Here's your guide throughout the 2017 CFB season!

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Northern Illinois vs. Nebraska

Northern Illinois vs. Nebraska - Box Score - September 16, 2017 - ESPN

This was a disaster for Nebraska fans. But it's not because NIU beat the Huskies for the first time, or because Tanner Lee had 3 INT's and no TD's.
No, it's because that according to ESPN's Seth Walder, Nebraska now has a 34% chance to make a bowl game.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

What happened early on (Part 2)

Hey, Malik Davis! I saw that play where you fumbled away a sure touchdown. Man, you're gonna be annihilated when you leave the arena...

Tennessee vs. Florida - Box Score - September 16, 2017 - ESPN What? The Gators managed to defeat Tennessee anyway? ...Okay, never mind.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Big games from last night

The rankings are most likely gonna be shaken up after tonight.

LSU vs. Mississippi State - Game Summary - September 16, 2017 - ESPN First, Mississippi State shocked EVERYONE with how easily they stymied LSU. Uh, Coach Orgeron? I TOLD you not to sleep on this game!

Then, Alabama failed to cover against Colorado State, Vanderbilt beats a ranked non-conference foe for the first time since the 1940's, Cal stops Ole Miss, and La-Tech beats Western Kentucky by 1 point.

Clemson vs. Louisville - Game Summary - September 16, 2017 - ESPN And then, Clemson made Louisville look like a JV team as the Tigers outsmarted Lamar Jackson. ...Wait. Are we gonna see Clemson vs. Alabama in the CFP title game for the 3rd year in a row?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Stanford vs. San Diego State

I have heard reports that with the San Diego Chargers gone and their stadium up for demolition, the San Diego State football team may be homeless.

Stanford vs. San Diego State - Game Summary - September 16, 2017 - ESPN Yet despite all that, the Aztecs have now won 2 straight games over PAC-12 teams. NOW maybe the university will get a new stadium deal going.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 3 Recap

And finally, it's time for that segment called "What We've Learned This Week!"

What I learned this week is...

1. Hey! USC vs. Texas really WAS as good of a game as everyone said it would (USC won in double-OT, by the way)! I kinda expected more points, though.

2. USF, Memphis, and Houston now all have serious arguments for a "New Year's Six" bowl spot.

3. Hey, Liberty! I'll pay you guys $1,000,000... right now... if you agree to replace Charlotte in Conference USA when you join the FBS next season.

4. The winner of next week's Oklahoma State vs. TCU game may be on their way to the Big-12 title game in December.

5. Purdue blew the doors off of Missouri?! Oh man, Jeff Brohm really CAN turn around any football program! You ready for this, Michigan?

And finally, next week's biggest game may be in little ol' Nashville when #1 Alabama comes to visit. Why am I feeling like it's gonna end in a 40-0 Alabama win?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4: Top 10 Games

In honor of the late, great Jake LaMotta today, let's see how many times I can reference the boxing legend in today's countdown. Yep, it's time for...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2017 (Week 4)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Notre Dame @ Michigan State [8:00, FOX] (I'll be honest with you guys: There were a LOT of games to choose from this week, like Tech vs. Houston or Utah vs. 'Zona. But this game in East Lansing takes the #10 spot, partly because I wanna see if the Irish can avenge that 36-28 loss to Michigan State from a year ago.
But mostly it's because of the Spartans: We'll see how good they REALLY are very shortly.

9. NC State @ Florida State [12:00, ABC or ESPN2] (Finally, FINALLY, the Florida State Seminoles are ready to pull a Jake LaMotta and get off the canvas after Alabama put them there. And now that things are starting to get back to normal in Tallahassee, the students can now ask more trivial questions, such as "Who's gonna be our new quarterback?")

8. UCLA @ Stanford [10:30, ESPN] (Man! The "Group of 5" conferences had a BALL last week at the expense of the PAC-12! First we had Memphis becoming a "New Year's Six" contender at the expense of UCLA, then San Diego State showed Stanford that they can't DENY them anymore. They can't DENY them! It's TOO REAL for you!
...But now we must deal with the aftermath in Palo Alto: A Stanford team desperate to avoid a 3-game losing streak verses a UCLA team whose coach is on the hot seat... AGAIN.)

