College Football Week 1 Picks

Has it really been eight months since we saw the Alabama Crimson Tide destroy the LSU Tigers in the National Championship Game?

Just like that we have reached the first week of the College Football season, a week before the NFL starts, and that means the games are going to be spread from Thursday 30th August through to Monday 3rd September.

There have been so many issues in the off-season, from the scandal at Penn State to the number of dismissals from top schools around the nation, but now is the time for football and for people to focus on on-field activities.

Below I will give a few thoughts on potential winners of the Conferences- I won't put down my projections for every school as that would take a lot more time than I have, but I have had a look at every School that will be competing this year to try and get an edge on the picks I will be making.

The College Football picks were successful last season, but the hard work starts again this week.


SEC East: I like the Georgia Bulldogs to win this Division ahead of the South Carolina Gamecocks as the Bulldogs avoid playing any of the top three teams from the SEC West, while the Gamecocks need to travel to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers and host the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Aaron Murray could be the best Quarter Back in the SEC, and I think the Bulldogs take the Division as long as they don't fall into a hole early in the season when a number of their Defensive players are serving suspensions.

SEC West: The big news in this Division was the dismissal of Tyrann Mathieu at LSU, but I still think the Tigers are going to win the SEC West for the second season in a row ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Tigers have lost a Special Teams playmaker, but they have vastly upgraded their Quarter Back position with Zach Mettenberger, and I think they have the most talented team in the SEC. They also get to host Alabama, who also have to travel to Arkansas, and that may be enough for the Tigers to take the Division.

SEC Champion: While I believe Georgia are a top team, the LSU Tigers will be the more battle-hardened if they get to this game and that may just give them the edge.


Big 12 Conference: I like the Oklahoma Sooners to bounce back from an injury hit 2011 to win this Conference this year, but the Big 12 is full of good teams that are capable of beating any of the others on their day.

While that is the case, I think the Sooners have the least issues of the 10 teams that make up the Conference, especially considering the lost players at Oklahoma State, the Quarter Back issue in Texas and West Virginia and TCU moving into a new Conference.

Oklahoma will need to maintain better health than last season, but they have one of the top Quarter Backs in the nation in Landry Jones, although the Offensive Line has been hit with injuries already ahead of the new season.

Texas have a great Defense and they could come close to winning the Conference if the Quarter Back play is a little better than last season, whereas the schedule is against some of the other schools.

Big 12 Conference Champion: If Oklahoma can recover from some of the Offensive Line injuries they have suffered already, the Sooners may win the Conference although I don't think they will get to the National Championship Game.


Big Ten Leaders: Probably the easiest pick in the top Conferences is picking the Wisconsin Badgers to win this Division as Ohio State are still ineligible and Penn State have been rocked by the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Danny O'Brien has been transferred in from Maryland to take over from Russell Wilson, and they look the best team in the Division.

Big Ten Legends: The Legends Division is the tougher of the two in the Big Ten and I have fallen in favour of the Michigan Wolverines to make it to the Championship Game ahead of Nebraska and Michigan State.

The latter two schools have the tougher Conference schedules, even though the three play one of the other two teams at home and one on the road. Michigan don't face Wisconsin but do play at Ohio State, whereas both Michigan State and Nebraska play both of those schools.

It may depend on how the Wolverines recover from their early non-Conference schedule as they have tough games against Alabama (neutral field) and go to Notre Dame, but if they are in a good place emotionally, they look like they will sneak the Division.

Big Ten Champion: Wisconsin did lose Russell Wilson, but they have brought in a decent Quarter Back in Danny O'Brien who fits in the system and I don't think there will be much of a drop off from their 11 wins from last season. I think they will be a little too good for Michigan that may have to win a tough one at Ohio State the week before just to get to this game and could be emotionally and physically spent.


ACC Atlantic: This is a tough Division and should come down to the Florida State Seminoles and the Clemson Tigers and it could all be decided by the fact that the Seminoles host the Tigers in their Conference game.

Florida State have all the makings of being one of the top teams in the nation this year, but the Offense will have to be a little more consistent if they are to do so. Clemson have a lot of Offensive talent, for example Sammy Watkins, but the 70 points they gave up to West Virginia in the Bowl last year is a little disturbing.

I have been back and forth with this for a while, but I think the Clemson team may just do enough to take the Division as I think their Conference schedule is more manageable outside of their trip to Florida State. The Seminoles have to go to North Carolina State and Virginia Tech and they may just lose out in what could be a tight race for the Division title.

