 |
| HOME | PRICE GUIDE | STORE | SPORTS | BUSINESS | NEWS/UPDATES | CONTACT | ARCHIVES |
NCAA College Football 2006 Week 2 Picks
|
DTMagazine Home
|
Fearless Rick's NCAA College Football Week 2 Picks - Late Games
Rick Gagliano | 9/6/06
All times Eastern - Click here for early Thurs., Friday & Saturday games
Late Games, Saturday, Sept. 9
4:00 pm - Tulsa at BYU (-5 1/2, 50) - Not too many people pay attention to Conference-USA, but the Tulsa Golden Hurricane is one of the best small conference programs in the nation. Last season was just short of spectacular, winning the conference championship handily (44-27) over UCF and then knocking off Fresno State in the Liberty Bowl, 31-26 for a nifty 9-4 record. Tulsa picked up where it left off, trouncing Stephen F. Austin, 45-7, to open the 2006 campaign.
BYU got off to a rocky start, losing their opener on a last-second field goal to Arizona, 16-13. The Cougars suffered through 2 lost fumbles, 10 penalties for 77 yards and 3 QB sacks, but still outgained the Wildcats. They'll need to be much sharper against Tulsa if they expect to stay in it.
Tulsa's strong point certainly isn't defense, so expect both teams to score a bunch of points. In the end, though, the Golden Hurricane will simply blow the Cougars away.
Prediction: Tulsa 44 BYU 31
Minnesota, on the other hand, may be better than anyone thinks. The Golden Gophers pitched a shutout last week at Kent State, opening the season with a 44-0 laugher. Of course, Kent State was 1-11 last year and are a perennial push-over.
Neither team offers much in the way of defense, though after being completely shredded last week, one has to wonder whether Cal can stop anybody, especially the deserving offensive unit from Minnesota, led by QB Bryan Cupito, who is accurate and efficient. After being pushed around by the Vols, it could be more of the same this week as Minnesota's powerful offensive line could hammer the Cal defense into submission.
Prediction: Minnesota 27 California 14
Georgia, as expected, knocked off Western Kentucky, 48-12, to start the season. Whether the Hilltoppers provided enough of a preparation for the Bulldogs remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - there's a struggle for the starting QB position between freshman Matthew Stafford and senior Joe Tereshinski. Both played last week and neither was outstanding, though Stafford led two scoring drives in the 4th quarter. Joe Cox, the regular backup, may have lost his position by tossing an INT in his short stint.
Tereshinski will get the start, but if he struggles, coach Mark Richt may have him on a short leash. The Gamecock defense will almost certainly force some mistakes from the untested Bulldog offense in what looks to be a low-scoring defensive battle.
This one's almost too close to call, though believers in coach Spurrier's ability to motivate his players will lean toward South Carolina. I can't see much fault in that thinking.
Prediction: South Carolina 13 Georgia 10
8:00 pm - Ohio State at Texas (-2 1/2, 51 1/2) - This one could be the premium game of the season. Anybody who recalls the classic in Columbus last year, in which Vince Young virtually willed the Longhorns to a 25-22 comeback win, knows that these two squads - both certainly Top 10 material - will get after it right from the opening whistle.
Ohio State has a legitimate Heisman candidate in QB Troy Smith, but the Longhorns have a diamond in the rough with redshirt freshman Colt McCoy (could Hollywood have dreamt up a better name for a Texas QB?). McCoy threw for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Longhorns buried North Texas, 56-7. He also ran for another score. The joke around campus is right now, Vince who?
McCoy might have a little more trouble against an aggressive Ohio State defense, though it's surely not what it was last year. The Buckeyes returned only 2 starters on defense and that's going to be trouble as this one will be played deep in the heart of Texas.
With that established, the only way Ohio State can win this one is by outscoring the Longhorns, and with the wealth of talent on both offenses, this game will likely produce a good deal of highlight reel footage. Both teams will provide fireworks, but the Texans will prevail.
Prediction: Texas 38 Ohio State 34
10:00 pm - Oregon (-6, 53 1/2) at Fresno St. - Well, if you haven't had enough college football by the time this game starts, you'll almost certainly have had your fill when it's over. These are two of the most potent offensive squads in the country, so no lead will be safe. Both are coming off opening-week wins over decent teams (Fresno beat Nevada, 28-19, while the Ducks were hammering Stanford, 48-10.
The feeling here is that while Fresno is a pretty good team, maybe a Top 25 team, the Ducks are Top 10 material and are gunning for a national championship shot. With Cal already down a game and USC without many key players from a year ago, they may just get it. This game is a stepping stone to better things for Oregon, and they will run away with this one late.
Prediction: Oregon 45 Fresno State 31
All times Eastern - Click here for early Thurs., Friday & Saturday games
Don't be fooled. Get the best for less. Just click below and include your game request in the message field. You will be emailed top-flight analysis by Fearless Rick within 3-12 hours of your request.
Sign up for the Back Issue Price Guide newsletter to receive updates and special sale info.
Subscribe by entering your email address:
|
Onsite Sports Links
NFL Schedule
NCAA Football Schedule
MLB Baseball Schedule
NHL Schedule
NBA Schedule
NASCAR Schedule
NCAA Basketball Schedule |
Don't see the game you need info on? Get exclusive analysis of any upcoming football game by email direct from Fearless Rick !!! You'll get stat and player analysis, plus in-depth team matchup info from a 25-year analysis veteran with high standards for integrity and quality insight.