7. Penn State @ Iowa [7:30, ABC] (Speaking of Jake LaMotta, do you remember the last scene from "Raging Bull"? Where DeNiro's character is talking to himself and saying "I coulda been a contender, instead of a bum, which is what I am"? That was Nebraska after they lost to Northern Illinois last week.
What does that have to do with this game? Nothing! This is just a Big-10 opener on prime-time as Penn State will get tested on the road for the first time this season.)

6. Washington @ Colorado [10:00, FOX Sports 1] (So College GameDay will be in New York City come Saturday morning... You know, sports web-site The Comeback has suggested that GameDay should be at this game in Boulder instead.
Maybe those guys have a point; it's the PAC-12 opener for both teams, and it's a rematch of last year's PAC-12 title game. I guess ESPN is a little skeptical about Steven Montez's ability to attack the Washington defense. Prove 'em wrong, Steven!)

5. Michigan @ Purdue [4:00, FOX] (Like I said earlier, I am amazed at how well Jeff Brohm's Boilermakers are doing right now. But now reality may come a knockin', as Michigan comes to visit. As for the Wolverines, they NEED a dominant performance after looking listless the last 2 games. If they don't get up for their first true road game of the year, it could be "upset city".)

4. Alabama @ Vanderbilt [3:30, CBS] (Going back to Jake LaMotta again, Vanderbilt's feeling like a fired-up LaMotta after beating Kansas State 14-7. And since they're hosting the #1 team in the country, why not talk up a storm? I mean, if 'Bama steamrolls the 'Dores, it won't surprise anyone. But if Vandy manages to slow down the Tide, then maybe...)

3. USC @ California [3:30, ABC] (The sleeper game of the week. The California Golden Bears are feeling good after defeating Ole Miss, and now they'll see if their QB Ross Bowers can land them a HUGE victory. As for USC, Colin Cowherd has been selling his Trojans stock after that close call against Texas. Will the Trojan WR's prove Colin wrong? Let's find out.)

2. Mississippi State @ Georgia [7:00, ESPN] (Or as I like to call it "Whoa whoa whoa, WHOA! Miss. State can't be THAT good... CAN they?" I mean, ESPN has Mississippi State as a 53% favorite to win IN Athens. But then again, Georgia will be welcoming back people like Sony Michel and Jacob Eason for this game...)

1. TCU @ Oklahoma State [3:30, ESPN] (Will TCU's defense EVER get back to normal? If they want to win this main-event caliber contest, it had better. Then again, Oklahoma State hasn't really been tested yet, so we'll see how it holds up if Kenny Hill and the Frogs get rolling.)

Best "mid-major" game: Ohio @ Eastern Michigan (Beating out the epic game between Georgia State and Charlotte for this honor is this game from the MAC. Eastern Michigan is just off one of it's biggest wins ever, while Ohio is always a tough out in conference.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: UCF @ Maryland (Also rejoining us this week will be Central Florida. Unfortunately for UCF, they're gonna find out why Maryland's offense torched Texas 3 weeks ago.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Utah @ Arizona, Texas Tech @ Houston, Toledo @ Miami, Wake Forest @ Appalachian State, and Florida @ Kentucky.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[outofyourmind]

7. Penn State @ Iowa

5. Michigan @ Purdue

3. USC @ California

All 3 upsets right there.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4 predictions

Here's what basically happened to me last week with my picks:
The K-State vs. Vandy pick: BRILLIANT!
My other picks: Not so brilliant.
With so many good games going on this week, I should be able to recover. Let's see how this weekend will play out:

(1)Alabama 27 @ Vanderbilt 13
Boston College 10 @ (2)Clemson 42
(3)Oklahoma 52 @ Baylor 24
(4)Penn State 33 @ Iowa 17
(5)USC 31 @ California 21
(16)TCU 47 @ (6)Oklahoma State 38
(7)Washington 32 @ Colorado 21
(8)Michigan 35 @ Purdue 28
UNLV 7 @ (10)Ohio State 43
(17)Mississippi State 26 @ (11)Georgia 31
NC State 24 @ (12)Florida State 27
Old Dominion 20 @ (13)Virginia Tech 34
Toledo 23 @ (14)Miami 28
(15)Auburn 27 @ Missouri 14
Nevada 13 @ (18)Washington State 62
Kent State 6 @ (19)Louisville 54
(20)Florida 27 @ Kentucky 20
Temple 14 @ (21)South Florida 31
(22)San Diego State 28 @ Air Force 31
(23)Utah 41 @ Arizona 38
(24)Oregon 49 @ Arizona State 34
Syracuse 17 @ (25)LSU 34

...And I'm done! Now let's all hope that those 2 hurricanes in the Atlantic stay away from us... Far FAR away.

