#2/3 Alabama (1-0) @ #20/23 Penn State (1-0)
- Last season, this game was hyped simply because of the strong tradition and reputation of these two powerhouse programs. On paper, it wasn't a very good game. PSU had a freshman QB starting on the road against the preseason #1 team in America. For all of the advantages Alabama had, they strangely only won 24-3 in Tuscaloosa. Yes, I know that it was still a beatdown and that Penn State really wasn't in the game from the very beginning. But why didn't Bama score more? I keep looking back at last season's game and seeing a very young, inexperienced Penn State team stand up to Bama defensively and keep the game from being a total massacre considering the circumstances. It is interesting how the story has slightly flipped, with an inexperienced Bama QB taking snaps on the road in a hostile environment against a strong defense. With McGloin at the helm, I like PSU to keep this much closer than last season and to ultimately have a shot at knocking off the second ranked Tide. The SEC will flex its muscles again though, and Alabama will head out of Happy Valley thankful to hang on for a tough victory over Joe Pa and the Nittany Lions.
Bama- 21
PSU- 20
Notre Dame (0-1) @ Michigan (1-0)
- I say this every year like clockwork and I mean every word of it: I love this rivalry. It represents a shadow of the full glory of Midwest football, as these two dormant programs used to be two of the premier football schools in the nation. They represented more than just wins and championships, but rather acted as a model of excellence for all to see across the country each and every Saturday. These days, they are really only playing for bragging rights as Michigan hasn't won or played for a national championship since 1997, while it has been even longer for Notre Dame (the year I was born sounds just about right...1988). On Saturday night, it will be the first ever night game in the history of the Big House, and I fully expect the crowd to be as loud as it has ever been. These two very passionate fan bases know that the winner of this game probably won't go on to be in the national championship hunt, but you have to start somewhere when you have a new regime at hand. For the Irish, they are in year two of the Brian Kelly era and are off to a bad start after losing to South Florida at home. The Wolverines just won their new coach Brady Hoke his first game as the head man, and are trying to put to rest the failure that was the Rich Rod era. Michigan will be an improved team this season, but the defense still needs to prove something to me and the rest of the country. Although they put on a show with a few defensive touchdowns against Western Michigan, I don't see them slowing down a Notre Dame offense that put up over 500 yards of total offense this past weekend. I like the Irish to trade punches with Michigan in the first half, only to take control of the game in the second and win in this rivalry for the first time since 2008. Fewer turnovers = the key to the game for Notre Dame, and I think they'll do a better job at that against a currently inept defense.
ND- 37
UM- 27
#12 South Carolina (1-0) @ Georgia (0-1)
- I just had a talk with a friend, and he said something that I 100% agree with: if Coach Richt loses this game, and ultimately falls behind in the SEC East race, he will no longer be the head coach at Georgia by season's end. Unfortunately for him, a coach that has given Athens plenty to be happy about over the past decade or so, he isn't really getting a fair shake in this situation. After getting whooped by Boise State, I really don't see the Bulldogs stepping up and winning this game with their backs against the wall. It will be a fight as it always is with this rivalry, but it won't be enough as South Carolina is just too balanced offensively and had a very solid defense. I'm going with the Gamecocks to seize control of the division and never look back until they reach Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
SC- 28
UGA- 21
Monday, September 5, 2011
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