Paul's Picks Week 1
Welcome Back!
The season truly starts tonight, and since there are so many games, I'm just going to jump right in.
Thursday, August 30
Ball State over Central Connecticut- While C Conn is coming off of a decent season, it is still an FCS team playing on the road at an FBS team (there are a LOT of these this week). The Cardinals may struggle, but they should pull off the win.
Georgia State over Kennesaw State- The Owls of KSU could absolutely win this game, but I believe the GSU Panthers learned from their loss to FCS Tennessee State last year and won't let it happen again. KSU will keep it close, however.
UCF over Connecticut- The Josh Heupel era gets off to a great start on the road as the Knights win easily over the Huskies.
Minnesota over New Mexico State- While the Aggies already have a game under their belts, I don't expect them to go on the road and defeat an up-and-coming Gopher team.
Northwestern over Purdue- The Boilermakers are one of those teams I never seem to predict correctly, but I feel fairly confident that the Wildcats will pull off the victory on the road. I expect QB Thorson to be available and to start.
Wake Forest over Tulane- The Demon Deacons should have little trouble with the Green Wave option, as they've had all spring and summer to prepare for it.
UAB over Savannah State- The Blazers should have little trouble with a bad Savannah State team at home.
Oklahoma State over Missouri State- Cowboys win easily.
Utah over Weber State- I expect Weber State to keep it close for at least a quarter before the Utes take over and win easily.
La-Monroe over SE Louisiana- The Warhawks start their season off on the right note.
Texas A&M over Northwestern State- The Aggies have no problem with NW ST.
San Jose State over UC Davis- My confidence level in this pick is pretty low, but I think the Spartans will pull out a close one.
Friday, August 31
Syracuse over Western Michigan- The Orange go on the road and win against a tough Bronco team.
Eastern Michigan over Monmouth- The Eagles will fight off a tough Monmouth team.
Michigan State over Utah State- The Spartans will encounter tougher than expected resistance at home against the Aggies. The game will be close for a while, but MSU will pull away.
Duke over Army- This one was a pretty tough one to pick, but I went with the home team. While Army's option offense can be tough to defend, The Blue Devils have had plenty of time to prepare.
Wisconsin over Western Kentucky- The Badgers start their title run with an easy win over the Hilltoppers.
Stanford over San Diego State- The Cardinal get revenge for losing to the Aztecs in 2017.
Nevada over Portland State- The Wolfpack should have no problems with a terrible Portland St.
Colorado over Colorado State (Denver)- The Buffaloes will win in this rivalry game against the Rams, though I expect the Rams to play much better this week.
Saturday, September 1
Ohio State over Oregon State- Urban Meyer or no Urban Meyer, there is no way the Buckeyes are losing this. The Beavers have a long way to go to get to respectability.
Illinois over Kent State- The Illini win at home against a poor Golden Flashes team. They won't win many more...
Rutgers over Texas State- The Bobcats have little chance on the road against the Scarlet Knights.
Texas over Maryland (Landover)- The Longhorns should be much better this year. Because of the scandal from this summer, I have no idea what kind of team the Terrapins will be.
South Carolina over Coastal Carolina- The Gamecocks should roll over the Chanticleers.
Ole Miss over Texas Tech (Houston)- The Rebels (Black Bears?) will win a high-scoring affair with the Red Raiders. I have seen nothing to indicate either team will be more than a 6-6 team in 2018.
Oklahoma over FAU- The Owls will keep it close! For the first 10 minutes. Sooners roll!
TCU over Southern- The Horned Frogs will win easily.
NC State over James Madison- The Wolfpack will have their hands full against JMU, and I'm not entirely convinced that they will pull out the win. This should be a close game.
Temple over Villanova- The Owls may struggle early, but will pull away after halftime.
Houston over Rice- These old Southwest Conference foes will renew their rivalry, with the Cougars defeating a tougher than expected Owl team.
Clemson over Furman- The Tigers will have no problems with the Paladins.
Georgia Tech over Alcorn State- Yellow Jackets roll!
Boston College over UMass- Though UMass destroyed Duquesne last week, I expect the Eagles to be much improved tis year, and should win this one at home.
Air Force over Stony Brook- The Falcons will struggle early, but will pull away in the second half.
Ohio over Howard- Bobcats roll!
Pittsburgh over Albany- The Panthers should have no problems.
Penn State over Appalachian State- Don't be surprised if the Mountaineers keep this one close.
