Here's a guide for the 2018 CFB Season! Can anyone survive?

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

...So here we are again. Another CFB season will begin in 2 days (Don't be fooled by the promotions that ESPN is running; games like Hawaii vs. Colorado State and Wyoming vs. NMSU will count this weekend.
So that means that for the 3rd year in a row, I have to separate the early games (8/25 to 8/31) from the big weekend games where a LOT of stuff will happen (9/1 to 9/3).

You probably know what time it is already. It's time for...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2018
(Week 1, Part 1 [August 25th to August 31st])​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Hawaii @ Colorado State [7:30 Saturday, CBS Sports Network] (While Rice and UMass are quietly kicking off against some opposition from the FCS, Fort Collins is where the season REALLY begins. 'Cause this is where the Warriors and the Rams play the first conference game of the 2018 season. I just hope that both of these offenses are ready for this.)

9. Western Kentucky @ Wisconsin [9:00 next Friday, ESPN] (If only because this'll be our first look at that mighty Wisconsin offense... and that new Badger defense.)

8. Utah State @ Michigan State [7:00 next Friday, Big 10 Network] (...So my other Big 10 finalist will start the season on a Friday as well! But why do I have the feeling that Michigan State will have a tougher time of it than the Badgers will?)

7. Wake Forest @ Tulane [8:00 next Thursday, CBS Sports Network] (This one will be all about the quarterbacks. Mainly, how well will Wake's new QB fare in his first start on the road, and how well Tulane's QB will fare against this Wake secondary.)

6. Army @ Duke [7:00 next Friday, ESPNU] (Phew! I think I finally found a competitive game among-st the early ones. Army is a confident and proud bunch, but how well will their new O-line fare in Durham? And Duke has a rarity this year: Expectations. Can they handle it?)

5. UCF @ UConn [7:00 next Thursday, ESPNU] (So now a new life begins for UCF... one that does not have Scott Frost or Shaquem Griffin. However, UConn is still rebuilding a little bit, so we'll see how McKenzie Milton and the Knights fare in East Hartford.)

4. Colorado State vs. Colorado {in Denver} [9:30 next Friday, CBS Sports Network] (...Aw, man. For the 2nd year in a row, the Colorado State Rams has 2 big games in the VERY early portion of the season. Now, I'm pretty confident in the CSU's ability to beat Hawaii. But of course, their in-state rivals will be another matter; will they be able to stop Colorado's offense in Denver?)

3. Syracuse @ Western Michigan [6:00 next Friday, CBS Sports Network] (Okay... There IS a little bit of brown-nosing here. But this will still be a tricky opener for the Orange and their defense; the Broncos passing game looks ready to go and rack up some points.
[P.S: Man! The CBS Sports Network will be BUSY next week.])

2. San Diego State @ Stanford [9:00 next Friday, FOX Sports 1] (I wanted to put this game at #1, mainly because of the in-state implications this one could have. Not to mention the stunning win SDSU pulled against the Cardinal last year.
But now I'm not so confident in the Aztecs's ability to do that again. Man, I really hope that SDSU has a plan to stop Bryce Love...)

1. Northwestern @ Purdue [8:00 next Thursday, ESPN] (So it looks like ESPN [and ABC] will once again have the best games during this "Kickoff Week". There are a LOT of questions to answer in this game: Will Clayton Thorson be ready? How will Purdue's new defense handle this? And what'll happen when Purdue has the ball? All of that is the reason this game is #1.)

...At least, it'll be #1 in the month of August. But what about when the calendar turns to September? Have patience, my friends, and the answers will come...

 

[podsox]

Kinda miss the espn double header on the opening Thursday they had for a couple yrs

 

[amszete]

Would think #4 would be #1. Huge rivalry game where there is legit hate. For the most part, games are pretty tight between them.

 

[NolePride]

The honorary captains for the FSU-VPI game on Labor
Day night are household names...Frank Beamer and Bobby
Bowden.

 

[Boise4Life]

Colorado State will have two games under their belt before most teams kick off their first game.

 

[Boise4Life]

I'd probably have San Diego State/Stanford at #1, but I can see why you placed Purdue/Northwestern there instead.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Thursday action

So now that ESPN is saying that the season is underway, let me see what happened early on.

