Mack's NCAA Football Week 4 Picks (Quick Version)

South Carolina 30 - Ole Miss 27
Wake Forest 21 - Boston College 20
TCU 24 - Clemson 20
Michigan St. 27 - Wisconsin 17
Pitt 17 - NC State 9
Alabama 38 - Arkansas 17
Texas Tech 45 - Houston 38
Miami 24 - Virginia Tech 21
GaTech 24 - N. Carolina 20
Notre Dame 21 - Purdue 10

Mack's NCAA Football Week 3 Picks Quick Version)

Week 3 Picks:

Bama 48 - NTex 10
Florida 77 - Ten 3
USC 34 - Wash 21
VaTech 34 - Nebraska 21
Utah 38 - Oregon 35
FSU 31 - BYU 24
Vandy 31 - MissSt. 21
UGA 38 - Ark 20
WVa 30 - Auburn 21
Texas 56 - Texas Tech 35

Mack's NCAA Football Week 2 Picks

After a fairly successful run on picking winners last week (8-2), I venture out and pick ten more games for Week 2 of the NCAA football season. Here we go:

Wisconsin vs. Fresno St.
Spread: Wisconsin (-9)
O/U: 53

Comments: I like Coach Pat Hill and all that he has going on in Fresno. I think this will be a tough hard fought game, but at the end, Wisconsin's offensive line and running game will be too much and they'll put away. Wisconsin 27-17.

Florida vs. Troy
Spread: Florida (-36)
OU: 59

Comments: Much was made of Troy this season. Even with NFL stars in recent years in DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyora, and Leodis McKelvin, many called this the best team that current head coach Larry Blakeny has had at Troy. And then they go out and lose the first game of the season last week. It would help if they could upset the Gators. But neither I, nor does anyone else outside of the Troy program, believe that will happen. Florida wins but Troy keeps it "relatively" respectable. Florida 42-7.

TCU vs. Virginia
Spread: TCU (-11)
OU: 41

Comments: TCU is a really really good football team. They play good smashmouth football on offense and hard nosed defense. And their defense is pretty fast. I think this is Virginia Head Coach Al Groh's last season as the head of the Cavaliers, especially after taking it on the chin from William & Mary last week at home to open the season. TCU wins 34-10.

Notre Dame vs. Michigan
Spread: Notre Dame (-3)
OU: 49

Comments: Both rebuilding but storied programs looked good last week to open the season. I liked what I saw from Jimmy Clausen and Michael Floyd against Nevada. But I also liked what I saw from the two Michigan QBs. Even though the most important number in the Notre Dame game was ZERO (the number of points their defense allowed), I don't think much defense will be played in this one. I think Clausen picks apart Michigan's defensive backs and Forcet and Robinson run circles around Notre Dame's defense. Home field is the deciding factor in this one. Look for a Miami/FSU type atmosphere and finish in this one. Michigan 28-27.

Tennessee vs. UCLA
Spread: Tennesssee (-9)
OU: 45

Comments: Two very good offensive minds in Lane Kiffen and Rich Neuheisel. I think we'll see a ton of points scored and I think the young Tennesse team will outlast the young Bruins based purely on the talent differential. Tennesee 31-21

Alabama vs. Florida International
Spread: Bama (-34)
OU: 48

Comments: After opening the season with a very good Virginia Tech team, Bama hosts what looks to be a cupcake. This won't be a situation where all of Bama's starters get pulled by halftime, though. QB Greg McElroy has exactly one career start (and even that is in question, because their first play from scrimmage was in the wildcat formation). So he needs as much game experience as possible, blowout or not. Same goes for the offensive line. Maybe there will be more starters on defense taken out to get some younger guys some looks, and they may surrender one late TD. Bama 45-10.

LSU vs. Vanderbilt
Spread: LSU (-14)
O/U: 45

Comments: LSU looked very suspect last week on defense and while QB Jordan Jefferson's final numbers looked good, he looked shaky at times. I think LSU wins, but Vandy its own.
LSU 38-24.