Marshall over Miami, Ohio- I expect the Thundering Herd to challenge for a C-USA division title. This should be a very competitive game.
Georgia over Austin Peay- Bulldogs roll!
Kentucky over Central Michigan- The Wildcats may struggle against the Chippewas, but I expect them to win a close one.
Auburn over Washington (Atlanta)- This should be a great game, but I expect this to be Washington's only loss of the year.
West Virginia over Tennessee (Charlotte)- This will be a close game, but the Volunteers will have no answer for the Mountaineers' offense.
Iowa over Northern Illinois- The Hawkeyes are expected to challenge Wisconsin for a division title, but the Huskies will keep the game close for a while.
Wyoming over Washington State- This is my upset special of the week, as I expect the Cowboy defense to throttle the Cougars offense.
California over North Carolina- The Golden Bears should take this one at home over the Tar Heels, and the heat on UNC Coach Larry Fedora increases.
USC over UNLV- The Rebels may give the Trojans all they can handle, but USC pulls it out.
Missouri over UT-Martin- Tigers roll!
Arkansas over Eastern Illinois- The Razorbacks get the Chad Morris regime off to a good start.
Old Dominion over Liberty- The Monarchs go on the road to defeat the Flames.
Charlotte over Fordham- This could be the 49ers only victory of the year.
East Carolina over NC A&T- Pirates roll!
South Florida over Elon- Bulls roll!
Virginia over Richmond- The Cavaliers should have no problem with the Spiders.
Buffalo over Delaware State- Don't be surprised if the Bulls challenge Ohio in the MAC East.
Boise State over Troy- This should be a great game, as the Broncos go on the road to take on a very good Trojan team. I expect this to be close late before Boise St pulls away.
Georgia Southern over South Carolina State- The Eagles get off to a good start.
Louisiana over Grambling- Don't be surprised in the Ragin' Cajuns struggle to put away a good Grambling team.
Toledo over VMI- Rockets roll!
Arkansas State over Southeast Missouri State- Red Wolves roll!
Memphis over Mercer- Tigers roll!
Central Arkansas over Tulsa- Upset special #2 as the Hurricanes lose at home.
La Tech over South Alabama- The Bulldogs go on the road to defeat the Jaguars.
Southern Miss over Jackson State- Golden Eagles roll!
UCLA over Cincinnati- The Bruins will struggle to pull out a home win against the Bearcats.
Indiana over FIU- The Hoosiers go on the road to beat a decent Panther team.
Kansas over Nicholls- The Jayhawks better win this one...
Kansas State over South Dakota- Wildcats win a close one.
Notre Dame over Michigan- Everyone seems to expect the Wolverines to be much improved, but I'm not convinced. I think the Irish win a close one at home.
Florida over Charleston Southern- Gators roll!
Mississippi State over Stephen F Austin- Bulldogs roll!
Vanderbilt over Middle Tennessee- The Commodores may struggle mightily, and may lose this, but I expect them to pull it out at home.
SMU over North Texas- Upset Special #3 as the Mustangs go on the road to defeat the Mean Green.
UTEP over Northern Arizona- The Miners should break their 12-game losing streak. If they don't it may stretch to 24...
New Mexico over Incarnate Word- Lobos roll!
Nebraska over Akron- The Huskers get the Scott Frost era off to a good start with a home victory over the Zips.
Alabama over Louisville (Orlando)- Does anyone expect the Cardinals to stay within 20 points of the Tide?
Baylor over Abilene Christian- The Bears start the year right.
Iowa State over South Dakota State- The Cyclones take on a very good SD St team that should give them a tough fight.
Oregon over Bowling Green- The Ducks start the Mario Cristobal era off with a win.
Fresno State over Idaho- The Vandals have returned to the FCS ranks, but they will play the Bulldogs close for at least a half.
Arizona State over UTSA- The Sun Devils should win easily over the visiting Roadrunners.
Arizona over BYU- Are the Cougars improved from last year? If so, you won't be able to tell it from this game as the Wildcats roll.
Navy over Hawai'i- The Midshipmen travel to the Island to defeat a better-than-expected Warriors team.
Sunday, September 2
LSU over Miami, Fl (Arlington)- The Tigers and Hurricanes play a close, hard fought game, the the Bayou Bengals come out on top.
Monday, September 3
Virginia Tech over FSU- I'm not convinced the Seminoles will be greatly improved this year as it may take a year or two for the Willie Taggart era to really bear fruit.
That's it for Week 1. Check back Monday for my TWIF Notes. Until then, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
The season truly starts tonight, and since there are so many games, I'm just going to jump right in.