Well, we saw Northwestern won a good one over Purdue, UAB getting it's first shutout win in 10 years, and Wake escaping Tulane in OT.
Also, Georgia State, Rice, and UL-Monroe had some close calls with the FCS, but they survived. San Jose State, however, did not. It's a good thing we weren't expecting anything from them this season!

Hawai'i vs. Colorado State - Game Summary - August 25, 2018 - ESPN And we can't forget this from last Saturday; the first big upset of the young season.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 1 Top 10 [Part 2: Labor Day Weekend]

Time for a special announcement! There'll be a new segment on my countdown posts this year... one that's on the cynical side, but still will be fun. So let's get to it as I start...

The Top 10 Games of Week 1 [Part 2: Labor Day Weekend]​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Oregon State @ Ohio State [12:00, ABC] ( I told myself I wasn't going to do this [because I know that the Buckeyes has Oregon State beat on sheer talent], but all of the outside noise around Urban Meyer has made this game more interesting. Sorry, but it just does.
Anyway, how will the interim coach Ryan Day handle this whole circus in Columbus as Ohio State finally gets this season going?)

9. Florida Atlantic @ Oklahoma [12:00, FOX] (So it looks like Kyler Murray WILL be the starter for Oklahoma this season after all. But to me, I'm more interested in what FAU will do; Lane Kiffin has a chance to score a huge blow for Conference USA with his proud team. Just one question: Who's gonna be HIS quarterback?)

8. Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech {In Houston} [12:00, ESPN] (Man! Noon is gonna be a BUSY time for fans of football. So here in the first "neutal-site" game of the season, we have high-flying Ole Miss against a defense-minded Texas Tech squad... and I STILL think that sounds kinda wrong.)

7. Tennessee vs. West Virginia {In Charlotte, NC} [3:30, CBS] (This is the first-ever meeting between these schools, and... Wait. WVU is only a 59% favorite to win this one? I thought it would be higher than that. Does the Tennessee offense knows something we don't?)

6. Texas @ Maryland {at FedEx Field in Landover, MD} [12:00, FOX Sports 1] (Ahh... Texas fans are thinking "THIS is the year that we come back" as their new and improved team look to start off right against a Big 10 team. Just like last year... when Maryland humiliated them in Austin.)

5. Louisville vs. Alabama {From Orlando, FL} [8:00, ABC] (Jawon Pass and the Cardinals look confident that they can push the Crimson Tide in this prime-time matchup in Orlando. But yet, why do I have the feeling that Nick Saban will use both Tua AND Jalen in a weird hybrid attack involving a rubber duck... and STILL win this game?)

4. Miami vs. LSU {From Arlington, TX} [7:30 Sunday, ABC] (I just saw that LSU had the fewest turnovers of any FBS team last year. Can we chalk that up to good discipline, or a bad offense? What I'm getting that is for LSU to upset the Hurricanes [and score a big win for Coach Orgeron], they'll have to take some chances and throw the ball.)

3. Virginia Tech @ Florida State [8:00 Monday, ESPN] (And on that note, did you know that Virginia Tech has only beaten FSU twice over the last 40 years? That's a shame; now I'm really hoping that Josh Jackson and the Hokies has a happy Labor Day and stuns FSU right here.
But if recent trends continue, then Jimbo Fisher will have a happy debut. This is his first game coaching the Seminoles, you know!)

2. Michigan @ Notre Dame [7:30, NBC] (I just recently saw a ESPN online video about the antics that went on during this "blue-blood" series. ...So this really IS a rivalry game! And isn't it great that we get to see it again?
Here's the thing, though: Neither coach will be too interested in any antics. This is a BIG opener for both Harbaugh and Kelly. Harbaugh NEEDS to grab a resume win for the Michigan faithful, and Kelly NEEDS to give the Irish's playoff chances a boost.)

1. Auburn vs. Washington {In Atlanta} [3:30, ABC] (So here we are. The big Top-10 matchup where the Huskies will try to defend the shield of the PAC-12 against all forthcoming opponents. But don't forget that Auburn fans are scared as well; one slip-up and they'll be behind the 8-ball in the playoff chase...)

