Our Official 2016 Regular Season thread

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Good afternoon, CFB fans! In about 3 days, we begin another fun season of heartbreak and triumph as California and Hawaii fight it out in Australia.

Now, that game has thrown me for a loop. You see, on Thursday I leave on a family trip to Las Vegas, so I''ll be gone from this site for a bit. So, how will this game fit into my first Top 10 of the year? Easy. I'll just do what ESPN.com is doing: Just lump it in with all the others!

So, come tomorrow I'll have my first Top 10 countdown of the year (8/26 through 9/2) as we start the longest (and maybe the best) opening weekend in CFB history!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

CFB Week 1 Top 10 Countdown (Part 1- August 26th through September 2nd)

CFB fans, rejoice! Your patience will be greatly rewarded, as the longest opening week of college football action will be something to see. So, much like Rivalry Week I'll be separating the Week 1 countdown into 2 parts. So let's get it started with...

The Top 10 Games of Week 1 (Part 1-8/26 to 9/2)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. California vs. Hawaii [from ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia] {10:00 Friday, ESPN} (And since this game is the reason WHY this will be the longest opening week ever, it's going first on the countdown. And the Bears need to take this seriously; Hawaii beat a PAC-12 team last year, and Cal doesn't have Jared Goff anymore.)

9. Tulane @ Wake Forest [7:00 September 1st, ESPN3 and WatchESPN] (I wanted to go with Ball State vs. Georgia State for #9, but this game here is sightly bigger than that one. It's Willie Fritz's coaching debut at Tulane, and he'll try to help the Green Wave survive the Demon Deacons.)

8. Toledo @ Arkansas State [9:00 September 2nd, ESPNU] (For the 3rd season in a row, the Rockets and the Red Wolves will fight each other. Both teams are breaking in new QB's, but I expect a good game nonetheless.
P.S: Can you imagine how embarrassed the Arkansas Razorbacks will be if the Red Wolves defeat Toledo, which they couldn't do?)

7. Indiana @ Florida International [7:30 September 1st, ESPNU] (Look. On paper, Indiana SHOULD be fine against the Golden Panthers. But with a new QB, who knows?)

6. Appalachian State @ Tennessee [7:30 September 1st, SEC Network] (Fresh off a grand 11-2 season, App. State gets a special treat: A chance to play at Tennessee! Tennessee, however, is thinking national title this year. So here's hoping Taylor Lamb is on his game for the Mountaineers, because if he's not this could get ugly.)

5. Rice @ Western Kentucky [8:00 September 1st, CBS Sports Network] (This Conference USA opener has a Rice team hoping to upset a Western Kentucky team that doesn't have Brandon Doughty anymore. This could be the sleeper game of this whole countdown.)

4. Oregon State @ Minnesota [9:00 September 1st, Big 10 Network] (Now we're onto the heavyweights! For both the Big 10 and PAC-12, this is all about bragging rights. For both the Gophers and Beavers, this is about all-important momentum for 2016.)

3. Colorado vs. Colorado State {from Denver, CO} [8:00 September 2nd, ESPN] (Time for another installment of this great in-state rivalry! The Rams and Buffaloes have split the last 4 meetings in this series.)

2. Kansas State @ Stanford [9:00 September 2nd, FOX Sports 1] (With McCaffrey ready to go, Stanford looks to bowl over the Wildcats. But hold up! Stanford needs to find a starting QB in this game, 'cause it'll only get harder from here. And if Snyder's team stays healthy this time, K-State could give the Cardinal fits.)

1. South Carolina @ Vanderbilt [8:00 September 1st, ESPN] (This game may be ugly, but these are 2 SEC teams that'll be desperate for a happy beginning to their SEC campaigns. Combine that with Will Muschamp making his debut at South Carolina, and I'm dialed in for this one.)

Now don't worry, folks. I may be gone for a while, but I promise to return in 7 days for my prediction segment. Look forward to it, okay?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

The first great game of the year

Charleston Southern vs. North Dakota State - Game Summary - August 27, 2016 - ESPN

Phew... After 5 days of great food (and some form of debauchery), I'm back. And with CFB action set to resume tomorrow, let's relive the first great game of 2016.