Thursday, August 30
Ball State over Central Connecticut- While C Conn is coming off of a decent season, it is still an FCS team playing on the road at an FBS team (there are a LOT of these this week). The Cardinals may struggle, but they should pull off the win.
Georgia State over Kennesaw State- The Owls of KSU could absolutely win this game, but I believe the GSU Panthers learned from their loss to FCS Tennessee State last year and won't let it happen again. KSU will keep it close, however.
UCF over Connecticut- The Josh Heupel era gets off to a great start on the road as the Knights win easily over the Huskies.
Minnesota over New Mexico State- While the Aggies already have a game under their belts, I don't expect them to go on the road and defeat an up-and-coming Gopher team.
Northwestern over Purdue- The Boilermakers are one of those teams I never seem to predict correctly, but I feel fairly confident that the Wildcats will pull off the victory on the road. I expect QB Thorson to be available and to start.
Wake Forest over Tulane- The Demon Deacons should have little trouble with the Green Wave option, as they've had all spring and summer to prepare for it.
UAB over Savannah State- The Blazers should have little trouble with a bad Savannah State team at home.
Oklahoma State over Missouri State- Cowboys win easily.
Utah over Weber State- I expect Weber State to keep it close for at least a quarter before the Utes take over and win easily.
La-Monroe over SE Louisiana- The Warhawks start their season off on the right note.
Texas A&M over Northwestern State- The Aggies have no problem with NW ST.
San Jose State over UC Davis- My confidence level in this pick is pretty low, but I think the Spartans will pull out a close one.
Friday, August 31
Syracuse over Western Michigan- The Orange go on the road and win against a tough Bronco team.
Eastern Michigan over Monmouth- The Eagles will fight off a tough Monmouth team.
Michigan State over Utah State- The Spartans will encounter tougher than expected resistance at home against the Aggies. The game will be close for a while, but MSU will pull away.
Duke over Army- This one was a pretty tough one to pick, but I went with the home team. While Army's option offense can be tough to defend, The Blue Devils have had plenty of time to prepare.
Wisconsin over Western Kentucky- The Badgers start their title run with an easy win over the Hilltoppers.
Stanford over San Diego State- The Cardinal get revenge for losing to the Aztecs in 2017.
Nevada over Portland State- The Wolfpack should have no problems with a terrible Portland St.
Colorado over Colorado State (Denver)- The Buffaloes will win in this rivalry game against the Rams, though I expect the Rams to play much better this week.
Saturday, September 1
Ohio State over Oregon State- Urban Meyer or no Urban Meyer, there is no way the Buckeyes are losing this. The Beavers have a long way to go to get to respectability.
Illinois over Kent State- The Illini win at home against a poor Golden Flashes team. They won't win many more...
Rutgers over Texas State- The Bobcats have little chance on the road against the Scarlet Knights.
Texas over Maryland (Landover)- The Longhorns should be much better this year. Because of the scandal from this summer, I have no idea what kind of team the Terrapins will be.
South Carolina over Coastal Carolina- The Gamecocks should roll over the Chanticleers.
Ole Miss over Texas Tech (Houston)- The Rebels (Black Bears?) will win a high-scoring affair with the Red Raiders. I have seen nothing to indicate either team will be more than a 6-6 team in 2018.
Oklahoma over FAU- The Owls will keep it close! For the first 10 minutes. Sooners roll!
TCU over Southern- The Horned Frogs will win easily.
NC State over James Madison- The Wolfpack will have their hands full against JMU, and I'm not entirely convinced that they will pull out the win. This should be a close game.
Temple over Villanova- The Owls may struggle early, but will pull away after halftime.
Houston over Rice- These old Southwest Conference foes will renew their rivalry, with the Cougars defeating a tougher than expected Owl team.
Clemson over Furman- The Tigers will have no problems with the Paladins.
Georgia Tech over Alcorn State- Yellow Jackets roll!
Boston College over UMass- Though UMass destroyed Duquesne last week, I expect the Eagles to be much improved tis year, and should win this one at home.
Air Force over Stony Brook- The Falcons will struggle early, but will pull away in the second half.
Ohio over Howard- Bobcats roll!
Pittsburgh over Albany- The Panthers should have no problems.
Penn State over Appalachian State- Don't be surprised if the Mountaineers keep this one close.
Marshall over Miami, Ohio- I expect the Thundering Herd to challenge for a C-USA division title. This should be a very competitive game.