Best "mid-major" game: SMU @ North Texas (A rock-solid in-state battle in the state of Texas. That looks mighty pleasing to me. Now you're probably thinking "Why didn't you pick Boise State at Troy for this spot"?
Game with the best chance to be a bust: Boise State @ Troy (Because I got them here. Don't forget: Troy lost a LOT of good pieces from last year's team.)
What game to COMPLETELY avoid: Austin Prey @ Georgia (Come on, ESPN! Georgia is starting against a FCS opponent, and you're putting it on your 3:30 time slot? A game that'll probably be over by halftime? Come on!)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Middle Tennessee @ Vanderbilt, Houston @ Rice, UMass @ Boston College, and Washington State @ Wyoming.

My first prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 1 Predictions

Aw, phooey! I forgot to make predictions for the games yesterday and last Saturday! ...Oh well. At least I won't mess up my record by picking teams like Colorado State and Purdue.
Anyway, here are my picks for the rest of the week's Top 25 match-ups (excluding FBS vs. FCS games):

Louisville 17 vs. (1)Alabama 35
Western Kentucky 10 @ (4)Wisconsin 49
Oregon State 7 @ (5)Ohio State 37
(9)Auburn 34 vs. (6)Washington 28
Florida Atlantic 21 @ (7)Oklahoma 52
(8)Miami 27 vs. (25)LSU 17
Appalachian State 9 @ (10)Penn State 58
Utah State 14 @ (11)Michigan State 38
(14)Michigan 37 @ (12)Notre Dame 35
San Diego State 17 @ (13)Stanford 34
UNLV 18 @ (15)USC 31
(17)West Virginia 33 vs. Tennessee 20
(20)Virginia Tech 24 @ (19)Florida State 27
(22)Boise State 30 @ Troy 10
(23)Texas 38 @ Maryland 35
Bowling Green 15 @ (24)Oregon 50

...And I'm done! Now I'm free to veg out all Labor Day Weekend and just watch the madness unfold! I'll check back later to see what happened...

 

[jwolt92]

But if recent trends continue, then Willie Taggart will have a happy debut. This is his first game coaching the Seminoles, you know!)

 

[nddulac]

Thursday action

San Jose State, however, did not. It's a good thing we weren't expecting anything from them this season!

After watching that game last night (and sure - UC Davis has a pretty good offense) I pretty much expect the Spartans to be this year's version of the the UTEP Miners.

 

[7Samurai13]

After watching that game last night (and sure - UC Davis has a pretty good offense) I pretty much expect the Spartans to be this year's version of the the UTEP Miners.

Yes I know who you are talking about.

 

[NolePride]

After watching that game last night (and sure - UC Davis has a pretty good offense) I pretty much expect the Spartans to be this year's version of the the UTEP Miners.

Maybe, maybe not. UC Davis is usually a pretty decent 1-AA.
Now San Jose won't win many, but they'll win a couple

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Friday's action

San Diego State vs. Stanford - Box Score - August 31, 2018 - ESPN

Plan revealed for Stanford! Bryce Love has been converted into an elaborate prop, specifically designed to lure defenses away from the rest of the offense.
Don't believe me? How else do you describe the above story?

And by the way, I will not comment on Michigan State's near upset. That's just opening-night jitters, and that's all.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Thoughts on Saturday (Part 1)

In terms of Top 25 action, quite a few people are unhappy. Washington's unhappy, because they blew QUITE a few chances to have a bigger lead over Auburn. So instead, Auburn kept running the ball and scored the win.
My mom is unhappy, because she wanted Michigan to win over Notre Dame.
Nebraska's unhappy, because a severe thunderstorm cancelled their game against Akron. That means no dress rehearsal for the Colorado game, which means they'll probably lose, which means more unhappiness.

Appalachian State vs. Penn State - Game Summary - September 1, 2018 - ESPN And Penn State? They're just happy to be alive right now.

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Thoughts on Saturday (Part 2)

Here are some other things that struck me yesterday.

