GAMES TO WATCH 2014

August 28, 2014

     Who will be chosen for the first College Football Playoff? Here are the games each week that I believe will determine the answer.

8/30 - Wisconsin v. LSU - This game will be played at Reliant Stadium in Houston. This is expected to be a bit of a transitional year for LSU. The Tigers return just five starters on offense and must replace QB Zach Mettenberger. For the Badgers, a win here and they should be 9-0 in mid-November. This is a huge opener for the Big Ten.

9/6 - Michigan State @ Oregon - Speaking of huge games for the Big Ten. The Spartans will likely need this win to reach the CFB Playoff, even with a conference title. Oregon has struggled the last two years with physical teams that play tough defense. That gives Sparty a good chance in this one. QB Connor Cook improved as 2013 went on. He will need to be mistake free here.

9/13 - Georgia @ South Carolina - The Bulldogs would like to forget about last year’s disappointing, injury riddled, 5-loss season.  They have great talent as usual but replacing QB Aaron Murray won’t be easy. The Gamecocks will be inexperienced defensively and play a very difficult schedule, If USC wants to win the SEC East, they will need a win here. 

9/20 - Clemson @ Florida State - This particular Saturday is loaded with great games. You also have Florida @ Alabama, Miami @ Nebraska & Oklahoma @ West Virginia. This game will probably determine the champion of the ACC Atlantic Division. Last year, Clemson was hammered 51-14 on its home field. The Noles will be favored here, and I think they win easily again.

9/27 - Stanford @ Washington - The two-time defending Pac 12 Champs will play a very challenging schedule with other games at Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA and Notre Dame. The Cardinal only return five starters on offense, but they have experience at QB in Kevin Hogan. The Washington Huskies have a new QB and head coach. How will Chris Petersen do in his Pac 12 debut? 

10/4 - LSU @ Auburn - Last season, this was Auburn’s only loss in the regular season. The road team has won 12 of the last 14 in the series. Auburn will play a brutal schedule, but they may be the most  talented team in the country. If they survive a road game at Kansas State on 9/18, this game will be a huge step towards the playoff.

10/11 - Texas v. Oklahoma - It will be Charlie Strong’s debut in the Red River Rivalry. The Longhorns got their act together last year for one week to give Mack Brown one last win in Dallas. By this game, Oklahoma will have already played three road games. If they are a favorite to make the playoff, a win here is a must.

10/18 - Notre Dame @ Florida State - The Seminoles are the defending national champs. They have speed & talent everywhere. How far has Notre Dame come since they were run out of Miami by Alabama two years ago? This game will be as hyped as any other this season.  

10/25 - South Carolina @ Auburn - South Carolina is 0-7 against Auburn since joining the SEC. Could this be a preview of the SEC Championship Game? If either team has a conference loss at this point, a loss here will likely keep them out of Atlanta on December 6.

11/1 - Stanford @ Oregon - Although the Oregon Ducks have been hyped as national title contenders each of the last three years, Stanford has won the Pac 12 title. If Marcus Mariota is going to win the Heisman this year, a big performance here could make him the frontrunner. The winner of this game will likely be in the Pac 12 final.

11/8 - Ohio State @ Michigan State - This one has lost some luster since Ohio State QB Braxton Miller was for the season due to injury. These are still the two most talented teams in the Big Ten East & maybe the conference. A win here for the Spartans should guarantee a division crown. This game & the Oregon game in September are key if MSU wants to reach the playoff.

11/15 - Florida State @ Miami, FL - It has been a while since this was the unquestioned “Game  of the Year” in college football. The Canes have lost four in a row to FSU. I would give them a legit shot here if they had experience at QB. Al Golden has improved from 6-6 to 7-5 to 9-4 in his first three years at the U. I don’t think he has enough talent to pull this one off, but a November rivalry game on the road for the defending champs is a must see.

11/22 - USC @ UCLA - The Bruins are the most experienced & talented team in the Pac 12 & return QB Brett Hundley. The problem is their schedule. They play Texas, Oregon, Stanford, Arizona State & USC. As for the Trojans, if they survive a 9/6 game at Stanford, this game could be for the Pac 12 South crown & more. USC returns seven starters on each side. The battle of LA should be a good one this year.

