Games I'm Looking Forward To in 2008
I had some airplane time this week, which gave me a chance to stare at college football schedules for a while. Here are the games I think I'm going to be the most interested in this season:
WEEK 1 August 30. It begins tonight, but nothing is worth watching until Saturday. Georgia, LSU and Ohio State all open at home against lower division teams. Yawn. There are five games I'll be following. Illinois @ Missouri - a good opening test to see which of last year's overachievers might prove to be the real deal this year. I think Missouri is a great pick. Hawaii @ Florida - this is like a repeat of the Sugar Bowl. I don't expect a much different result, but it will be interesting to see how all those injury replacements do for the Gators. Alabama @ Clemson - this is the SEC's toughest non-conference road game of the season. I like Clemson. Tennessee @ UCLA - one of two notable Pac-10/SEC matchups. The Bruins are a touchdown underdog, but they have a habit of winning home games like this and making people think they are better than they really are. USC @ Virginia - my big road trip of the season, so it's huge to me. USC starts four new offensive linemen, and Virginia's defense is going to be tough again. Oh, and I have $80 riding on USC -19.
WEEK 2 September 6: This week is barely worth watching. USC has a bye. There are two games I actually care about. Miami @ Florida - only because of what this series once was. Florida should roll over the Hurricanes. If they don't, maybe you will need to forget about an SEC team making the BCS title game, because LSU and Georgia have tough schedules, and Florida is the conference's best contender. Oregon State @ Penn State. If the Beavers take this one in Happy Valley, it will mean that USC will indeed have one tough road game this season, in Corvallis.
WEEK 3 September 13: The best week of the season starts Friday with Kansas @ South Florida. Who would have thought two years ago this kind of matchup would be on anyone's radar. Wisconsin @ Fresno State presents the best early opportunity for a non-BCS conference team to establish themselves as a possible BCS bowl team. Georgia @ South Carolina is the first game of the year in which the number one team has a chance to get beat. Remember, u.s.c. beat them last year, and it might have cost Georgia a national title. Later on, Ohio State @ USC offer themselves up for the best non-conference game of the year. There is no close second. Only Georgia/Florida a few weeks later looks even remotely as interesting. It's the game of the year. They should be ranked #2/#3, which probably makes this the highest combined ranking of any opponents all season. The winner is an immediate favorite to play for the national title and if the game is close, the loser is probably also still in the hunt for a BCS title shot if they run the table thereafter. Both teams are brutally fast. USC's defense against Ohio State's offense should be a great show. Ohio State's defense against USC's offense is almost as intriguing. The Pac-10 will likely suffer a lost @ Washington to Oklahoma, but UCLA can crush BYU's BCS dreams with a win in Provo. Below the radar, the biggest disappointments of 2007 play, Michigan @ Notre Dame. Neither will have a great season, but Notre Dame could, with a win here, get off to a roll that sees them win seven in a row to start the path to some bowl they have no business playing in, only to get crushed.
WEEK 4 September 20: USC gets another bye, but the SEC offers three big games, all with the dog at home. Florida @ Tennessee - this will be the Vols biggest game of the season. Urban Meyer has yet to lose to Phil Fulmer, who will want to avenge last year's 59-20 loss at The Swamp. LSU @ Auburn - anything can happen here. Last year, Auburn was shockingly good in some home games, and shockingly bad in others. Georgia @ Arizona State - this is the other big SEC non-conference road game. The Bulldogs haven't traveled outside the Southeast in decades for a non-conference game; they should still be No.1 when they get to the desert. I'll root for Arizona State, but I'm not sure I would be happy to get my wish. If the Sun Devils win, they are a real threat to win the Pac-10.
WEEK 5 September 27: The week begins with a rare USC Thursday night game @ Oregon State. Strange things have happened in USC's last two games in Corvallis, including a devastating loss in 2006. It's USC's toughest road opponent, and a possible trap game. Alabama @ Georgia is somewhat interesting. Illinois @ Penn State looks good now, but might be irrelevant by the end of September. Tennessee @ Auburn might knock one of these teams out of the SEC title race.
WEEK 6 October 4: Ohio State @ Wisconsin - it's early, but this might decide who ultimately wins the Big Ten. Arizona State @ Cal - this game sets one team up as the favorite to challenge USC later in the Coliseum for the Rose Bowl bid. Other possibly good games include Pitt @ South Florida and Rutgers @ West Virginia. Missouri @ Nebraska will test Chase Daniel against the new Husker defense of Bo Pelini. Oregon @ USC - The Trojans have a national-title costing loss to avenge. The Ducks' one game winning streak against USC is the longest in the Pac-10.
WEEK 7 October 11: The bowl situation starts to get settled this week. On Thursday, Clemson @ Wake Forest might be the game of the year in the ACC. LSU @ Florida - these teams are expected to be #1 or #2 in their divisions. It could even be a preview of an SEC title game rematch. Arizona State @ USC - the winner of this game should end up in the Rose Bowl or better. If both are undefeated going in, even the loser might even end up in the Rose Bowl. USC plays just unranked opponents after this. Tennessee@ Georgia might be good. And don't forget Oklahoma and Texas in Dallas. Rare is the season in which this game does not end up deciding who wins the Big XII South. Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy could battle for Heisman attention.