Texas vs. Maryland - Game Summary - September 1, 2018 - ESPN First, this contest. For Maryland, it was a great win after the bad offseason everyone in College Park went through. As for Texas, it's you guys suck again! HA HA!

Also, BYU won a close one over Arizona, Houston had a "Hey, wait a minute! Rice is a RIVAL!" moment before pulling away to win, and it was not a good day for the state of Kansas.

Villanova vs. Temple - Box Score - September 1, 2018 - ESPN And on that note, do you wanna know why these FCS teams keep taking these games against FBS opponents. Go ask people like Nicholls State, Northern Arizona, and Villanova. Ask THEM why they keep doing it!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

LSU stuns Miami

LSU vs. Miami score: No. 25 Tigers impress in opener by mowing down No. 8 Canes

On the one hand, all of the Miami fans who were thinking national title (and thank God I was not one of them) are now reevaluating their life choices. On the other hand, Coach Orgeron has to be ecstatic!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 1 Recap

We're not too likely to learn anything from just 1 game for most of these teams, so here's just a quick recap.

First: Officially on my "shit-list" (for losing to an FCS team) are Temple, East Carolina, and Kansas. [UTEP and San Jose State are exempt, because I knew those teams would struggle.]
Second: It was not a good week for debuting coaches; Jeremy Pruitt had no chance against West Virginia, Cincinnati humiliated UCLA and Chip Kelly, and...

Florida State stumbles in Willie Taggart's debut with loss to Virginia Tech ...we got this last night: A game where fans were booing poor Willie Taggart.

Third: Did you see Nick Saban give that ESPN reporter some attitude after being asked about his QB's? I'm telling you now; this whole thing might fracture the whole dynasty.
Fourth: I know it's only been 2 games, but DAMN! Hawaii's looking a LOT better now.

And finally, Ohio State and Oklahoma just replaced standout QB's... with 2 more standout QB's [Dwayne Haskins and Kyler Murray, respectfully]. Time to start hating them again!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 2- Top 10 Countdown

And now Willie Taggert is claiming that Virginia Tech was faking injuries last Monday? Sheesh... You guys can go to ESPN.com or something and check that story out.
As for me, I will now try to pass judgement on teams based on only 60 minutes of actual game footage. Yep, it's time again for...

The Top 10 Games of College Football 2018 [Week 2]​

(All times are Eastern)
10. Kentucky @ Florida [7:30, SEC Network] (There were a LOT of choices for this spot. No, really, there were a LOT. But this one in Gainesville wins out, thanks to Florida now being in the Top 25. Maybe it was Feliepe Franks throwing for 5 TD's or something, but let's see him do that against SEC competition as we ask the question "Does Florida deserve this ranking?".
[By the way, if Florida DOESN'T deserve that ranking and lose, it'll be Kentucky's first win over the Gators since 1986!])

9. California @ BYU [10:15, ESPN2] (Both of these teams got not-too-shabby wins in their openers; Cal held off North Carolina, and BYU stunned Arizona IN Arizona. Now they face off in Provo for a coverted 2-0 start. But if Cal wants that 2-0 start, I think that they'll need more than 57 yards passing from Ross Bowers this time [that's what he got last week].)

8. Duke @ Northwestern [12:00, ESPNU] (Yes! Another fine installment of the "Academic Butt-Kickers" in action! And Clayton Thomas looked OK in his first start back, but I'd like to see him in a QB duel with Duke's Daniel Jones.
[P.S: Some tickets for this game on StubHub are going for only $2! If you're planning to go to this game, I'd jump on that deal.])

7. Fresno State @ Minnesota [7:30, FOX Sports 1] (The sleeper game of the week. Minnesota's offense looked okay in their opener, but that was against New Mexico State. Let's see what'll happen when it meets someone like Fresno. You know, the kind of team that LOVES to throw the ball all over the field?)

6. Mississippi State @ Kansas State [12:00, ESPN] (I wanted to put this game in my Top 5, but K-State's struggles against FCS team South Dakota has kinda put a damper on that plan. On the other hand, it's pretty rare when an SEC team chooses to go on the road to face a "Power 5" opponent.
...Tell you what, Kansas State. I'll give you guys some advice. See that new QB for Mississippi State called Keytaon Thompson? The one that's filling in for Nick Fitzgerald, since he's not ready to come back yet? ...Yeah, Keytaon looked good last week, so just watch out for him, OK?)