11/29 - Auburn @ Alabama - Where do I begin? The kick 6? The Toomer trees? The fact that one of these two teams has played for the national title each of the last five seasons? The SEC West title could be on the line. Both teams could end up in the CFB playoff. In my opinion, this is the best rivalry in sports. When there are high stakes like last year, no CFB game is bigger.

PREDICTIONS

SEC Champ - Alabama

ACC Champ - Florida State

Big Ten Champ - Michigan State

Pac 12 Champ - Oregon

Big 12 Champ - Oklahoma

Semifinal - Florida State beats Oklahoma

Semifinal - Alabama beats Oregon

Championship Game - Alabama beats Florida State

PICKING A BIG TEN TEAM

August 17, 2014

     With the launch of the SEC Network, Clay Travis of www.outkickthecoverage.com printed a 14-question quiz. Just in case you didn't have a favorite team in the conference, answer each question truthfully and learn where your allegiance should lie.

     For example, if you graduated from high school, you are not an Alabama fan. Are jean shorts an acceptable article of clothing? Start practicing the Gator Chomp. Are you more into basketball? It's Kentucky blue for you.

     Well, since the Big Ten Network is reaching new markets with Rutgers and Maryland, I thought I would do the same. Who should you root for in the Big Ten? Just answer these questions.


     Are you okay with your season highlight being that day you almost beat Notre Dame? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Purdue Boilermakers.  

     Do you have trouble remembering anything that happened since 2007? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Michigan Wolverines.

     Do you have trouble remembering anything that happened before 2007? If you said yes, are are a fan of the Michigan State Spartans.

     Is a Red Grange jersey acceptable game day attire? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Illinois Fighting Illini.

     Do you like basketball more than football? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Indiana Hoosiers.

     Do you like hockey more than football? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  

     During lopsided losses, do you dream of being "on the Boardwalk, down the shore?" If you said yes, you are a fan of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

     Is the word "cheese" missing from your tailgate menu because it is implied? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers.

     Is it normal to pay for goods, services and tattoos with clothes, jewelry and memorabilia? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes.

     Do you routinely make friends with people sitting around you at games... even those rooting for the opposition? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

     When something negative happens, is it part of an ongoing conspiracy involving the media, the government and jealous fans of other teams? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

     When you walk into a room filled with other Big Ten fans, do you feel like this? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Maryland Terrapins.

     Is the next street over from your front door actually six farms and five miles away? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

     Do other Big Ten alums at your job work for you? If you said yes, you are a fan of the Northwestern Wildcats.



   

   

MY TEN BEST GAMES

October 20, 2013

The texts, e-mails and facebook messages were inevitable. Where does it rank? Of all the Penn State games you have attended, where does the 4OT classic against Michigan rank all-time? So, here it is. This is my list of the ten most memorable games, I have ever attended at Beaver Stadium.

Through my own research and consulting with my father, I have determined that I have seen 162 Penn State games in my life. All but six have been played at Beaver Stadium. There are a few classics I did not attend, and a few more that just missed the cut.

I WASN’T THERE

1. PSU 17  Ohio State 10 (2005) - The game that put Penn State back among college football’s elite. The sack and forced fumble by Tamba Hali is still the play of the decade to me. 

2. PSU 17  Pitt 10 (1978) - Trailing 10-7 in the 4th quarter and facing a 4th down & a long two inside the Pitt five, QB Chuck Fusina lied and told Joe Paterno it was less than a yard to the marker. Mike Guman scored on the next play. The Lions would win 17-10 assuring them a spot in the Sugar Bowl & a shot at the national title.

3. PSU 34  Alabama 28 (1983) - Penn State led at one point 34-7. However, the Tide rallied to make it 34-28 and drove inside the PSU 5 in the closing seconds. The Lions stuffed a running play on 4th & goal from the 2 as time expired.

4. PSU 24  Wisconsin 21 OT (2012) - As emotional a senior day as there has ever been. From the #42 on the helmets for Mike Mauti to the 2012 going on the ring of honor, it was already a special day before the dramatic OT win over the two-time defending league champs.

