Beerman’s Picks
by Ben Shapiro, 8/30/01Each week this season, I will be posting a column previewing the upcoming
weekend's Big East and Top-25 match-ups. All rankings are from the ESPN/USA
Today Coaches Poll. I don't pick winners (that's too easy), I pick against the spread. All
picks are for entertainment purposes only. Note that ABC and CBS offer regional
coverage, and not all games are available in all areas.
This Week: With the "preseason" out of
the way, we can now get down to brass tacks. That means real football. That
means HOKIE FOOTBALL. Vaya con dios, ladies and
gentlemen, and let the games begin!
Not in Action: #11 Kansas State, #13
Washington, #16 Notre Dame, #20 Northwestern, #21 Ohio State
|
| Thursday 8/30 |
| Navy (0-0) @ TEMPLE
(0-0) |
| Line: Temple (-16.5) |
7:00 pm ET |
| Much like Cal Ripken fading into the sunset,
the Temple Owls begin what could be their farewell tour of I-A football. Temple
could be decent this year though. They were mentioned not once, but TWICE on the
ESPN kickoff show, and not immediately following the words "...a soft schedule that
includes ..." This is heady stuff in Philly, and
both Owl fans can hardly contain themselves. I joke because I love, but if the
"hype" has any substance to it at all, I'd expect Navy to go down without too
much of a fight.
This line has moved from 14 to 16.5 points. I had no
idea that many people gambled on Temple! |
| Pick: Navy |
|
|
| Rutgers (0-0) @
BUFFALO (0-0) |
| Line: Rutgers (-14.5) ... I'm speechless
... |
7:30 pm ET (MSG, Empire) |
| In a clash of two great titans such as this,
we small folk can only hope and pray to escape with our lives. |
| Pick: Buffalo |
|
|
| Saturday 9/1 |
| #1 FLORIDA (0-0) vs.
Marshall (0-0) |
| Line: Florida (-29.5) |
7:15 pm ET (ESPN2) |
| Now this is interesting. I mean Florida
should be leaps and bounds ahead of Marshall. But Marshall is no UConn. If the
Herd comes in with a good game plan, catches the Gators flat, and can get a few breaks ... |
| Pick: Marshall |
|
|
| #2 Miami (FL) (0-0)
vs. PENN STATE (0-0) |
| Line: Miami (-12.5) |
8:00 pm ET
(ABC) |
| Test #1 for Captain Coker and the Crazy Canes
from Coral Gables. Was PSU just "down" last year? Or is this the
beginning of the end for JoePa? Even in Happy Valley,
if Miami loses this one it will speak volumes about Larry Coker's new promotion. It
may be close. In fact, I think PSU will cover, but no way no how do the Nits have
the talent to beat the Canes straight up. |
| Pick: PSU |
|
|
| #3 Oklahoma (1-0) @
AIR FORCE (0-0) |
| Line: OU (-19) |
3:30 pm ET (ABC) |
| Ooohhh sorry Falcons, but thanks for playing!
Air Force has one of the most ... stubborn ... ground games in all of major college
football. They run the triple option like nobody's business. The big guys
don't like playing AFA, because there are only a few schools left that run the option as
the basic focus of their offense. One of those few is Nebraska, however, and that
means the Sooners know how to defeat it. Pay attention though, because if Air Force
can get something going against this defense, it could be an indication of things to come
when Oklahoma travels to Lincoln later this year. Granted,
Oklahoma didn't look like champions against UNC last weekend, but they've got that all
important first game under their belts now, while the Falcons are breaking in 17 new
starters. 'Tis a pity ... |
| Pick: Air Force |
|
|
| #4 NEBRASKA (1-0)
vs. Troy State (AL) (0-0) |
| Line: UNL (-50.5) |
12:30 pm ET (FSW2) |
| Troy State likes to call themselves the UConn
of the Deep South. No wait a second...I like to call Troy State the
UConn of the Deep South. The Trojans probably would consider that an insult, because
unlike UConn, Troy State was actually a very successful I-AA program. They'll bring
an experienced starting QB and a wide open spread offense, and should score some points.