WEEK 8 October 18: Most Big XII questions ot settled last week will be settled this week. Missouri @ Texas and Kansas @ Oklahoma. Daniel, McCoy, Reesing and Bradford all competing for the glory of leading their team into the frontrunner's spot for the Fiesta Bowl or better. The non-BCS schools get some attention, too. Hawaii @ Boise State matches two of the three teams that have made it, while BYU @ TCU is a potential trap game for the Cougars. USC @ Washington does not look that interesting.
WEEK 9 October 25: This week starts with an unusual big Thursday game. Auburn @ West Virginia could feature top ten teams in their conferences' races. This is also the Mountaineers' biggest test of the season. Illinois @ Wisconsin - this is probably a game for runner-up, but it could decide the Big Ten. Georgia @ LSU might be the game the Tigers are most looking forward to. Texas Tech @ Kansas might score like a couple of basketball teams. USC should dominate @ Arizona, but the Trojans barely won last season in L.A., so anything can happen. Oregon @ Arizona State (the other ranked Pac-10 teams) - the winner of this game needs just one upset to go to the Rose Bowl. Or perhaps an unbeaten USC season. Notre Dame @ Washington - only interesting because of the coaching carousels.
WEEK 10 November 1: Biased SEC fans will call the World's Largest Cocktail Party the Game of the Year. Florida and Georgia have played each other 86 times but have never met with both teams undefeated. This year, it's possible. Texas @ Texas Tech shold score a lot of points. Oregon @ California - another game that might decide who challenges USC for the Rose Bowl bid. Washington @ USC - homecoming. Enough said.
WEEK 11 November 8: Alabama @ LSU. Cal @ USC. Georgia @ Kentucky. All are okay to watch if they affect your team. Otherwise, get off the couch and get some exercise. They are likely to affect my team, so I'm stuck. lol
WEEK 12 November 15: USC at Stanford. Maybe my family road game of 2008. USC wants to avenge last season's loss. It cost USC a shot at Ohio State for the BCS title. Rutgers @ South Florida could be interesting. Georgia @ Auburn is a tripping hazard. Ohio State seeks some USC-style revenge on Illinois. UCLA @ Washington is interesting because it is Rick Neuheisel's his first trip to Washington as UCLA's coach. Texas @ Kansas will be more competitive than in year's past.
WEEK 13 November 22: Texas Tech @ Oklahoma - might see Heisman hopeful Graham Harrell and the highest scoring offense in the nation get shut down. BYU @ Utah - if they beat UCLA earlier, this is BYU's last strong challenge, and it could be BCS bound.
WEEK 14 - November 28: It's once-proud rivalry week! Notre Dame @ USC, riding its 6 year win streak. Kansas @ Missouri - The Border War, which decided so much last year. West Virginia @ Pitt, which also decided so much. u.s.c. @ Clemson. Florida @ Florida State, loser of four in a row. Auburn @ Alabama, which hasn't won in 6 meetings. Georgia @ Georgia Tech, loser for 7 straight years. Virginia @ Virginia Tech. Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State. Oregon @ Oregon State.
WEEK 15 December 5. Championship Saturday. South Florida @ West Virginia - it looks important now, but could be irrlevant by December. USC @ UCLA. This looks like as big a mismatch as in 2006, when UCLA won anyway USC's former OC, Norm Chow, is at UCLA. City bragging rights are at stake. Arizona State @ Arizona. This could be really important. Sometimes, the team that makes the Rose Bowl earns the big by watching Arizona or ASU lose. And of course, the SEC, ACC and Big XII all have big conference title games.
The list may change, but these are the games I want to have TiVo'd.
I think Georgia, LSU, West Virginia, Auburn, Tennessee, South Florida and Michigan are all going to end up lower than they are starting. I think Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Illinois and Wake Forest are underrated. With my heart, I'm going to hope that USC and LSU or Florida will play for the national title. With my head, I think the winner of the USC-Ohio State game is going to play the winner of the Texas-Oklahoma game for the national title, whether or not those are in fact the best teams in the country. I think Georgia's schedule is too difficult, and so is Florida's.
And you forgot about Fresno State. This year;s surprise team. @ UCLA. @ Rutgers, Wisconsin in Fresno. Don;t forget about Fresno State....and forget about those polls! They are just silly.
Posted by: Cranky Greg | August 29, 2008 at 00:10
Week 2: Texas Tech at Nevada. I will be there. Tech will either win 70-6 or will lose in an upset. Coach Ault will have the Nevada Wold Pack ready, so Tech better be ready.
Week 13?: tech and OU? Believe me - OU will not shut down Tech's offense. OU may win, but they will have to outscore Tech. I'll bet ya a hundred bucks that the game ends with a score of only 10 points or less difference.
Posted by: Cranky Greg | August 29, 2008 at 00:07