JUST MISSED

1. PSU 20  Pitt 17 (1999) - LaVar Arrington blocked a 50-yard FG attempt as time expired to preserve a 20-17 win for #1 Penn State. It is the last game PSU won in the series and last time these two rivals played at Beaver Stadium. 

2. PSU 17  Maryland 15 (1986) - The perfect season hung in the balance as the Terps lined up for a 2-point conversion. PSU led 17-15 with seconds to play. DB Duffy Cobbs broke up the try & PSU survived.

3. PSU 35  Northwestern 21 (2010) - Joe Paterno’s 400th win. PSU rallied from a 21-point deficit to win 35-21. It was a magical night & a dominant 2nd half.

MY TOP 10

1. PSU 27  Nebraska 24 (1982) - I was 8-years-old, and I remember it like it was yesterday. The whole weekend was different. We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Lamar. We went to the soccer game Friday night for the pep rally. Lights were brought in because CBS wanted a 3:30 kickoff, and Beaver Stadium didn’t have lights. Then there was the game between two unbeaten teams. Nebraska erased a 21-7 3rd quarter deficit to take a 24-21 lead with 1:18 to play. Todd Blackledge then led the Lions 65 yards for the winning score. There was the 4th & 11 conversion  (by the nose of the football after a horrible spot), the disputed sideline catch by TE Mike McCloskey and the game-winner by Kirk “Stonehands” Bowman. The win helped PSU win its 1st national title. It is still the greatest game in Beaver Stadium history.

2. PSU 43  Michigan 40 4OT (2013) - It was the biggest roller coaster of a game in stadium history. No doubt about that. If a Nittany Lion has nine lives, it spent them all on Saturday night. The only things keeping this one from the top spot are the stakes and follies. The game meant nothing in terms of national title chases or Rose Bowl bids. Plus, unlike the Nebraska game, this game moved up this list thanks to mistakes... fumbles, missed field goals. PSU-Nebraska was two great teams being great. This one turned into more of “who will stop screwing up first.”

3. PSU 29  Ohio State 27 (2001) - Win #324 for Paterno to pass Bear Bryant. A Derek Ross pick-6 gave Ohio State a 27-9 lead in the 3rd quarter & had most fans expecting the record to fall the following weekend on Homecoming. Zack Mills had other plans. He jump started the comeback with a 69-yard TD run, then threw two TD passes to give the Lions a 29-27 lead. The Buckeyes had one more chance to salvage a victory, but DT Jimmy Kennedy blocked a FG try.  It was practically a perfect day... late October football weather, a great comeback over one of the Big Ten’s premiere programs to take down “the Bear.”

4. PSU 34  Notre Dame 30 (1983) - I call it “the Forgotten Classic.” ND RB Allen Pinkett ran all over PSU for over 200 yards & 4 TDs. The two teams traded leads all day. When freshman RB D.J. Dozier fumbled in the red zone with a little over two minutes to play, it appeared the Irish had the game in hand. However, Rogers Alexander crushed Pinkett in the backfield on 3rd & 1, and the ensuing punt went out of bounds at midfield. PSU quickly moved to the ND 10. QB Doug Strang got around ND’s Mike Golic, got a great block from FB Jonathan Williams and dove across the goal line for the game winner with 19 seconds left. Both teams were in down seasons, but this was the best PSU-ND game played in State College.

5. PSU 27  Michigan 17 (1995) - 18 inches of snow fell the week of the game, turning the stands in Beaver Stadium into ski slopes. That is until students, locals and bussed in prisoners from Rockview worked thru the night to dig out the stadium. The only previous visit by the Wolverines was a 21-13 Michigan win in 1993. With PSU clinging to a 3-point lead, senior RB Stephen Pitts broke a long run to give the Lions a 1st and goal. Three plays later, PK Brett Conway came on to try what appeared to be a short FG to make Michigan score a TD to win. Off the snap, holder Joe Nastasi ran over right guard and the block of All-American Jeff Hartings for the TD to ice the game.