And just like last year, it comes to us courtesy of North Dakota State.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Body clocks, Texas A&M hype and more Week 1 CFP lessons learned

And all of this starts tonight!

 

[TigerBait1971]

An LSU win over Wisconsin can be quickly forgotten

 

[fishinabarrel]

Slowest week EVAR

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Tennessee escapes App. State

Appalachian State vs. Tennessee - Game Recap - September 1, 2016 - ESPN

Did Tennessee get caught looking ahead to Virginia Tech next week? Was it just App. State showing their desire for a "New Year's Six" bowl? Or was it a lack of discipline from Tennessee that lead to this close game... or something else entirely?

Only time will tell...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Oregon State vs. Minnesota

As for the other action from yesterday, it was mostly just business.

Yes, South Carolina won a close game over Vanderbilt, but before the 4th quarter it was boring. No FBS team lost to the FCS (although UConn and Idaho came close).

Oregon State vs. Minnesota - Game Recap - September 1, 2016 - ESPN But then, there was this little beauty. I TOLD you guys to pay attention to this game, and it delivered with drama and triumph... at least for the Big 10.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 1 Top 10 (Part 2-Saturday through Monday)

So, after over 4 months of hype, the greatest opening week in CFB history enters into it's main course! 8 games that could be a "main-event" on any other week, with almost no filler in-between!

So I guess for this part of the countdown, it's not a matter of who's in the Top 10, it's a question of where... with only 2 "at-large" spots open.

Let's not wait any longer! Let's get to...

The Top 10 Games of Week 1 (Part 2: Saturday through Monday)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Georgia Tech vs. Boston College {From Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland} [7:30 A.M, ESPN2] (Ah, HERE'S the reason I'm doing this countdown right now! Once again, the good folks of Ireland will bear witness to American college football as the Yellow Jackets and Eagles square off.
But this won't be just a novelty game: Like South Carolina vs. Vanderbilt for the SEC, this opening game will be key for building all-important momentum in the ACC.)

9. Missouri @ West Virginia [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (This game is just like the other 8 games you'll see later on: Two strong teams facing each other. And in Morgantown, West Virginia looks to strike a blow for the Big 12 against a SEC team who's breaking in a new coach.)

8. LSU vs. Wisconsin {From Green Bay, Wisconsin} [3:30, ABC] (With both "at-large" spots filled up, let the yelling and screaming begin! For the top 8 games, I'll be ranking them on how good the game looks to be.
And that's where this game falls short. Look Wisconsin, I know this game's in Lambeau Field, but if you don't stop Leonard Fournette this may get ugly. Unless, of course, your new QB [Bart Houston] is ready to play.)

7. Georgia vs. North Carolina {From the Georgia Dome in Atlanta} [5:30, ESPN] (Will UNC's new QB Mitch Trubisky be ready right out of the gate? If he is ready, Georgia could be in for a real fight... even WITH the great Nick Chubb on their side.)

6. UCLA @ Texas A&M [3:30, CBS] (As much as I'm pessimistic about the game in Lambeau, I'm optimistic about this one in College Station. Mainly because this game will have something for everyone: For casual fans, it's about Trevor Knight vs. Josh Rosen. For the hardcore fans, it'll be about everything else.)

5. Notre Dame @ Texas [7:30 Sunday, ABC] (4 months ago, we thought the Irish would just waltz all over the Longhorns. But now, a win against Texas doesn't look as certain for Notre Dame. Not with all of those player suspensions and both of their QB's wanting to be the starter. If Texas's new QB is ready right out of the gate... )

4. Clemson @ Auburn [9:00, ESPN] (Auburn fans will soon get the answer to this question: "Do we have a QB that can silence these arrogant, stupid ACC bums?" But Auburn's defense will be the key; they must be ready to punch Deshawn Watson right in the mouth.)

3. Oklahoma vs. Houston {From NRG Stadium in Houston} [12:00, ABC] (I'm not fooled. Much like Wisconsin has made their game in Lambeau Field a home game, Houston will have a LOT of Cougar fans in attendance for this one.
To me, Houston has everything to lose in this game. If Oklahoma loses, they can just defeat Ohio State to get back into the playoff hunt. If Oklahoma outguns Houston, however, the "Group of 5" schools will be moping for the rest of the season. So Mr. Greg Ward Jr., good luck!)

