Saban is a Kent St grad which is part of the reason this game is being played. This Tide edition is similar to the ‘09 title team with a dominating defense and inexperience at the skill positions. Kent was better than their 5-7 record in ‘10 and only trailed Penn St 17-0 after 3Q. DE Roosevelt Nix spearheads a defense that was #1 in the NCAA vs the rush for most of the year and that is what Bama likes to do best. Bama does have a big game at Penn St next week but will need to give their young QB's some confidence and should name the score here with my computer calling for an huge 545-140 yd edge.

Despite this being a “neutral site” game, GA will clearly have the crowd edge in their own backyard (Atlanta). In 2005 Georgia was #13 and Boise #18 as Boise was the sheik upset pick coming in all summer while UGA was well motivated. They took advantage of Jared Zabransky's horrible day with TO’s and UGA won 48-13 in Athens w/a 574-292 yd edge. This time Boise has a QB that won't have those turnover problems as Kellen Moore has just 9 int's the last 2 years and led the NCAA in pass eff in ‘10. He guided Boise to a win in VT’s back yard LY in the opener. Boise has 14 ret st'rs and a win here could eventually land them in the title game. Boise is just as strong as LY’s 12-1 tm but GA is much better than LY's 6-7 and my pick to win the SEC East this year. Georgia has a big game on deck vs South Carolina while Boise has a bye and that could be the difference.

SJSt is 1-7 S/’01 vs SU (L/gm ‘09). The win was by 1 pt in ‘06 & the avg loss has been by 29 ppg. The Spartans have dropped 8 str road openers by an avg score 46-9 (no TD’s in 5 gms). At one time in this series SJSt fared well as they billed it as “Class Warfare” (rich vs middle class) and these two are just 17 miles apart. SU does have QB Luck back but go from 15 ret st’rs to 11 and also lost their HC Harbaugh. San Jose was in a pure rebuilding year last season but is vastly improved in MacIntyre’s 2nd yr with 18 st’rs back. While the Spartans offense is #110 in my ratings their D is #63. LY SJSt traveled to Bama and Utah and lost 104-6 but did face a big physical team (similar to SU) in Wisconsin and only lost by 13. Look for San Jose to be competitive but in the end Luck and Co are too much.

LY Okla St traveled to UL on Thurs Nt and gave them their best shot in the 1H and actually led 21-17 with a 254-161 yd edge. OSU got a TD with 4:59 left to make it 54-28 and UL was SOD at the OSU19 at the end. UL has lost all 4 trips to Stillwater by an avg score 40-8. Okla St is loaded on offense this year with QB Weeden and WR Blackmon and LY avg 534 ypg and 49 ppg at home. They do have a Thursday Night gm vs Ariz on deck. Even with that big game on deck the Cowboys can name the score here.

UNLV is 1-3 in Madison (only win in ‘03 vs #14 UW). LTH (‘04) the Rebels lost 18-3 but allowed an 86 yd TD ret after a blk’d FG & two safeties (down just 11-3 into 4Q). LY UNLV capitalized off two UW TO’s for a 17-14 deficit at HT at home as they had -4 yds off with 1:13 left in the half. UW "only" won 41-21 as UNLV got a TD with 12:36 left to pull within 20 but did miss a FG with 6:24 left. UW has a young O-line but is at its best when able to establish the rush and UNLV has just 2 st’rs back on its defensive front 7 and allowed 5.2 ypc in ‘10! UW put up 70, 83 and 70 in 3 diff HG’s LY and with dynamite QB Wilson taking over expect a lot of points from the Badgers.

VT is 3-0 vs Appalachian St but the last game was in 1982 (34-0). While VT is 6-1 vs FCS opponents since 1999 including 4 shut outs but lost 21-16 to James Madison last year coming off a 33-30 loss to Boise St. ASU is 3-15 vs FBS foes but is of course known for their 34-32 defeat of #5 Michigan in 2007. While they came close vs East Carolina (29-24) in 2009 they lost to LSU 41-13 in ‘08 and Florida 48-10 last year being outgained by an avg 503-257 in those two games. VT returns 12 starters and must replace QB Tyrod Taylor and will likely looking to get everything up to speed on both sides of the ball. They only have a road trip to East Carolina on deck and after last years loss to JMU will give the extra reasons to give the Mountaineers their full attention. ASU also returns just 12 starters but are led by AA QB DeAndre Presley, who had 2,631 yds passing and 1,039 yds rushing last year.

MSU has won 11 str over Mem by 14 ppg. LTH (‘02) MSU won 29-17 but needed 5 int’s & 16 4Q pts (trailed 17-13 into 4Q). MSU is 2-8 the L/10Y in road openers (3 str L’s by 18 ppg). Memphis hasn’t beat MSU S/’93 when HC Larry Porter was a Sr RB. LY UM got 39% (92) of their yds after trailing 49-0 in the 4Q in Porter’s UM debut as HC. Miss St does have Auburn and LSU on deck but has a veteran team with 16 ret st’rs while Memphis has just 9 and breaks in a new QB vs a Top 25 defense. The Bulldogs should roll in this one.

When these two last met in 2007, Florida only had a 298-257 yd edge and led just 28-20 late 1H but a blk’d punt TD turned the momentum as did a TD with :09 left in the half. UF got a late TD and won 59-20. This is the first time Will Muschamp runs his team out in the Swamp so it will be special and they only have UAB on deck. With just 10 ret st’rs they will not be holding back. FAU is a much stronger tm than LY’s 4-8 squad that had 0 ret st’rs on the O-line and now has all 5 back to that unit. Schnellenberger uses these gms vs BCS schools early to get his team experience and prepare them for the Sun Belt and I look for QB Brantley and the Gator offense to look much improved while the UF defense is among the best in the country.

MU is 0-7 in Morgantown. In the 4 most recent trips MU has been outscored on avg 34-13. LTH the Herd led 7-3 at HT with 11-2 FD & 149-73 yd edges but gained just 53 yds (1.8 ypp) in the 2H and lost 24-7. MU HC Holliday knows WVU football. He had been the WV Assoc Coach/Recruiting Coord in ‘08-’09 and WV is his alma mater and knows the program inside and out better than anyone. Some of that edge has gone away with Holgorsen taking over WV’s offense. LY WV came back from a 21-6 4Q deficit (tying 2pt conv came w/:12 left to force OT). UM had 55 and 96 yd TD plays and just 52 other yds in the 1H. WV has 7 st’rs back on offense and just 4 on D (9 ret st’rs on D LY). Marshall has 13 ret st’rs incl 8 on the D. Marshall was -113 ypg on the road while WV was +176 ypg at home LY (only +36 on road). WV only has a IAA foe on deck while Marshall has their CUSA opener.

Kiffin went to HS in suburban Minneapolis and interviewed in 2007 for the job that eventually went to Tim Brewster. LY UM led 14-13 mid-3Q but all’d a 97 yd KR TD to spark 19 str USC pts before UM scored a garbage TD w/:11. USC has won 13 str home openers by a 35-11 avg. QB Barkley takes on a defense that finished #102 in pass D LY but he was only 17-26-192 vs them LY with USC rushing for 216 (5.7). USC TB’s were repeatedly able to outrun Minn defenders to the edge. Minn RB Duane Bennett sat the 2H of LY’s gm because he wasn’t the same after spraining his ankle the wk earlier. Carroll used to blow teams out in Sept and set an attitude and USC needs a strong start after two down years and should do so here vs a the Gophers who will still be adjusting to their new schemes under HC Kill.