6. PSU 22  Purdue 20 (2000) - Drew Brees and the Boilermakers were a two touchdown favorite over the 1-4 Lions. PSU was going thru an emotional week after freshman CB Adam Taliaferro suffered a severe spinal injury just a week earlier at Ohio State. The Lion offense struggled, but they capitalized on two botched punts to score on short drives. The story of the day was the defense. They held Brees in check most of the day and batted down a final Hail Mary to seal the win. I remember the PSU secondary showing off the 43 stickers on their helmets on the newly installed video replay board & saying, “For you Adam” as a raucous Beaver Stadium cheered & held up “We Believe” signs.

7. PSU 21  Notre Dame 20 (1987) - It was cold. I mean REALLY cold. The TV announcers on CBS pointed out the empty seats in the student section in the 2nd half & said, “the logic majors have gone back to the dorms to watch the game on TV and warm up.” Well, I am no logic major. We stayed to the bitter (and bitter is the appropriate term) end. A late ND TD pulled the Irish within one, but the PSU defense stuffed QB Tony Rice on the 2-point try to preserve a 21-20 victory.

8. PSU 31  Ohio State 27  (1997) - Some will say this one should be higher. It was a battle of unbeatens. The Lions rallied from a 27-17 deficit on a 51 yard TD run by Aaron Harris & a score by Curtis Enis (finishing off his 211 yard day). This game would likely be in my top 3 if it had led to bigger things. The state of Michigan derailed any hopes of a national championship or even a Big Ten crown with two blowout defeats of PSU to end the year. 

9. PSU 19  Pitt 10 (1982) - A picture of this one still hangs on my living room wall. It was the 1st Penn State-Pitt game I ever attended, and what a game it was. Dan Marino’s final regular season game at Pitt. The Lions & Panthers each had a loss and were ranked in the top 5. A PSU win meant a Sugar Bowl bid and a date with undefeated Georgia for the national championship. PSU trailed 7-3 at the half, but behind a Todd Blackledge to Kenny Jackson TD pass and 4 FGs from Nick Gancitano, the Lions won 19-10. The students carried Blackledge off the field & tore down the goal posts. 

10. PSU 32  Michigan State 29 (1996) - In the summer of 1996, my roommate Kevin Gorman subletted his half of our apartment to PSU QB Wally Richardson. The senior day game would be Wally’s last at PSU. With a Fiesta Bowl bid on the line for the Lions, Wally got off to a hot start and would finish 21-31 for 281 yards and a TD. With the score tied late & the students chanting his name, one of PSU’s best late game QBs of all-time (seriously, look up how many 4th quarter game winning drives he led) took PSU down the field. Senior kicker Brett Conway (another friend) booted a 30-yard FG for the win. After the two teams shook hands, I met Wally on the field to congratulate him. We walked off the Beaver Stadium field together.

POOR JOHNNY FOOTBALL

September 12, 2013

I was planning on making the theme of this week’s entry all about “Time” magazine’s absurd choice to put Johnny Manziel on the cover next to a headline of, “It’s Time to Pay College Athletes.” Then, I read an identical piece by my Happy Hour co-host Matt Markus. He echoes my sentiments exactly. Thanks for saving me the effort, Matt.

http://www.college-sports-journal.com/index.php/ncaa-division-i-sports/737-johnny-football-hardly-best-choice-for-time-s-argument-to-pay-athletes

As Matt points out, the schools spend thousands of dollars on all student athletes. After spending all that money on how many QBs have come and gone at Texas A&M, why shouldn’t the school try to make as much money as they can off of Manziel? They won’t even be breaking even from the amount they have spent on all his predecessors. 

For those of you that ask, “why can’t he take money for signing autographs? It’s his signature.” What is stopping any coach from promising a recruit that certain boosters will pay X amount of dollars for an autographed photo? It is no different than the Ohio State “tattooed five” selling championship gear. The value on those things (like an autograph) can be whatever you want it to be. So, here is $1,000 for a signature or $2,000 for a pair of gold pants. 

Enough of crying for the poor college athlete. If they need money beyond what the scholarship gives them, let them take out a loan.