They're going to get mauled on "D", however, especially against a team
the caliber of the Huskers. That having been said, there's no way I'm picking anyone
to cover a 50 point spread! |
| Pick: Troy State |
|
|
#5
Florida State (0-0) @ DOOK (0-0) |
Line: FSU
(-30) |
6:00 pm ET |
| National Champion caliber
basketball. Miserable football. A student body made up largely of residents of
the Northeast corridor. A close inspection of the official letterhead reveals in the
fine print "University of Connecticut at Durham". No coincidences here
folks! |
| Pick: Florida State |
|
|
| #6
TEXAS (0-0) vs. New Mexico State (0-1) |
| Line: Texas (-35) |
7:00 pm ET (FoxSportsNet) |
| "Texas is like sportswriter
heroin ..." See, now that's good stuff! New Mexico State is the UConn of the Southwest. Except they
actually have a quarterback. Well sort of. Suffice it to say, someone
is lining up to receive the snap from center. It says a lot about your team, when
you can rush for 407 yards in a single game, and still lose by 21 points |
| Pick: UT |
|
|
| #7
TENNESSEE (0-0) vs. Syracuse (0-1) |
| Line: Tennessee (-14.5) |
4:00 pm ET (ESPN2) |
| See, now there's that solid
Syracuse defense that I was talking about. I think they're capable of keeping the
game close. Close enough that a real difference-maker on offense just might be able
to rise up and topple the mighty Vols. Troy Nunes is not that difference maker...not
in a place like Neyland Stadium. |
| Pick: Syracuse |
|
|
| #8
OREGON (0-0) vs. #23 Wisconsin (1-0) |
| Line: Oregon (-9.5) |
8:00 pm ET (ABC) |
| There's nothing quite so special
as watching Monday Night Football, and hearing Dan Fouts respond to Dennis Miller's
highbrow banter with such witty rejoinders as "I'm Dan Fouts!", "I used to
play quarterback!", and the occasional "Go Ducks!" |
| Pick: Oregon |
|
|
| #9
VIRGINIA TECH (0-0) vs. UConn (0-0) |
| Line: VT (-46.5) |
12:00 pm ET (Comcast, MSG) |
| Let's get ready to
rummmmmmmmmmmmmble! Now this is just my opinion of
course, but I think it would be to the benefit of both teams if we'd
start Grant Noel, and loan Bryan Randall to the Huskies. Not for good, just for this
game. |
| Pick: Hoakies! |
|
|
| #10
MICHIGAN (0-0) vs. Miami (OH) (0-0) |
| Line: Michigan (-24.5) |
3:30 pm ET |
| Michigan oh Michigan, wherefore
are thou mighty Michigan? The Big Ten is a big mess
this year. No team really looks to stand out on paper, and I guess tradition and an
established coaching staff give Michigan the edge in the polls. |
| Pick: Michigan |
|
|
| #14
GEORGIA TECH (1-0) vs. The Citadel (0-0) |
| Line: no line (I-AA) |
6:00 pm ET |
| Known familiarly as the UConn of
the Southeast, the Citadel breeds a fine military man, but a lousy football player. Evidently the Jackets have a few kinks yet to work out in their offensive
scheme. Sounds like just the sort of thing this scrimmage should solve! |
| Pick: Jackets |
|
|
| #15
UCLA (0-0) @ #25 ALABAMA (0-0) |
| Line: Bama (-3) |
7:45 pm ET (ESPN) |
| If Franchione can pull this one
off, it would go a loooooong way towards calming the nerves of Bama fans across the
country. Dennis is only the second head coach the Tide has ever had without ties to
Papa Bear, and the old guard isnt real keen on that. Here's
my upset special. |
| Pick: Bama outright |
|
|
| #17 LSU
(0-0) vs. Tulane (0-1) |
| Line: LSU (-21.5) |
8:00 pm ET |
| Often referred to as the UConn of
the Bayou, Tulane comes into this game fresh off the heels of giving up 70
points in their opener. If they have any chance at all here, it's that there's no
way that the LSU players could be taking this game very seriously. Either that,
or they're gonna have to go sign up Bobby Boucher. |
