruit
Mike Glennon.
What will happen: The
Wolfpack defense will build on
its effort in Columbia, shutting
down an average Pride offense.
Even with all of the returners,
the William & Mary defense is
sketchy and will be easily
solved by backs Andre Brown and
Jamelle Eugene, provided he can
return from an ankle injury.
CFN Prediction: NC State 27 ...
William & Mary 13 ... Line: No
Line
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
1.5
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Northwestern
(1-0) at Duke (1-0),
7:00 EST
Why to watch: It might
have been the most entertaining
game you didn't pay attention to
last year. Duke held on in
Evanston to beat the Wildcats
20-14 in a game that turned out
to be a back-breaker for NU bowl
hopes and was the only victory
for the Blue Devils. Now the
expectations are ramped up for
each program as Duke won its
season opener over James Madison
with ease to kick off the David
Cutcliffe era with a bang, while
Northwestern overcame a shaky
start to blow away Syracuse
30-10. With the ACC appearing to
be down, Duke could turn into a
deep sleeper to make a little
bit of noise, while Northwestern
has the talent and the veterans
to come up with a big year. With
Southern Illinois and Ohio ahead
for the Wildcats, a 4-0 start is
possible if they can pull off
the win this week.
Why Northwestern might win:
The running game is back to
being at the level it was
supposed to be throughout last
year, and didn't kick in until
the end. Tyrell Sutton and Omar
Conteh combined for 215 rushing
yards to balance out the 215
passing yards from QB C.J.
Bacher, and while Duke has a
decent defensive front, it gave
up 188 rushing yards to the
Dukes last week. The up-tempo,
balanced attack should be too
much for the still-improving
Blue Devil defense to deal with.
Why Duke might win: Duke
might now have a running game of
its own. After struggling
throughout last year to
establish anything on the
ground, the Blue Devils came out
smoking with Clifford Harris and
Jay Hollingsworth leading the
way to 218 yards of rushing
yards against JMU. The
Northwestern defense adjusted to
Syracuse's ground game last
week, but it's still not a brick
wall. However ...
Who to watch: ... the
Wildcats get a key piece of the
puzzle back with the return of
John Gill from a one-game
suspension. The team's best
defensive tackle was held out of
the season-opener against
Syracuse for the dreaded
"violation of team rules,' and
his return gives the NU defense
an active anchor to work around
inside.
What will happen: This
should be entertaining. Duke has
enough offense to keep up the
pace for a while, but it won't
be consistent. North western's
offense will take a quarter to
warm up, and then the balance
will kick in and the points and
yards will start flowing.
CFN Prediction: Northwestern 34
... Duke 23 ... Line:
Northwestern -6
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
2.5
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Maryland (1-0) at Middle
Tennessee (0-1),
7:00 EST
Why to watch: Is Maryland
ever going to solve its nagging
situation at quarterback? The
passing game was feeble in last
week’s narrow of escape of
Delaware, generating just 126
yards and a couple of
interceptions. A week after
being named the starter, Jordan
Steffy is again being challenged
by Chris Turner and Josh Portis,
both of whom played last week.
If the Terps can’t find some
balance on offense, its upside
will be severely limited. Middle
Tennessee dropped its opener,
31-17, to Troy in a Sun Belt
showdown. The Blue Raiders put
up a valiant effort after
falling behind by three
touchdowns, but their rally fell
short at home.
Why Maryland might win:
The Terps are going to attack
the weakest link of the Blue
Raider D, a soft interior of the
defensive line and a terrible
run defense. The massive
Maryland offensive line will
blow Middle Tennessee State off
the ball, allowing Da’Rel Scott
and Davin Meggett to burst
through the gaping holes. The
duo was the main bright spot
last Saturday, rushing 33 times
for 249 yards and a touchdown.
The Blue Raiders will be no
match for this running game.
Why Middle Tennessee might
win: If you can’t score, you
can’t win. And if the opener is
any indication, Maryland will
struggle to put points on the
board as long as the
quarterbacks continue to
underachieve. Middle Tennessee
has a quality and can get
pressure on the quarterback,
which will allow it to put more
attention on stopping the run.
On offense, Joe Craddock and
Dwight Dasher are complimentary
quarterbacks capable of making
plays with their arm and legs,
respectively.
Who to watch: Forget the
competition. Scott was
outstanding in his first game as
the go-to guy out of the
backfield. He ran with speed and
power, ending the debate over
who’d replace the production of
Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore.
He’ll continue to be the focal
point of an offense that’s
becoming increasingly
one-dimensional.
What will happen: This is
a dangerous game for the
Terrapins, especially heading
out on the road for the first
time this season. Although an
epiphany won’t come from the
quarterbacks, they’ll avoid the
upset behind the running game
and the play of the defense.
CFN Prediction: Maryland 38 ...
Middle Tennessee 17 ... Line:
Maryland -14
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
1.5
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Maryland
(1-0) at Middle Tennessee (0-1),
7:00 EST
Why to watch: Is Maryland
ever going to solve its nagging
situation at quarterback? The
passing game was feeble in last
week’s narrow of escape of
Delaware, generating just 126
yards and a couple of
interceptions. A week after
being named the starter, Jordan
Steffy is again being challenged
by Chris Turner and Josh Portis,
both of whom played last week.
If the Terps can’t find some
balance on offense, its upside
will be severely limited. Middle
Tennessee dropped its opener,
31-17, to Troy in a Sun Belt
showdown. The Blue Raiders put
up a valiant effort after
falling behind by three
touchdowns, but their rally fell
short at home.