Games of the Week:

Alabama @ Texas A&M - The biggest aspect of last year’s game that no one talks about is that it was played the week after the Alabama game at LSU. The Tide were coming off an emotional road win that required a do or die drive in the final two minutes. A&M caught them flat in the 1st quarter and ran out to a 20-0 lead and held on at the end. Now? The Aggies have their full attention. Last week, Sam Houston State had 240 yards rushing versus A&M. I think the Tide utilizes the extra week they’ve had to prepare and roll A&M 34-17.

UCLA @ Nebraska - It has been a rough off week in LA. Walk-on WR Nick Pasquale was hit by a car & killed while walking in his hometown. The Bruins closed off practice, & no player has spoken with the media. This was supposed to be a revenge game for the Huskers after they allowed 653 yards last year in a 36-30 loss. I do not believe in Nebraska’s defense at all. The Bruins won’t get 600 yards, but they will score enough points. I will take UCLA 38-28.

Mississippi @ Texas - Chaotic. That is the best way to describe the past week in Austin. After BYU rushed for 550 yards in an easy win over the Horns, Mack Brown fired his defensive coordinator and gave the job to Greg Robinson. The last time he was in charge of a defense, he got Rich Rodriguez canned in Ann Arbor. Today came the news that Texas QB David Ash is out with head & shoulder injuries. Last year Texas won 66-31. I am starting to think Texas is a sinking ship. I predict a Rebel upset 37-30.

BIG WEEKEND FOR THE FCS

September 5, 2013

There were 29 games last weekend that pitted an FBS team against an FCS Team. Here are the results with FCS wins in bold. (Samford also defeated Georgia State. GSU is a team transitioning to FBS, so I did not include it.)

Kent State - 17   Liberty - 10

Wake Forest - 31   Presbyterian - 7

Indiana - 73   Indiana State - 35

Ball State - 51   Illinois State - 28

Southern Utah - 22   South Alabama - 21

Towson - 33   UConn - 18

Middle Tennessee - 45   Western Carolina - 24

Tulane - 34   Jackson State - 7

San Jose State - 24   Sacramento State - 0

Army - 28   Morgan State - 12

Houston - 62   Southern - 13

North Dakota State - 24   Kansas State - 21

Arizona - 35   Northern Arizona - 0

Georgia Tech -70   Elon - 0

Boston College - 24   Villanova - 14

West Virginia - 24   William & Mary - 17

Illinois - 42   Southern Illinois - 34

Air Force - 38   Colgate - 13

Oregon - 66   Nicholls State - 3

Duke - 45    NC-Central - 0

Eastern Washington - 49   Oregon State - 46

Eastern Michigan - 34   Howard - 24

Tennessee - 45   Austin Peay - 0

McNeese State - 53   South Florida - 21

Missouri - 58   Murray State - 14

Arkansas State - 62   Arkansas-Pine Bluff - 11

Baylor - 69   Wofford - 3

Eastern Illinois - 40   San Diego State - 19

Northern Iowa - 28   Iowa State - 20

FCS - 17.86   FBS - 39.41

I understand if certain major programs don’t want to schedule FCS teams. I completely disagree that these kind of match-ups should never be played. 

The upper echelon of FCS teams are much closer to the non-BCS conference teams than those same teams are to the BCS conference programs, and the gap is closing for the former and growing for the latter.

The FCS schools get a much needed payday. The FBS schools get the revenue of a home game which is not to be overlooked. 

I get annoyed that so many people in the sports world complain about games they don’t watch or attend. If it isn’t a game you are interested in seeing, don’t watch it. 

If you are a season ticket holder, I understand those who say, “for how much you charge me for tickets, I want good match-ups.” However, getting a certain number of home games (seven for the biggest programs) funds the athletic department, and any season ticket holder for any team in any sport is going to have some games they are less interested in on the home schedule.

Do I want to see these games every week? No. Does it bother me that they are played? Not at all. As the Patriot League reaches its required amount of athletic aid thru athletic scholarships, they too will begin playing FBS teams, and I cannot wait. Lafayette @ Army is on the schedule in the coming years, and Lehigh sounds close to finalizing a few deals. 

If Iowa State or Iowa wants to play Northern Iowa in a given year, they should be allowed to do so. Playing that game will not keep Oklahoma or Ohio State out of the four team playoff. Losing it will, but if you can’t win that game, that is on you.