5. Penn State @ Pittsburgh [8:00, ABC] (Was Penn State's escape from App. State last week just opening-night jitters? Is App. State really just a sneakily good Sun Belt team, or is there something awry at Happy Valley? We won't know about App. State until later, but we WILL know a lot more about Penn State in this "Keystone Rivalry" game on primetime. You know that Pitt is gonna be ready for this one.)

4. Michigan State @ Arizona State [10:45, ESPN] (Michigan State is in the same boat as Penn State: Maybe their struggles last week was just opening-night jitters. We'll find out soon enough when the Spartans go to Tempe for this good-looking contest. But wait! What about Herm Edwards and HIS team? He DID beat UTSA last week, but that was easy. Let's see how his defense handles a REAL attack this time!)

3. Clemson @ Texas A&M [7:00, ESPN] (I don't even need to set this one up! Just know that College Gameday will be in College Station, the QB's for Clemson are gonna be tested, and we'll know how good Jimbo's new offense will fare against maybe the best D-line in college football this season.)

2. Georgia @ South Carolina [3:30, CBS] (Excluding last year's meeting, Georgia and South Carolina have played each other early in the season since 1992 [when the Gamecocks joined the SEC]. And now, here we go again! To me, Jake Bentley's play will be the key; he needs to do well and extend drives in order to keep Georgia's offense off the field.)

1. USC @ Stanford [8:30, FOX] (So the PAC-12 takes the #1 spot on my countdown for the 2nd week in a row. That's because this series has ALWAYS given us interesting games since 2007, and this one looks no different as K.J Costello and Bryce Love looks to regain control of this rivalry.
As for USC, their new QB J.T Daniels is about to encounter adversity for the first time in his Trojan career. Will he wither, or become a man in front of the whole state of California?)

Best "mid-major" game: Nicholls State @ Tulane (Hey, Tulane! Nicholls State just defeated a "Power 5" team! ...Okay, it was Kansas, but that still counts! I hope that the Green Wave are ready for this one...)
Game with the best chance to be a bust: UCLA @ Oklahoma (I wanted to go with Colorado @ Nebraska, but the Huskers haven't played yet, so that wouldn't be fair. Instead, I must offer my apologies to Chip Kelly; if he can't get the Bruins to win at HOME against Cincinnati, then I don't like his chances in Norman.)
What game to totally avoid: UConn @ Boise State (Don't fool yourself, people. Boise's now in the Top 20, so I see that clobbering UConn by 40 and then call it a night.)
Honorable mentions for the Top 10: Cincinnati @ Miami-Ohio, Georgia Tech @ USF, Rutgers @ Ohio State, Iowa State @ Iowa, Colorado @ Nebraska, and Nevada @ Vanderbilt.

My prediction segment is next!

 

[Dolgevillefootballfan]

Week 2 Predictions

So of all my Week 1 predictions, I got 4 games wrong. Honestly, I find that to be a bit of a disappointment. So I'm hoping that THIS time, I won't get any of the big games wrong. Here we go! [FBS vs. FCS games will not be shown]

Arkansas State 14 @ (1)Alabama 52
(2)Clemson 27 @ Texas A&M 24
(3)Georgia 31 @ (24)South Carolina 24
Rutgers 7 @ (4)Ohio State 35
New Mexico 10 @ (5)Wisconsin 39
UCLA 17 @ (6)Oklahoma 46
Ball State 9 @ (8)Notre Dame 51
(17)USC 28 @ (10)Stanford 26
(13)Penn State 38 @ Pittsburgh 30
(15)Michigan State 21 @ Arizona State 28
(16)TCU 41 @ SMU 17
(18)Mississippi State 33 @ Kansas State 24
UConn 14 @ (20)Boise State 45
Western Michigan 17 @ (21)Michigan 34
Kentucky 17 @ (25)Florida 27

...And I'm done! Wait... I'm feeling something... OH MY GOD! Is that actual cool air outside? Pardon me, I'll see ya later. I gotta experience this...