 

[outofyourmind]

(16)TCU 47 @ (6)Oklahoma State 38

That's some bold ass shit right there.
Kenny Thrill must be high on your list.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

What happened early on (Part 1)

I'll admit: I was a little slow about seeing USF's beautiful win against Temple, or Utah's close call against Arizona. But here on Saturday, I'm on top of things, and here's what happened so far (as of 5:54 P.M):

To start with, I found out that Texas Tech CAN play defense as they beat Houston.
Texas A&M vs. Arkansas - Box Score - September 23, 2017 - ESPN On a completely different note, Texas A&M played little to no defense, but won against Arkansas anyway. Oh, the IRONY!

Elsewhere, West Virginia pulled away late from Kansas, Ohio beat Eastern Michigan in 2-OT's, and fans in Knoxville are not happy with how the Vols beat UMass.

P.S: I won't comment on what happened to Florida State... at least not until Miami finishes up with Toledo.
P.P.S: Clemson is tied with Boston College 7-7 right now. WAKE UP, YOU STUPID TIGERS!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

What happened early on (Part 2)

Here's another update on this week's games (as of 7: P.M):

USC's defense is shining right now as the Trojans are on their way to beating Cal. Now if USC can get some of their players back from injury, maybe they CAN win a national title!

Meanwhile, Duke wins AT North Carolina to go to 4-0, right alongside Wake Forest (who used a blocked field-goal to beat App. State).
South Carolina holds off La-Tech by 1 point, New Mexico upsets Tulsa, and Maryland made me (and Texas) look like a f--king moron after getting clobbered by UCF.

And finally, don't be fooled by that 34-7 win by Clemson; Boston College gave the defending national champs all it can handle.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

TCU vs. Oklahoma State

Hey, @outofyourmind! Remember this? When I said TCU would find a way to stop OK State...

That's some bold ass shit right there.
Kenny Thrill must be high on your list.

TCU vs. Oklahoma State - Box Score - September 23, 2017 - ESPN Well, thanks to the tireless work of TCU's RB Darius Anderson, I didn't need Kenny Hill to get that pick right. Now pardon me while I put on my smug face.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Late-night action

In the small hours of the morning, we had a lot of stuff happen.

First, Oregon was unable to escape getting upset on the road. San Diego State, however, did.
Penn State vs. Iowa - Box Score - September 23, 2017 - ESPN And so did Penn State, but GOD did they make it hard on us... and Keegan Michael-Key.

Elsewhere, Wyoming FINALLY won a game when the TV cameras were on them, Notre Dame smothers Michigan State, and Stanford manages to hang 59 points on UCLA without a quarterback.

Florida vs. Kentucky - Box Score - September 23, 2017 - ESPN And hey, how about that Florida/Kentucky game? That was GREAT drama to watch! Now if only Kentucky had won...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

A little talk to the "Group of Five" teams

Settle down, you guys. This won't take long.

First to UAB: I know it was hard to lose to North Texas, but at least you guys gave us a great game.
To Coastal Carolina: Don't feel down about Western Illinois; I didn't think you guys would do much in 2017 anyway.
To Middle Tennessee: Keep on winning! Syracuse could use the extra positive vibes.

Louisiana Monroe vs. Louisiana - Game Summary - September 23, 2017 - ESPN To UL-Monroe: Great job on an exciting win in your rivalry game.

And finally, to the Charlotte 49ers: I expected a close game between you and Georgia State, and you get shut out 28-0? You know, I've heard that the Big South Conference in the FCS is looking to expand.


(P.S: Due to the UConn vs. East Carolina game today, the "What We've Learned This Week" segment is being postponed 'till tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.)

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 4 Recap

Now that East Carolina and UConn are finished (after a pretty entertaining game), it's now time for "What We've Learned This Week!"

What I learned in Week 4 is...