Why Maryland might win:
The Terps are going to attack
the weakest link of the Blue
Raider D, a soft interior of the
defensive line and a terrible
run defense. The massive
Maryland offensive line will
blow Middle Tennessee State off
the ball, allowing Da’Rel Scott
and Davin Meggett to burst
through the gaping holes. The
duo was the main bright spot
last Saturday, rushing 33 times
for 249 yards and a touchdown.
The Blue Raiders will be no
match for this running game.
Why Middle Tennessee might
win: If you can’t score, you
can’t win. And if the opener is
any indication, Maryland will
struggle to put points on the
board as long as the
quarterbacks continue to
underachieve. Middle Tennessee
has a quality and can get
pressure on the quarterback,
which will allow it to put more
attention on stopping the run.
On offense, Joe Craddock and
Dwight Dasher are complimentary
quarterbacks capable of making
plays with their arm and legs,
respectively.
Who to watch: Forget the
competition. Scott was
outstanding in his first game as
the go-to guy out of the
backfield. He ran with speed and
power, ending the debate over
who’d replace the production of
Lance Ball and Keon Lattimore.
He’ll continue to be the focal
point of an offense that’s
becoming increasingly
one-dimensional.
What will happen: This is
a dangerous game for the
Terrapins, especially heading
out on the road for the first
time this season. Although an
epiphany won’t come from the
quarterbacks, they’ll avoid the
upset behind the running game
and the play of the defense.
CFN Prediction: Maryland 38 ...
Middle Tennessee 17 ... Line:
Maryland 14
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) …
3.5
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
Miami (1-0)
at Florida (1-0)
8:00 EST, ESPN
Why to watch:
It sounds good in theory. It's Miami
and Florida, two college
football superpowers squaring off for
the first time since a 27-10 Hurricane
win in the 2005 Peach Bowl. In fact, the
Hurricanes have won the last six games
between the two going back to a 1985
35-23 Gator win in that season's
opener. This year, Florida has the
talent and the make-up to make a run for
the national title, while Miami is
looking to come up with its biggest win
since blowing out a nasty Virginia Tech
team in 2005. The Hurricanes certainly
looked like the Hurricanes of old in the
52-7 season opening win over Charleston
Southern, and with a young team full of
top recruits and upgraded athletes, the
time might be now for head coach Randy
Shannon to turn the superpower around.
But that only happens with a win in the
Swamp. Considering how mediocre the ACC
is this year, the Hurricanes could run
the table and win the ACC tile, but if
they get blown out by the Gators, the
season will be a bit hollow. For
Florida, after laying waste to Hawaii in
a 56-10 pounding, the season begins now
with a high-profile two-game stretch
against Miami this week and at Tennessee
next week. Win those two, and then it
becomes a three game season for the
national title: LSU, Georgia, SEC
Championship game. The time is now for
Florida to officially declare its
candidacy for the office of National
Champion of 2008, and a big win would
get the campaign started in a big way.
Why Miami might win: Alabama 34
... Clemson 10. It's amazing what a
little new blood can do to a team. Miami
has some major holes and is hardly a
complete team, but it has a new batch of
really young, really good players who
have provided a renewed sense of energy
and fire. While it'll take more than
than to beat a team as good as Florida,
the athletes are in place to hang with
the Gators for a full 60 minutes. And
then there's the injury issue. Florida
gets back star LB Brandon Spikes and WR
Percy Harvin from foot problems, but are
they really ready and at 100%? The depth has
been hit hard by a variety of injuries,
tight end Aaron Hernandez, who took over
when Cornelius Ingram went down for the
year, has been out for some bizarre
reason, RB Emmanuel Moody has an ankle
problem, and projected starting
defensive tackle Torrey Davis is out
because he can't seem to find the
classroom.
Why Florida might win: Yeah,
Miami has a new group of great young
players coming into town, but while it's
fun to see what 21 true freshmen can do
against Charleston Southern, it's
another issue to deal with a tough,
veteran group like the Gators. Florida's
supposed weaknesses were strengths
against Hawaii. The pass defense was
suffocating and deadly, coming up with
four interceptions and one pick six
while keeping the Hawaii passing game
out of the end zone until the final two
minutes of garbage time. The
questionable running game plowed for 255
yards without Mr. Tebow doing a lion's
share of the work. In other words, if
the Hawaii game was any indication,
everything is humming and September just
started.
Who to watch: True freshman Jacory
Harris had a great first game completing
16 of 26 passes for 190 pounds and a
touchdown, and ran three times for 22
yards and a touchdown. Thanks Jacory,
but not it's Robert's turn. Superstar
prospect, redshirt freshman Robert Marve,
was suspended for the season opener with
his last time on the field in the 2006
Florida state 4A title game over
Jacksonville Nease and its decent
quarterback, Tim Tebow. While Harris
will still see action, the time is now
for Marve to become a new star on the
scene.
What will happen: It's not quite
time. Miami will get really good, really
fast, but it's not going to happen in
Gainesville. There will be a few good
moments for the Hurricanes, but the
Gator offense will be steady and
productive from start to finish.
CFN Prediction: Florida 34 ...
Miami 17 ... Line: Florida -21.5
Must See Rating:
(5 Entourage premiere - 1
One Tree Hill premiere) … 4
-
Click here to receive ATS Consultants
FREE selections
ACC Week One Predictions, Part
1 |
