Kevin's Six Pack of Picks for the Weekend

Here is a quick recap of how I did last week in my season opener;

#17 Penn State over Florida International CORRECT!
#8 Shepherd over Shippensburg CORRECT!
Connecticut over Duke CORRECT!
Georgia Tech over Notre Dame CORRECT!
#12 California over #15 Tennessee CORRECT!
#1 USC over Idaho CORRECT!

That would be a record of 6-0 heading into an exciting week two. With the start of the NFL season tonight in Indianapolis and the Eagles getting started on Sunday, along with a couple high profile games in the college football world, this week proves to be a tough slate to pick.

But I must.

Seeing as tonight the defending Super Bowl champion Colts open up the season against last year's feel good story, and a lot of people's trendy NFC pick for this season, the New Orleans Saints, I feel I must pick this game. And it will be tough. Tough because the Colts have a lot of new faces on their team. I still question whether the defense righted themselves at the end of last season or if they will be the same old Colts; all offense, no defense in the regular season. I have never been a Peyton Manning, or any Manning, fan for a long time but have come to respect his performance in the regular season, especially at home. I was initially thinking the Saints would go in, un-rattled by the Colts' home environment. After all, they play in a dome as well and have probably the most efficient quarterback in their conference, Drew Brees. Reggie Bush is the center of attention for the Saints these days, as he should be, but the Saints defense is nothing special and that bodes well for the Colts. I think what we'll see in this game is two of the most efficient and precise, and patient quarterbacks picking apart the opposing defense.

The offenses are two different styles too. The Colts are more of a bland, pass the ball up field style while they are implementing a running attack with Joseph Addai coming into his own. The Saints are more flashy with Reggie Bush being able to do what Brian Westbrook and LaDainian Tomlinson do for their teams. I have questions though about aspects of their team that nobody else seems to point out. Will Marques Colston be as prominent this year now that defenses know who he is? Will Deuce McCallister stay healthy?

This is a case where I am picking the home team. I think the Colts will be able to out duel the Saints.

Have you seen the commercial for the game?


Now you have.

On the college side of the football spectrum, we are entering week two. I have thought for the past couple seasons that week two is the true start of the season. There are generally more games that are attractive than opening weekend featuring the higher profile schools. Look at these match-ups;

#14 Penn State vs. Notre Dame
# 5 Oklahoma vs. Miami
#2 LSU vs. #9 Virginia Tech
Michigan vs. Oregon
#7 Texas vs. #19 TCU
#1 Appalachian State vs. Lenoir-Rhyne

Those are some great match-ups indeed. The reason we get better games in week two is because these big programs tend to schedule a tune up opponent (Florida International, Western Kentucky, Appalachian State...oh, wait) so they can get some game action against opposing players and thus refine their skills before they take on the next opponent, who will likely help them out later in the season with the polls. Now, as we saw in Ann Arbor, nothing is guaranteed. This is why Michigan's national title dream is done. I feel for the Michigan fans who will have to fight and claw their way back towards the top and they will have nothing to combat the constant Appalachian State critics. This season will be a lost cause for the Wolverines, because they won't beat Wisconsin anyway, and they could lose to Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State....or even, Oregon? I am very tempted to take the Ducks in the game but my gut tells me that Michigan, at home, will come out and show that they are better than what they did last week. Still though, the Pac-10 is continuing to demonstrate their dominance over the Big Ten and Oregon is a team that could beat the Wolverines again. If Michigan had won last week I would have taken Oregon this week. But this game, to me, is too risky to pick so I'm staying away form it all together. Go Ducks!

How about that for a Sports Illustrated cover jinx? Also, on the USC cover, one of their running backs that was on the cover trasferred to Florida just hours after the issue came out! Kudos Sports Illustrated!

I am clearly picking Penn State to throttle Notre Dame and I expect a a polar opposite result of the meeting last year when Notre Dame ran up the score on Penn State. Let's look at the game, Why wouldn't you pick Penn State in this one?

1. Penn State is a 17 point favorite
2. Penn State's defense was a beast last week, although against Florida International. PSU's defense was good last year and despite the weak opposition against FIU, there is still something to be said for -3 net rushing yards for FIU, 117 passing yards yielded, six forced fumbles (five recovered), FIU going 1-15 on 3rd down, no red zone scores, and seven sacks. It's not a fluke and it's not just FIU's level of play. This defense is hungry.
3. Notre Dame will start freshman Jimmy Clausen. Clausen may be all he is hyped to be down the road but...
4. ...there will be a sold out Beaver Stadium making noise he has never heard before. When Beaver Stadium is rocking it is one of the toughest places to play in college football. Just ask Ohio State.
5. Not only will there be an overflow crowd on hand for the much anticipated game, over 90% of them are out to do whatever they can to get revenge for last season's atrocity in South Bend, where the Irish put a hurting on the Nittany Lions. Charlie Weis decided to run up the score as well when he put in a fake punt run when he already had a comfortable lead. You don't think Joe Paterno remembers that? Paterno has a history of making sure his team gets redemption the following season. Go back to 1997 when Paterno's #4 Nittany Lions lost 49-14 in East Lansing. The following season Penn State won 51-28. Do you think that's a coincidence? I do not.

Penn State wins this game easy. I'll be there so I'll get some photos up and a recap of the day at hand sometime Sunday or Monday. I don't know if I'll get around to it on Sunday though because the Philadelphia Eagles get their season started that afternoon at 1pm. Now that the Phillies blew yet another game I am ready to go into a full football mindset. Well, I guess 85% football, 15% baseball until the Phills are officially eliminated.

So enough babble, here are my picks for this week.

Kevin's Six Pack of Picks for the Weekend - Week 2
Philadelphia Eagles over Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts over New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns
#14 Penn State over Notre Dame
Liberty over Shippensburg
#2 LSU over #9 Virginia Tech

Last week: 6-0
Overall: 6-0