1. Come on, guys! If Florida State wins at Wake Forest this Saturday, are you REALLY going to be surprised?

2. The Crimson Tide can go f--k itself. Seriously. F--k them royally.

3. Maybe TCU IS for real! Just ask that defense of theirs.

4. San Diego State now has to carry the entire Mountain West conference on it's back, all thanks to Boise State stinking up the joint.

5. The only thing that's wrong with the upcoming USC vs. Washington State game? The fact that it's on a Friday, not a Saturday.

And finally, could the balance of power in the ACC shift to the Coastal Division? Maybe so, if Virginia Tech stops Clemson on Saturday.

 

[outofyourmind]

TCU vs. Oklahoma State

Hey, @outofyourmind! Remember this? When I said TCU would find a way to stop OK State...



TCU vs. Oklahoma State - Box Score - September 23, 2017 - ESPN Well, thanks to the tireless work of TCU's RB Darius Anderson, I didn't need Kenny Hill to get that pick right. Now pardon me while I put on my smug face.

Damn good call right there.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 5- Top 10 Games

Man... Do you guys remember last week's Top 10? Where I referenced the late Jake LaMotta in 3 games? Well, I think that jinxed all of those home teams: Vanderbilt got smoked, Florida State couldn't shake NC State, and Iowa got f--ked out of a win over Penn State.

Oh well! I'll bet it was all just one big coincidence. So let's shrug it off and go with...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2017 (Week 5)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Vanderbilt @ Florida [12:00, ESPN] (I initially wanted to go with Ole Miss @ Alabama at #10, but I'm still a little mad at Alabama right now [and scared at what they might do to the Rebels]. So this game in Gainesville gets the nod; after escaping Kentucky [again], we'll see if Florida will be awake for this game. And does Vandy have any confidence left after that nationwide humiliation, or will their rushing attack be stymied again?)

9. Florida State @ Wake Forest [3:30, ABC] (Did you know that the last team that started in the preseason Top 5 and then fall out of the rankings completely after 2 games was Pittsburgh in 1984? By the way, that Pitt team finished '84 with a 3-7-1 mark... WITHOUT having to deal with a hurricane.
How will the Seminoles react to that news, knowing full well that Wake enters this game at 4-0? Here's a hint: If the 'Noles wake up that running game of theirs, they may return to their old self's in Winston-Salem.)

8. South Carolina @ Texas A&M [7:30, SEC Network] (Look at what both of these teams did last week; A&M won an offensive thriller against Arkansas, while South Carolina needed a late field-goal to beat La-Tech. So you'd think the Gamecocks have no shot, right?
Well, just know that Gamecock QB Jake Bentley already has over 1,000 yards passing. Kellen Mond, I hope you're ready for another duel.)

7. Mississippi State @ Auburn [6:00, ESPN] (This one's pretty easy, actually. It's just Mississippi State trying to shake off a bad trip to Georgia by grabbing a big win... in what may be a scary trip to Auburn if Jarrett Stidham has his way.)

6. Arizona State @ Stanford [4:00, PAC-12 Network] (Why is this game between two teams who are both 2-2 so high on the list? Because Arizona State is fresh off a BIG win over Oregon, and they want to keep the happy times going by stunning Stanford. However, Stanford's Bryce Love has been on a roll lately...)

5. Miami @ Duke [7:00 tomorrow, ESPN] (Duke has been a pleasant surprise this season, as they've been impressive during their 4-0 start. Oh, and David Cutcliffe got his 100th win as a coach last week!
But now the hard part begins for Duke, as they host a Miami team off a win over a good Toledo team. And Miami has a passing attack that MIGHT give Duke's secondary some fits.)

4. Georgia @ Tennessee [3:30, CBS] (Jeez, Tennessee fans! One close call against UMass, and you're all screaming for Butch Jones's head?! Granted, the Vols hasn't beaten a Top-10 team at home since 1999, but leave him alone!
You know what, guys? I'll bet that Tennessee finds a way to beat Georgia come Saturday; RB John Kelly has been good for the Vols, and Georgia is just about due for a collapse.)

3. Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech [8:00, FOX] (Forget about Texas Tech being 3-0 entering this game; the pressure is ALL on the Cowboys. After getting stunned at home to TCU, Mike Gundy and his defense HAS to find a way to recover. 'Cause if they don't and Tech outscores them, Oklahoma State's title chances could be all gone before October even begins!
...Just keep that in mind while you watch this.)