| Pick: LSU |
|
|
| #18
CLEMSON (0-0) vs. Central Florida (0-0) |
| Line: Tigs (-19) |
1:00 pm ET |
| Could be a good score to
track. For the first time as a I-A head coach, Tommy Bowden doesn't have Rich
Rodriguez to call upon to run his offense. Woody Dantzler is back, but his #1
target has gone on to greener pastures. The defense in particular was savaged by
graduation, and it should be interesting to see if UCF can exploit this to their
advantage. The Golden Knights bring back only 4 starters from an offense that
averaged more than 30 points per game in 2000, and this season will show just how well
they've been able to recruit against the other Big-3 state schools. |
| Pick: UCF |
|
|
| #22
SOUTH CAROLINA (0-0) vs. Boise State (0-0) |
| Line: USC (-19.5) |
7:00 pm ET |
| Goodbye Bart Hendricks, hello
obscurity. Boise State won 10 games last year, their last in the Big West. That's kinda like winning the AA World Series. They'd like to carry over some of
their success into the WAC, and I think they will, but success in the WAC is a far cry
from success against the SEC. South Carolina returns
18 starters from last year's Cinderella team, but competing in the SEC East means
improving on 7 wins will be a mighty tall order. |
| Pick: Boise State |
|
|
| #24
Colorado State (0-0) vs. Colorado (0-1) @ Denver |
| Line: Colorado (-4.5) |
3:30 pm ET (ABC) |
| Well I guess having 90% of your
2-deep roster returning isn't enough for some people. Sheesh! What more could
you want? Colorado State is the preseason pick in the
MWC basically by default. Huge turnover at Air Force, and a new coach at BYU.
The Rams lost a lot of bodies too, but that hasn't hurt them much in the past. Nor,
methinks, will it today. |
| Pick: Colorado State |
|
|
| West
Virginia (0-0) @ BOSTON COLLEGE (0-0) |
| Line: BC (-3.5) |
12:00 pm ET (ABC) |
| And the battle for Big East #3 is
joined. Hee-yah! Rich Rodriguez and his
high-octane offense vs. Tom O'Brien and his thick-ankle defense. I really think WVU
takes this one, and takes it easily. |
| Pick: WVU |
|
|
| PITTSBURGH
(0-0) vs. Eastern Tennessee (0-0) |
| Line: no line (I-AA) |
6:00 pm ET |
| Yeesh! ETSU? I'd
call them the the UConn of the Volunteer State, except I that have too much respect for
UConn. Barring major seismic activity, this one's a walkover. |
| Pick: UPitt |
|
|
| Sunday 9/2 |
| #12
Oregon State (0-0) @ FRESNO STATE (1-0) |
| Line: OSU (-3.5) |
10:00 pm ET (ESPN2) |
| Oregon State might have bitten
off somewhat more than they can chew. They are trying to establish themselves as
real contenders, not just a flash in the pan. Sports Illustrated picked them to
finish #1 in the nation (!) despite the loss of their entire receiving corps and half of
their defensive line. The Beavers are getting a whole lot of credit based almost
entirely on the names Simonton and Erickson. Fresno
State didn't just hang close to Colorado. They beat em, and they made the Buffs look
bad while they were at it. The offense wasn't ever really in question, but the
Bulldog defense came up big in Boulder. If that's a sign of games to come, then
FSU-West might make some big noise before this season is over.
For OSU, this game spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E! |
| Pick: FSU-West |
|
|
| Monday 9/3 |
| #19
MISSISSIPPI STATE (0-0) vs. Memphis (0-0) |
| Line: MSU (-16) |
7:00 pm ET (ESPN2) |
| Monday night is for the
pros. Period. Mississippi State is my darkhorse
pick in the SEC race. Buh-bye Memphis! |
| Pick: MSU |
|
|
Game of the Week to Watch: The night
game. Be it UM-PSU or OU-UW. Good stuff all around!
Last Week: 5-2
Season To Date: 5-2
Upset Special: Alabama over UCLA (0-1) |