Georgia vs. South Carolina
Spread: UGA (-7)
O/U: 38

Comments: These teams combined to score 17 points last week. So nothing jumps out at me that says this will be a shootout. Georgia because of tentative and conservative play calling. And South Carolina because Steve Spurrier is playing power football (?!?!). Add on top of that, that there are conflicting reports about whether or not Joe Cox will start @ QB. Many reports came out today that said backup QB Logan Gray will start, citing tendonitis in Cox's shoulder. Then ANOTHER report surfaced that said Cox is fine. Bottom line, if you're betting STAY AWAY from this game. Even with all the uncertainty, UGA wins 16-10.

Auburn vs. Mississippi St.
Spread: Auburn (-14)
O/U: 42

Comments: Last year Auburn won 3-2...yes...a football game. But both teams have been infused with the spread offense. Auburn by Gus Malzhan (who's responsible for Arkansas's Wildcat success) and Dan Mullens (Offensive Coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer). So I think we'll see many more points scored this year. The only difference is that MSU still has a long way to go in upgrading talent. Auburn 17-13.

Ohio St. vs. USC
Spread: USC (-7)
O/U: 45

Comments: I'm baffled that the line's only giving USC 7. They're going to DESTROY Ohio State. True enough, USC is starting a fresham QB, but they've got two studs at running back (which showed to be OSU's weakness last week) and they're defense is still lightning fast (which has shown to be their weakness for the past 5 years!) Won't be close. USC 56-21.

So my picks this week are as follows:

Wisconsin
Troy
TCU
Michigan
Tennessee
Alabama
LSU
Georgia
Auburn
USC

We'll review next week.

REVIEW of Mack's NCAA Football Week 1 Picks

One amazing weekend of college football in the books. I was right on some, wrong on others. Let's review..

South Carolina vs. North Carolina St.

What I said
South Carolina 23
NC State 17

What actually happened
South Carolina 7
NC State 3

Comments: Very beautifully played defensive game. I think South Carolina has a ways to go in terms of offensive production, but their defense is game ready. I think it's safe to say that the Steve Spurrier that we all grew to know & love is gone. Power running, ball control, and solid defense is his meal ticket right now. Who said an old dog (or even an Ol' Ball Coach) couldn't learn new tricks?

Boise St. vs. Oregon

What I said
Boise St. 48
Oregon 38

What actually happened
Boise St. 19
Oregon 8

Comments: The thing that will be remembered most from this game is what happened AFTER the game. But the game itself was a defensive struggle. Anyone who has followed these two programs for the past 5 years would've thought that the final score would've been eclipsed within the first 10 minutes of the game. Good defensive game, though.

Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech

What I said
Auburn 17
LaTech 7

What actually happened
Auburn 37
LaTech 13

Comments: From what I saw from this game, Auburn has fixed most of its offensive woes. They ran the ball decisively despite all the razzle dazzle mumbo jumbo that seems to be in the offense. They move more on offense pre-snap than the Joe Gibbs Redskins of the late 80s. We'll know more about Auburn's offense in the next couple of weeks as they face an improved Mississippi St. team and West Virginia repsectively.

Notre Dame vs. Nevada

What I said
Notre Dame 27
Nevada 10

What actually happened
Notre Dame 35
Nevada 0

Comments: I was VERY impressed with Clausen and especially with WR Michael Floyd. Their offense seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. I don't want to knee-jerk and say that Notre Dame is legit again, but we'll know more after they play Michigan this week and USC later in the season.

Georgia vs. Oklahoma St.

What I said:
Georgia 42
OK. St. 35

What actually happened
Georgia 10
OK. St. 24

Comments: I was terribly disappointed in UGA in this game. They came out of the gate strong and drove the ball right down the field and scored. After that, the offense became VERY conservative and complacent. They held a 7-0 lead for most of the first half and then Ok. St. blew the doors open almost. A team that is that explosive on offense is not to be toyed with. But it seems like that's what UGA did. And Oklahoma St made them pay.


Oklahoma vs. BYU

What I said
Oklahoma 72
BYU 28

What actually happened
Oklahoma 13
BYU 14

Comments: The biggest story of the weekend is that last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Sam Bradford, went down early in the game with a separated shoulder. Add that to the fact that the best Tight End in all of college football Jermaine Gresham was out as well, and it was bad for OU. Not to mention BYU is no pushover. If Bradford had stayed healthy, we may be talking about the biggest blowout of the weekend. But if if was a fifth....you know the rest.