2. USC vs. Alabama {From Arlington, TX} [8:00, ABC] (Again, in terms of box-office appeal, this is the game of the week. However, both Southern Cal and Alabama will be breaking in new QB's, so don't expect this to be a Crimson Tide walkover.)

1. Ole Miss vs. Florida State {From Orlando, FL} [8:00 Monday, ESPN] (But if you want the best GAME of the week, look no further than here! Who will survive this duel in the southland between Dalvin Cook and Chad Kelly? We'll soon find out!)

Best "mid-major" game of the week: Oklahoma vs. Houston (Like I said, Houston will have the weight of the "Group of 5" conferences on their shoulder in this contest.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: LSU vs. Wisconsin (And like I said, if Wisconsin can't stop Leonard Fournette, they'll have a hard time winning in Lambeau.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Arizona vs. BYU, Southern Miss @ Kentucky, Western Michigan @ Northwestern, and Rutgers @ Washington.

My first prediction segment of the year is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Predictions for Week 1

In my rush to post my first Top 10 before I leave for Vegas, I forgot to make my predictions for the early games. So, you know what? I'll just say I'm 6-0 already this season! Ha ha!

Okay, enough monkey business. Here are my picks for the rest of the week (not counting FBS vs. FCS games):


(20)USC 14 vs. (1)Alabama 31
(2)Clemson 34 vs. Auburn 38
(3)Oklahoma 40 vs. (15)Houston 28
(4)Florida State 31 vs. (11)Ole Miss 27
(5)LSU 40 vs. Wisconsin 14
Bowling Green 10 @ (6)Ohio State 38
Hawaii 13 @ (7)Michigan 28
Kansas State 17 @ (8)Stanford 44
(10)Notre Dame 24 @ Texas 14
Rutgers 13 @ (14)Washington 41
(16)UCLA 28 @ Texas A&M 31
Miami-Ohio 7 @ (17)Iowa 37
(18)Georgia 35 vs. (22)North Carolina 32
UMass 7 @ (25)Florida 40

Other big games:
Colorado 28 vs. Colorado State 27
Missouri 24 @ West Virginia 31
Southern Miss 21 @ Kentucky 24

Oh, we're going to have a FUN Labor Day weekend, I can tell! More updates coming tomorrow...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Friday recap

Actually, not much happened last night in college football. Colorado won a rare "laugher" over Colorado State, Stanford was fine against Kansas State, and Buffalo became the first FBS team to get crossed off my Christmas list (all thanks to FCS Albany).

Army vs. Temple - Game Recap - September 2, 2016 - ESPN But then, there was this little stunner that Army pulled off in Philly.
My dark side: "Didn't you pick Temple to win the American conference?"
Me: "SHHH! It's only one game, OK?"

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

So sorry for interrupting this "Greatest CFB Kickoff Weekend Ever"! But after the madness that's been going on over the last 12 hours, we all need a little breather to take in what had happened. So let's look at:

What We've Learned So Far this week (As of 7:44 P.M)!

Karma bites Northwestern in the @$$ as Western Michigan gets them: Last year, we were in shock when the Wildcats got Stanford. Now thanks to a cruel fumble, Northwestern loses to Western Michigan. Karma. (By the way, THIS is why the Broncos are the favorites in the MAC.)

Houston shocks Oklahoma: The "Group of 5" schools are delighted! The Big 12 is sobbing! But when Houston joins the Big 12 in 2017, the Big 12 will be delighted while the "Group of 5" will weep.

FCS school Richmond blows out Virginia: Okay, I know I picked Richmond to win the FCS championship, but THIS?!

The SEC did not get off to a good start: Missouri loses to West Virginia. Arkansas defeated Louisiana Tech by only 1 point. Mississippi State lost to South Alabama!
My dark side: "And in Lambeau Field, Wisconsin pulls off an upset just as big as South Alabama's by beating LSU. I'll bet all of the guys who picked LSU to win the national title are feeling mighty stupid right now. Right, Dolgevillefootballfan?"
Me: "...Oh, shut up."