Georgia over Austin Peay- Bulldogs roll!
Kentucky over Central Michigan- The Wildcats may struggle against the Chippewas, but I expect them to win a close one.
Auburn over Washington (Atlanta)- This should be a great game, but I expect this to be Washington's only loss of the year.
West Virginia over Tennessee (Charlotte)- This will be a close game, but the Volunteers will have no answer for the Mountaineers' offense.
Iowa over Northern Illinois- The Hawkeyes are expected to challenge Wisconsin for a division title, but the Huskies will keep the game close for a while.
Wyoming over Washington State- This is my upset special of the week, as I expect the Cowboy defense to throttle the Cougars offense.
California over North Carolina- The Golden Bears should take this one at home over the Tar Heels, and the heat on UNC Coach Larry Fedora increases.
USC over UNLV- The Rebels may give the Trojans all they can handle, but USC pulls it out.
Missouri over UT-Martin- Tigers roll!
Arkansas over Eastern Illinois- The Razorbacks get the Chad Morris regime off to a good start.
Old Dominion over Liberty- The Monarchs go on the road to defeat the Flames.
Charlotte over Fordham- This could be the 49ers only victory of the year.
East Carolina over NC A&T- Pirates roll!
South Florida over Elon- Bulls roll!
Virginia over Richmond- The Cavaliers should have no problem with the Spiders.
Buffalo over Delaware State- Don't be surprised if the Bulls challenge Ohio in the MAC East.
Boise State over Troy- This should be a great game, as the Broncos go on the road to take on a very good Trojan team. I expect this to be close late before Boise St pulls away.
Georgia Southern over South Carolina State- The Eagles get off to a good start.
Louisiana over Grambling- Don't be surprised in the Ragin' Cajuns struggle to put away a good Grambling team.
Toledo over VMI- Rockets roll!
Arkansas State over Southeast Missouri State- Red Wolves roll!
Memphis over Mercer- Tigers roll!
Central Arkansas over Tulsa- Upset special #2 as the Hurricanes lose at home.
La Tech over South Alabama- The Bulldogs go on the road to defeat the Jaguars.
Southern Miss over Jackson State- Golden Eagles roll!
UCLA over Cincinnati- The Bruins will struggle to pull out a home win against the Bearcats.
Indiana over FIU- The Hoosiers go on the road to beat a decent Panther team.
Kansas over Nicholls- The Jayhawks better win this one...
Kansas State over South Dakota- Wildcats win a close one.
Notre Dame over Michigan- Everyone seems to expect the Wolverines to be much improved, but I'm not convinced. I think the Irish win a close one at home.
Florida over Charleston Southern- Gators roll!
Mississippi State over Stephen F Austin- Bulldogs roll!
Vanderbilt over Middle Tennessee- The Commodores may struggle mightily, and may lose this, but I expect them to pull it out at home.
SMU over North Texas- Upset Special #3 as the Mustangs go on the road to defeat the Mean Green.
UTEP over Northern Arizona- The Miners should break their 12-game losing streak. If they don't it may stretch to 24...
New Mexico over Incarnate Word- Lobos roll!
Nebraska over Akron- The Huskers get the Scott Frost era off to a good start with a home victory over the Zips.
Alabama over Louisville (Orlando)- Does anyone expect the Cardinals to stay within 20 points of the Tide?
Baylor over Abilene Christian- The Bears start the year right.
Iowa State over South Dakota State- The Cyclones take on a very good SD St team that should give them a tough fight.
Oregon over Bowling Green- The Ducks start the Mario Cristobal era off with a win.
Fresno State over Idaho- The Vandals have returned to the FCS ranks, but they will play the Bulldogs close for at least a half.
Arizona State over UTSA- The Sun Devils should win easily over the visiting Roadrunners.
Arizona over BYU- Are the Cougars improved from last year? If so, you won't be able to tell it from this game as the Wildcats roll.
Navy over Hawai'i- The Midshipmen travel to the Island to defeat a better-than-expected Warriors team.
Sunday, September 2
LSU over Miami, Fl (Arlington)- The Tigers and Hurricanes play a close, hard fought game, the the Bayou Bengals come out on top.
Monday, September 3
Virginia Tech over FSU- I'm not convinced the Seminoles will be greatly improved this year as it may take a year or two for the Willie Taggart era to really bear fruit.
That's it for Week 1. Check back Monday for my TWIF Notes. Until then, may you and your loved ones be blessed!
Comments
Post a Comment