LSU vs. Washington

What I said
LSU 38
Washington 10

What really happened
LSU 31
Washington 23

Comments: Chalk it up to first game jitters and the longest road trip in school history, but what really made this game tough for LSU was Washington's QB, Jake Locker. Really good player and I think Washington will make some noise in the PAC-10 this season.

Miami vs. Florida St.

What I Said
Miami 9
FSU. 6

What Actually Happened
Miami 38
FSU 34

Comments: Never in a million years would I have expected this game to be the shootout that it turned into. It was very much worth staying up watching. Jacory Harris is going to be a great ballplayer for the U. Christian Ponder is going to be a solid QB for the Noles. As I said last night, I don't have a dog in this fight so I don't care one way or the other about who wins, but for the sake of college football, it's great to see these two proud programs have national relevance again.


Ole Miss vs. Memphis

What I said
Ole Miss 42
Memphis 13

What actually happened
Ole Miss 45
Memphis 14

Comments: The score is not indicative of the game. Memphis played a WHALE of a game, and Ole Miss piled on points at the end. And just so poeple won't say I didn't tell them so, Ole Miss's offensive line is gonna get DESTROYED in SEC play. They're breaking in 4 new offensive linemen and Memphis exposed them. Snead is still very mistake-prone. The new polls just came out and they're up to #6. Someone will expose them for who they really are VERY soon.

Alabama vs. Virginia Tech

What I said
Alabama 17
Virginia Tech 10

What actually happened
Alabama 34
VaTech 24

Comments: ROLL TIDE!!! *ahem*...as I remove my crimson colored shades....This was a tough, hard fought game between two very proud programs. I would've never thought that many points would be scored between the two as both have top notch defenses. Great game,and if you didn't see it, get to ESPN360.com or the SECdigitalnetwork.com and check it out ASAP.

So I was off on the scores on a couple, but I hit 8 out of 10 winners. Not a bad start.

As if I need anything else to get me hyped

You Just Can't Do This, Man

Mack's NCAA Football Week 1 Pick

What I'll do each week is choose 10 games and let you know my take on them. Of course I'll review the picks early the following week and I'll keep tally of how I do all season long. Here we go:

South Carolina vs. North Carolina St.
Spread: NC State -5
O/U: 46.5

For full disclosure, I'm an SEC Homer, but I'm as objective as they come. Although I think that if they stay healthy, they'll be a force in the ACC later this season, I think NC State has too many question marks starting out. I like Stephen Garcia finally having the South Carolina QB job to himself, and despite the minor injury to pre-season All-SEC linebacker Eric Norwood and the suspension of a couple of their linemen, South Carolina pulls out the victory 23-17.

Boise St. vs. Oregon
Spread: Boise St. -3.5
O/U: 64

If you're a fan that likes to see offense, this is your game. That 64 point over/under will be eclipsed by halftime. I like Boise St. in this game for a few reasons. They're playing at home on the blue turf. Oregon St. is breaking in a new corner and Boise St.'s starting QB absolutely shredded them last season. Add to that that they're breaking in a new head coach, and I think it's too much for Oregon to overcome. Boise St. wins 48-38.

Auburn vs. Louisiana Tech
Spread: Auburn -13
O/U: 44

This one is a little tougher to call simply because Auburn has a new coaching staff, a new starting QB, a new attitude, etc. I like LaTech head coach Derrick Dooley and what he's doing with that program, but I don't think they have enough to stay on the field with Auburn for longer than one half. I don't think talent was missing at Auburn last year for that dismal season. I think at some point the turmoil on the coaching staff started to trickle down to the players and what talent they DID have couldn't overcome it. Auburn's offense sputters a bit in the first game under a new QB and a new system, but finds a way to win 17-7.

Notre Dame vs. Nevada
Spread: Notre Dame -14
O/U: 61

This is a defining season for Charlie Weis and his Fighting Irish. They've had year after year of Top 5 recruiting classes only to come in and get molly-hopped all over the field by traditionally inferior opponents. This will be a good year for the Irish. I like their passing attack with Clausen and Tate. Nevada's defense is tough, but I don't think they'll be able to muster enough points on offense to keep up with the Irish's onslaught. Notre Dame wins 27-10.