Games of the Week:

Florida @ Miami - Florida State has great rivalry games with both of these teams, but the Gatos and Canes do not have the same history with one another. Besides their home-and-home series with FSU, this is the first non-league road game Florida has played since they faced Miami at the Orange Bowl ten years ago. Al Golden’s team returns 18 starters, but I do not think they have the strength up front to go toe to toe with Florida. I think the Gators win 30-17.

South Carolina @ Georgia - I wasn’t overly impressed with Aaron Murray last week. He threw too many balls that forced his receivers to go to the ground to make the catch. He certainly wasn’t as accurate as Tajh Boyd. If Jadeveon Clowney is over his stomach bug, I expect him to play like a man possessed and harass Murray all night. The Bulldogs defense is very young and athletic, but they aren’t very good yet. I see a Gamecock win 26-20.

Notre Dame @ Michigan - Tommy Rees got the Irish off to a nice start last week throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. The problem is the ND defense allowed 134 rushing yards and 362 total yards to Temple. This one is under the lights, and the crowd will be rabid. With this being the last Irish visit to Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future, I think Michigan rolls in this game. If the Irish can limit their turnovers, they will be in it to the end. I think one or two Rees mistakes will keep that from happening. I say Michigan wins 31-19.

2013 PREDICTIONS

August 29, 2013

Before the season kicks off I want to go on the record with my predictions.

BCS Championship Game - Alabama (SEC Champ) over Oregon (Pac 12 Champ)

Rose Bowl - Ohio State (Big Ten Champ) vs. Stanford (At-Large)

Fiesta Bowl - Texas (Big 12 Champ) vs. Louisville (AAC Champ)

Orange Bowl - Clemson (ACC Champ) vs. Notre Dame

Sugar Bowl - Georgia (At-large) vs. Florida State (At-Large)

Capital One Bowl - South Carolina v. Nebraska 

Outback Bowl - Michigan v. Texas A&M

Cotton Bowl - LSU vs. Oklahoma State

Gator Bowl - Wisconsin v. Ole Miss

Chick-Fil-A Bowl - Virginia Tech v. Florida

Alamo Bowl - USC v. Oklahoma

Sun Bowl - UCLA v. Miami

Holiday Bowl - Arizona State v. TCU

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl - Northwestern v. Baylor

Texas Bowl - Michigan State v. Texas Tech

Russell Athletic Bowl - Cincinnati v. Georgia Tech

Belk Bowl - North Carolina v. Central Florida

Pinstripe Bowl - Rutgers v. Kansas State

Music City Bowl - Tennessee v. Maryland

Games of the Week:

Georgia @ Clemson - It is a primetime battle of top ten teams to start the season. Clemson only returns six starters on each side of the ball, but they do have QB Tajh Boyd. The Tigers closed out last season by rallying to defeat LSU in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. The Bulldogs came up five yards short of playing for the BCS Championship last year. Georgia lost 8 defensive starters since last year, but Aaron Murray still runs the offense. I like Georgia in an offensive show 35-30.

LSU v. TCU - This one will take place at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The Tigers have been built on defense the last few years. This season the offense has the experience and is led by QB Zach Mettenberger. LSU has won 10 straight season openers including wins over Oregon, Arizona State and UNC. Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs return 9 starters on defense and 7 on offense. TCU will be no pushover, but LSU just has too much talent. I will take LSU 24-19.

Boise State @ Washington - This game will be a big test for Chris Petersen and the Broncos. After winning at least 11 games for seven consecutive seasons, Boise State only has 9 total starters back. On the other side, Washington has 18 starters back including senior QB Keith Price. Boise State beat this same Washington team 28-26 last December in the Las Vegas Bowl. Boise State may still challenge for a BCS Bowl bid, but I think they start 0-1. I like the Huskies 28-21.

THE 2013 ROAD TRIP - PAC 12

August 29, 2013

Here is your last road trip for the 2013 season. You will be seeing a game at every stadium in the Pac 12. Enjoy.

