NCAA College Football 2008 Week 2 Picks late games

NCAA College Football 2008 Week 2 Picks - late games

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Fearless Rick's College Football Week 2 Picks - Late Games

Rick Gagliano | September 6, 2008

All times Eastern - Click here for early games.

Saturday, Sept. 6

4:30 pm West Virginia (-8, 50) at East Carolina - Were the Pirates just up for their big home opener against Virginia Tech last week or are they an up-and-coming force in the Conference USA?

The answer is probably a little of both. East Carolina was more than ready for the Hokies - a team that was likely overrated to open the season - and they did go 8-5 last year and beat Boise State in a bowl game, so they're looking like a team with which to reckon in '08. QB Patrick Pinkney is a treat to pass or run and had a solid day against the Hokies (19-23, 211 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT). The defense is also well prepared and should be able to keep the Mountaineers offense somewhat in check.

Doing that will mean containing Pat White, who threw for 208 yards and 5 TDs in West Virginia's 48-21 home opener over Villanova. That the Mountaineers allowed Villanova 21 points is a concern however. The Pirates pose much more of an offensive threat than the Wildcats. Both teams can score, but only the Pirates can stop the opponent. 8 is too much as East Carolina may deliver another shocking upset in a shootout.

Prediction: Pirates 41 Mountaineers 38

7:00 pm South Florida (-14, 51 1/2) at UCF - Last season, the South Florida Bulls were an offensive juggernaut, ranked #1 in the polls for a week and beat these same Central Florida Knights 64-12. Both teams won their openers, with the Knights topping South Carolina St. 17-0, and the Bulls breezing past Tennessee Martin by an incredible 56-7 score.

Matt Grothe is back for another season at QB for the Bulls while the Knights are breaking in an almost all-new offense. Since this is somewhat of a rivalry game, expect some hard hitting on both sides, but the Bulls are poised to make some real noise in the Top 25 this season. S. Florida plays Kansas in a week, and will have to avoid looking ahead, but should prevail rather easily.

Prediction: Bulls 42 Knights 17

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8:00 pm Miami (FL) at Florida (21 1/2, 51) - The Gators have not beaten Miami since 1985, losing six straight, but Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and head coach Urban Meyer have plans to end that streak. The Gators reduced Hawaii to rubble in their 56-10 home opening win last week and have all the weapons one would need to take a run at another national championship.

While Miami looked great knocking off Charleston Southern (who?) 52-7 last week, they're not really in the same league as the Gators. Miami is projected to finish somewhere in the middle of the ACC pack, while Florida is a Top 10 team nationally. What once was a great rivalry should turn into a mismatch as the Miami players desperately try to stop Florida's potent offense. On the other side of the ball, Florida's defense may be one of the best in the SEC with 8 starters returning from last season.

Prediction: Gators 45 Hurricanes 17

10:00 pm Stanford at Arizona State (-14, 52 1/2) - Stanford was a surprise, 36-28 winner over Oregon State last week, but this task is considerably tougher. The Sun Devils went 10-3 last season, losing to Texas in the Holiday Bowl, but they opened their 2008 campaign with an easy 30-13 win over Northern Arizona. ASU was already up 30-0 before the Lumberjacks kicked the first of two field goals in the second half. By that time, many of the subs were on the field.

Last season, the Sun Devils handed the Cardinal their worst loss of the season, a 41-3 trouncing at Stanford. Of course, the Cardinal upset USC the following week, so they are an unpredictable bunch. ASU is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 home meetings against Stanford, so they're likely to win this by a bunch. Rudy Carpenter is one of the best QBs in the country and he should put up impressive numbers here.

Prediction: Sun Devils 41 Cardinal 14

All times Eastern - Click here for early games

Copyright 2008, 2009, Rick Gagliano, Downtown Magazine. All rights reserved. Downtown Magazine is located in the Uinted States of America and is not affiliated with the National Football League or the NCAA. For more information, contact us here. Use of this site is for entertainment purposes only.

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