Georgia vs. Oklahoma State
Spread: OSU -5
O/U: 61.5

With Zac Robinson & Dez Bryant, OSU has one of the most potent offensive attacks in the country. Throw in the fact that UGA has a first time starter in Sr. QB Joe Cox and apparent heir to Knowshawn Moreno's throne, Caleb King, won't even be making the trip to Stillwater and one would think that Georgia's going to Big 12 country to get their lunches handed to them. I disagree. UGA under Mark Richt ALWAYS does well as an "underdog" and "under the radar" team. They go into Stillwater where they're opening up a beautiful new stadium and ruin the festivities behind Joe Cox & AJ Green and a stout Georia defense. UGA wins 42-35.

Oklahoma vs. BYU
Spread: Oklahoma -22
O/U: 68

Sam Bradford's back, and even though All-Mack team Tight End Jermaine Grisham will be out due to an injury, this one gets ugly fast. Oklahoma wins big 72-28.

LSU vs. Washington
Spread: LSU -17.5
O/U: 53.5

Don't know what to expect from LSU's offense with Jordan Jefferson being the new starting QB, but I know their defense with all of its talent and the mastermind of new Defensive Coordinator (long-time Tennessee DC) John Chavis will keep Washington's offense at bay for most of the game. LSU wins 38-10.

Ole Miss vs. Memphis
Spread: Ole Miss - 16
O/U: 54.5

From 1-22, Ole Miss is as good as anyone in the country. Beyond that, it's a guess as to who can do what. Luckily for them, 23rd and on down won't have to play until they're already up 3 TDs. I like Memphis, but this one will get ugly. Ole Miss 42-13.

Florida St. vs. Miami
Spread: FSU -6
O/U: 48

As we've come to expect, this will probably be the ugliest game of the weekend. Both defenses will be stout while the offenses have trouble getting things going. I think Miami has a little more talent than FSU right now though. Miami wins 9-6.

Alabama vs. Virginia Tech
Spread: Bama -6.5
O/U: 38

Game of the week. Bama's replacing an Outland award trophy winner at left tackle, an All-SEC Center, a Stout right guard, two tight ends, and a 3 year starter at QB on offense. On defense they only replace an undersized defensive end and an All-American free safety, but those 2 bodies were 2 coaches on the field. That's a huge loss. Add to that all of the off-field distractions the Tide has had this off-season (the kicker getting mugged, probation for a 2007 text book scandal, [bogus] domestic abuse charges for a 2nd year linebacker, swine flu infecting a 3rd of the team, alleged NCAA violations by star WR Julio Jones & star RB Mark Ingram, and starting DE Brandon Deaderick being lost for at least this game after being shot by an attempted car jacker just Monday night) and it seems like Bama is in no condition to play.

Like Stephen Garcia at South Carolina, VaTech's Tyrod Taylor finally gets to start at QB without looking over his shoulder. It hurts, though, that last year's leading rusher Darren Evans is lost for the season with an ACL tear. Bud Foster's defense always play tough. And there's nobody in the country that plays better special teams that Frank Beamer's Hokies.

This will be a hard fought game. I doubt it will be the one-sided drubbing that Bama administered to Clemson in Week 1 on last season. And despite the fact that Bama has dealt with so many off the field problems and lost so much, I think it's safe to say that Alabama is at a point where losing great players isn't looked at as having holes, but rather opportunities for other more than capable players to step forth and show their grit. Bama wins a slobber-knocker 17-10.


That's it...this week's winners are South Carolina, Boise St., Auburn, Notre Dame, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Ole Miss, Miami, and Alabama. We'll revisit next week.

3 Days Until Kickoff!!

And we are 3....3 days until the kickoff of Alabama football. Actual D1 games begin TOMORROW NIGHT with South Carolina taking on North Carolina St. and Boise St. hosting Oregon. For the record, I've picked South Carolina to cover the spread and win outright and I've done the same for Boise St. I'll post my picks and reason for choosing them for the week here later today. In any event, here's the video today to get your hearts & minds ready for kickoff. Today's video, ironically, features Alabama vs. Notre Dame. Probably one of the most (in)famous hits in Alabama history. It's know around these parts as simply..."The Sack". ENJOY!!

4 Days Until Kickoff

Tyrone Prothro (#4), WR, Alabama

And we're 4...4 Brett Favre (kidding....Tyrone Prothro, actually) days away from the kickoff of college football. And speaking of Favre/Southern Miss and Prothro, today's video to get your hearts & minds ready for the kickoff of Alabama football is perhaps the greatest catch in the history of all football. ENJOY!