8/31 - Boise State @ Washington - Two streaks continued for Boise State last year. They made it seven straight years with at least 11 wins, and they went to their third straight Las Vegas Bowl.  Their opponent in that last Las Vegas Bowl? Washington. The Huskies bring back 18 starters for Steve Sarkisian including QB Keith Price. Settle in and enjoy one of the best views in college football.

9/7 - Bonus Week - This is one of two off weeks, unless you want to check out one of the following... San Jose St @ Stanford, Hawaii @ Oregon State, Portland St @ Cal, Washington St @ USC, Sacramento St @ Arizona State, Weber St @ Utah or Central Arkansas @ Colorado

9/14 - Ohio State @ California - The Bears only have 11 starters back from a 3-9 team, but Sonny Dykes takes over this year in Berkeley. Last year, the Bears took Ohio State to the final minutes before falling 35-28. 

9/21 - Bonus Week - You can enjoy one more off week or you can go to one of these games... Arizona State @ Stanford, Idaho State @ Washington, Idaho @ Washington State, Utah State @ USC or New Mexico State @ UCLA.

9/28 - USC @ Arizona State - Pressure is building on Lane Kiffin. The Trojans should start 4-0 but will the heat get turned up on Kiffin after this one? USC has won 12 of 13 against ASU, but they lost the last time here 43-22 in 2011. The Sun Devils have talent, but they will be in the midst of a brutal stretch against Wisconsin, Stanford, USC and Notre Dame. 

10/3 (Thr) - UCLA @ Utah - In the last meeting in Salt Lake City, the Utes steamrolled the Bruins 31-6. A year ago in LA, UCLA held on for a tough 21-14 victory. With a national TV audience (kinda) on Fox Sports 1 and a primetime (local time) kickoff, the crowd should be rocking.

10/12 - Oregon State @ Washington State - It is year two under Mike Leach at WSU. He will have 16 returning starters to work with but that will not include his most productive QB, RB or WR. Over the first five games, WSU will have already played at Auburn, at USC and hosted Stanford. Could be another long year in Pullman.

10/19 - Utah @ Arizona - Year one in Tuscon under Rich Rodriguez went a heck of a lot better than it did in Ann Arbor. The Wildcats went 8-5 and won just their 7th bowl game ever. The entire starting defense is back, but they will have to improve on their 35.3 points per game allowed from 2012. 

10/26 - Arizona @ Colorado - The Buffs haven’t had a winning season since 2005 and bottomed out last year at 1-11. At least their fans hope they bottomed out. It is hard to imagine things getting any worse. They only averaged 17.8 points per game last season. They did score 31 points against Arizona a year ago. The problem is they allowed 56.

10/31 (Thr) - USC @ Oregon State - Corvallis has not been kind to USC. The Beavers upset USC in 2006 and knocked them out of the national championship game in 2008. Oregon State is looking for back-to-back wins over USC for the first time since the start of the series in 1914 and 1916. A Halloween night game on ESPN2 with the Trojans in town? Bring ear plugs.

11/7 (Thr) - Oregon at Stanford - This is hands down the game of the year in the Pac 12. It was the OT loss to Stanford last season that kept Oregon out of the national championship game. The Cardinal only return six starters on offense, but those 6 include QB Kevin Hogan and four starters on the offensive line.

11/16 - Stanford @ USC - This will be a tough follow-up game for Stanford after their showdown with the Ducks. The head coaches seem to get along better than Harbaugh and Carroll did but the talent on the field and the magnitude of the match-up remain as big as ever.

11/23 - Arizona State @ UCLA - These two have played action packed, high drama games the last two years with UCLA winning both by three total points. Most experts believe the southern division will be a three team race between these two squads and USC. It ain’t New Year’s Day, but a game in Pasadena is still special.

11/29 (Fri) - Oregon State @ Oregon - We close the road trip with the 117th meeting of the annual Civil War game. The Beavers have lost five straight to the Ducks. This is one of the great in-state rivalries in college football, and its significance in the Pac 12 has really grown in the last  five years.

The Oregon Ducks are still loaded with talent and came up three points shy of playing for the national championship a year ago. I think they win on the Farm on November 7, and they follow that up by beating USC in the Pac 12 Championship Game.