2. USC @ Washington State [10:30 tomorrow, ESPN] (I'll be honest: I've juggled this game and the game in Blacksburg for the #1 spot over and over and over again. But do you know what doomed this big game in Pullman, Washington to the #2 spot? Defense. I just don't know if Luke Falk and Washington State is gonna be able to break a USC defense that's been impressive for 3 straight games.
So I guess that means it'll be up to Wazzu's own defense to stop Sam Darnold and the Trojans so that the Cougars can get one of it's biggest home wins ever.)

1. Clemson @ Virginia Tech [8:00, ABC] (Va-Tech has been tested already this season by West Virginia, but in order for the Hokies to insert themselves into the national title conversation, their QB Josh Jackson must do what Lamar Jackson [no relation to Josh] couldn't do: Break that Clemson defense.
And as for Clemson, can they handle a packed Lane Stadium crowd? We'll find out!)

Best "mid-major" game: Memphis @ UCF (Both the Tigers [UCLA] and Golden Knights [Maryland] are off impressive wins against the "Power 5", and now they start AAC play against each other [finally]. Looking forward to this one!)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Ole Miss @ Alabama (I know that the Rebels will probably treat this game like a bowl game, but after what 'Bama did last week, I won't be holding my breath for an upset here.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: California @ Oregon, Northwestern @ Wisconsin, Maryland @ Minnesota, and Colorado @ UCLA.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 5 predictions

Back to top form; after a 14-9 record in Week 3, I went 19-3 last week! So barring anymore weird occurrences (like that mandatory yearly EAS test yesterday), here's how I see Week 5 shaping up (excluding FBS vs. FCS games):

Ole Miss 14 @ (1)Alabama 43
(2)Clemson 31 @ (12)Virginia Tech 21
Indiana 21 @ (4)Penn State 37
(5)USC 35 @ (16)Washington State 31
(6)Washington 47 @ Oregon State 17
(7)Georgia 24 @ Tennessee 28
Northwestern 17 @ (10)Wisconsin 24
(11)Ohio State 52 @ Rutgers 7
(24)Mississippi State 20 @ (13)Auburn 31
(14)Miami 27 @ Duke 30
(15)Oklahoma State 58 @ Texas Tech 48
(18)South Florida 41 @ East Carolina 27
Northern Illinois 17 @ (19)San Diego State 31
Vanderbilt 10 @ (21)Florida 20
Miami-Ohio 9 @ (22)Notre Dame 35
Troy 14 @ (25)LSU 37

...And I'm done! Enjoy the weekend, folks! Oh, and if you can spare some money for the recovery efforts in Mexico and Puerto Rico, it would be really helpful.

 

[NolePride]

Week 5 predictions

Back to top form; after a 14-9 record in Week 3, I went 19-3 last week! So barring anymore weird occurrences (like that mandatory yearly EAS test yesterday), here's how I see Week 5 shaping up (excluding FBS vs. FCS games):

Ole Miss 14 @ (1)Alabama 43
(2)Clemson 31 @ (12)Virginia Tech 21
Indiana 21 @ (4)Penn State 37
(5)USC 35 @ (16)Washington State 31
(6)Washington 47 @ Oregon State 17
(7)Georgia 24 @ Tennessee 28
Northwestern 17 @ (10)Wisconsin 24
(11)Ohio State 52 @ Rutgers 7
(24)Mississippi State 20 @ (13)Auburn 31
(14)Miami 27 @ Duke 30
(15)Oklahoma State 58 @ Texas Tech 48
(18)South Florida 41 @ East Carolina 27
Northern Illinois 17 @ (19)San Diego State 31
Vanderbilt 10 @ (21)Florida 20
Miami-Ohio 9 @ (22)Notre Dame 35
Troy 14 @ (25)LSU 37

...And I'm done! Enjoy the weekend, folks! Oh, and if you can spare some money for the recovery efforts in Mexico and Puerto Rico, it would be really helpful.

Go Canastota!!!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

USC vs. Washington State

USC vs. Washington State - Box Score - September 29, 2017 - ESPN

Colin Cowherd had been going on and on and on about how Sam Darnold should be the #1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, right? Well, not if he fumbles away more games like the one in Pullman last night.

As for Washington State, I'm now taking bets on where the Cougars will be in the AP poll come tomorrow.