P.S: Texas A&M just beat UCLA. So, at least THAT'S something for the SEC.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

What We've Learned So Far this First Week (Part 2- As of Labor Day)

A good day for the state of Alabama: We all know what 'Bama did, but Auburn gave Clemson the good fight we all hoped they would.
P.S: Kentucky gave up a 25-point lead against Southern Miss and lost, so it wasn't a good week for them.

Northern Iowa and Eastern Washington gave the FCS 2 big wins: On the flip side, how the f--k did Wazzu allow Gage Gubrud to go 34-40 against them?! Ugh...

Other big games: Wyoming stuns NIU in 3 OT's, BYU uses defense to defeat Arizona,
Texas State vs. Ohio - Game Recap - September 3, 2016 - ESPN and then there's Texas State beating Ohio in the best "sleeper game" of the week.

And finally, Texas's QB Shane Buechele may just be the real deal as he helped the Longhorns beat Notre Dame.
Wait... Now BOTH of my teams in the CFP title game lost in Week 1?! Well, I'm honestly relieved. Now I don't care who wins! Let's just hope for more exciting action!
P.S: I'll be watching tonight's game in Orlando, BTW.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

A rough end for the SEC

Ole Miss vs. Florida State - Game Recap - September 5, 2016 - ESPN

And with that, the SEC goes 7-7 in the first week of 2016. Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, and South Carolina are not pleased.

On the other hand, how about that young kid Deondre Francois? Over 400 yards in his debut as he led FSU to the comeback win!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

With football on everyone's mind (thanks to Denver vs. Carolina happening tonight), I'm doing my Week 2 Top 10 today.

And one little note for all you fans: We had one of the best opening weekends ever last week, so this week's slate may look like a step back. But I don't want ANY of you guys to complain about it, OK?

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Now let's see what the aftermath of that opening weekend will be, as it's time for...

The Top 10 Games of the 2016 CFB Season (Week 2)​

(All times are Eastern)
10. South Carolina @ Mississippi State [7:00, ESPN2] (I wanted to go with Louisville @ Syracuse for #10, but I'm so scared about what Lamar Jackson is going to do to us.
So I'm going with this game instead. Can Miss. State recover from losing to South Alabama, or will the Gamecocks scrap together a 2-0 start in the SEC?)

9. Cincinnati @ Purdue [12:00, Big 10 Network] (This is a must-win for both teams... for different reasons. If Purdue wins, it'll be a great boost for not only the Big 10, but for their comeback hopes. But Cincinnati needs this one more; they host Houston next Thursday and they NEED momentum.)

8. North Carolina @ Illinois [7:30, Big 10 Network] (Man, the Big 10 Network will be busy on Saturday! New Illinois coach Lovie Smith will get his first REAL look at his Illini squad when they host a Tar Heel team that's hurting after Georgia ran them down.)

7. Texas Tech @ Arizona State [10:00, FOX Sports 1] (This is just a straight-up battle between the PAC-12 and the Big 12. BTW, the over/under on this game right now is at 79.5. The bettors are expecting a shootout, and you should too.)

6. Wake Forest @ Duke [3:30, ESPNU] (The sleeper game of the week. These "Tobacco Road" rivals are ready to clash, and a fair warning to Wake: If your offense stinks like it did in your win against Tulane, Duke could steamroll you here.)

5. California @ San Diego State [10:30, CBS Sports Network] (After Houston destroys FCS program Lamar, they'll just sit back with some pizza and watch this game. Mainly because they know San Diego State is a challenger to their "Group of 5" New Year's spot, and they REALLY want Cal to beat them up. If Davis Webb gets going, that could happen.)

4. Penn State @ Pittsburgh [12:00, ESPN] (On social media, Penn State alums have been saying "Our game against Pitt is NOT a rivalry". A smart ploy by the Nittany Lions, or are they just whistling through the graveyard? We'll find out.)

3. Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee {at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN} [8:00, ABC] (Also on social media, I saw a Twitter post where a 2nd-grader from Tennessee ripped the team after their close call against App. State. Think she'll be watching this game, where the all-time attendance record for a CFB game WILL be broken? For that girl's sake, let's hope the Vols are wide-awake here.)

2. BYU @ Utah [7:30, FOX] (Speaking of that game in Bristol, if you think about it Virginia Tech has nothing to lose here. If they lose, we're expecting them to, and if they win it'll be glorious.
That is NOT the case here: The "Holy War" is alive and well, and rumors about BYU joining the Big 12 getting louder will only add fuel to the fires of hate! Watch for Jamaal Williams in this one.)

1. Arkansas @ TCU [7:00, ESPN] (Neither Arkansas nor TCU had an easy time last week with their wins. But now that the jitters are over, it's time for serious business. In this swell throwback to the old SWC, we'll see either TCU defending their turf or Arkansas giving the mighty SEC a much-needed boost.)

Best "mid-major" game: Georgia Southern @ South Alabama (After maybe it's biggest win in school history, the Jaguars will turn around and face a Sun Belt power in Mobile. Keep an eye on this one.)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: UCF @ Michigan, and Tulsa @ Ohio State [Tie] (Both of these games will be on ABC, but you can just ignore them as both the Wolverines and Buckeyes will have an easy time here.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Louisville @ Syracuse, NC State @ East Carolina, Kentucky @ Florida, Ball State @ Indiana, and Washington State @ Boise State.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 2 predictions

Okay... Time to see who will win on this fine weekend (not counting FBS vs. FCS games, of course)


Western Kentucky 3 @ (1)Alabama 80
Troy 13 @ (2)Clemson 44
Tulsa 18 @ (4)Ohio State 51
UCF 10 @ (5)Michigan 45
Idaho 6 @ (8)Washington 45
Akron 7 @ (10)Wisconsin 28
UTEP 9 @ (11)Texas 48
(13)Louisville 41 @ Syracuse 17
UL-Monroe 17 @ (14)Oklahoma 55
Arkansas 31 @ (15)TCU 37
Iowa State 19 @ (16)Iowa 30
Virginia Tech 14 @ (17)Tennessee 28
Nevada 13 @ (18)Notre Dame 38
Central Michigan 21 @ (22)Oklahoma State 48
SMU 13 @ (23)Baylor 62
Virginia 16 @ (24)Oregon 45

Other big games:
Penn State 21 @ Pittsburgh 28
Cincinnati 38 @ Purdue 27
Wake Forest 17 @ Duke 21
BYU 35 @ Utah 33
Texas Tech 48 @ Arizona State 34
Washington State 41 @ Boise State 38
California 39 @ San Diego State 30

...And I'm done! I'll return on Saturday, but for now it's all yours...

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Hate to interrupt, but a lot of stuff has already happened today. So here's what's happened (as of 5:12 P.M)

Georgia and Clemson wins, but fails miserably to cover: Clemson, maybe I'll forgive; they were off an emotional win over Auburn. But Georgia was favored by 55 over FCS Nicholls State... and only won by 2. WHAT HAPPENED?!

East Carolina stuns NC State: For the 4th straight year, the Pirates have upset someone from the mighty ACC! And it's ECU's 3rd straight win over NC State!

Central Michigan stuns Oklahoma State: Or, is it "Oklahoma State gets screwed by the refs against Central Michigan"? Or is it "Mason Rudolph screws up with his throw"? Or is it "Mike Gundy screws up with his defense on the last play"? ...OK, now I'm confused.

Penn State vs. Pittsburgh - Game Recap - September 10, 2016 - ESPN And to finish this post off, Pittsburgh and Penn State proves that they REALLY need to face each other more often.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Arkansas wins over TCU

Arkansas vs. TCU - Game Recap - September 10, 2016 - ESPN

With Week 2 now over with, let's look at the games (for better or worse) that caught our eye. First, the game of the week won by the Razorbacks.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

The Holy War

BYU vs. Utah - Game Recap - September 10, 2016 - ESPN

How good is your rivalry when both teams combine for 9 turnovers (Utah had 6) yet you STILL got a exciting game?