ACC Coastal: The Virginia Tech Hokies have one of the best Quarter Backs in the nation in Logan Thomas, one who is expected to be the second QB taken in the NFL Draft next April behind Matt Barkley.

With North Carolina being ineligible for the title this season, the Hokies should win the Division again and get back to the title game. Their nearest challengers for the Division will be the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but Virginia Tech host them and that should be enough to ensure they take the Division as the Yellow Jackets also travel to North Carolina and Clemson.

ACC Champion: The winner of the ACC Atlantic Division will win the title game and so I will be picking Clemson to do so for the second season in succession as I have tipped them to take the Atlantic ahead of Florida State.


Pac 12 South: As soon as Matt Barkley admitted he was coming back to USC for one more season, the Trojans became the trendy pick to be playing in the National Championship Game. Their 50-0 crushing of UCLA last season points to their capabilities and I think the USC Trojans take this Division fairly comfortably.

Pac 12 North: Both the Oregon Ducks and the Stanford Cardinal have lost some key players from their Offenses in the NFL Draft and both are weaker teams than the 2011 additions in my opinion.

However, both are probably still too good for the rest of the Pac 12 North, although I am picking the Ducks as they entertain Stanford this season. Oregon do have to play at USC in the regular season, but Stanford have to host them and the tie-breaker is likely to be in favour of the Ducks if they finish with the same record (assuming the Ducks do beat Stanford as I think they will).

Pac 12 Champion: If USC are going to get to the National Championship Game, they are going to have win in Stanford and will have to beat Oregon (most likely twice) to ensure they win the Pac 12 with an unbeaten record. The Trojans do look the pick of the Conference and I won't go against the grain and pick anyone else to take the Pac 12.


Big East: This is one of the tougher Conferences in which to pick a winner as USF, Louisville, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will all feel they have the edge and any school can beat another on their day.

It is no surprise that the last two seasons has seen every school lose at least 2 games in the Conference and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to me if that happens again this year.

Honestly, any of those five schools I mentioned could win the Conference and it really is a tough one to call.

Big East Champion: If Rutgers buy into what their new Head Coach is asking of them, they may just do enough to sneak the Division.


Mountain West: Boise State are playing one more year in the Mountain West Conference before they move their football operations to the Big East and they will be the favourite to go out with a Division title, but they are losing a number of key players that have led the school to so much success in recent seasons and it may be a tougher year for them than expected.

This is another deep Conference, but the pick of the teams may just be the Nevada Wolf Pack who join the Division this season and also have the benefit of hosting Boise State during the season.

The schedule looks manageable for Nevada as they also host Fresno State, San Diego State and Wyoming, all teams that expected to finish in the upper half of the Conference, while their toughest road trip is at Air Force on a shot week.

Mountain West Champion: My biggest problem with Boise State is the number of starters they have lost from last season and the fact they have to go on the road against Nevada. That is why I think the Wolf Pack may be the winner of the Conference.


Conference USA East: This Division looks like it will be decided by UCF and Southern Mississippi, but the latter have lost a special Quarter Back in Austin Davis.

UCF also host Southern Mississippi in what could the big tie-breaker in the Division and perhaps the slightly more manageable schedule and more consistency with a Head Coach entering his 9th season compared to a 1st year Coach in Southern Mississippi.

Conference USA West: While the East has two potential winners, the West has three in Houston, Tulsa and SMU and it is the last of those teams that I think will take the win.

All three of the teams will have new Quarter Backs this season, all of which are considered amongst the best in the entire Conference USA.

I believe SMU will be the victors as they have the best schedule of the three and have the talent that can see them finish as winners of the West. SMU host both Houston and Tulsa and wins in those games will put them in the driving seat for the West, although they do have a road game at UCF which could cause problems.

SMU have their toughest games at home, the exception being UCF, but if they can win those home games, I expect them to take the West.

Conference USA Champion: I just have a feeling the winner of the West is going to be a little more spent than the East so I am thinking UCF will take the Conference title


MAC West: This Division looks to be between Western Michigan and Northern Illinois and looks a tough one to call.

Northern Illinois have won the MAC West in the last two seasons with a 15-1 record, but they have lost their starting Quarter Back and also have to play in Western Michigan. The Huskies have won 3 times in a row against Western Michigan so they may just have the mental edge as long as their new Quarter Back fits in and gets up to speed quickly.

The Huskies will win the Division if they get something from Jordan Lynch at that position and I am going to back them to do so.

MAC East: Ohio have won the Division in two of the last three years, including last season, and I think they are still the pick in the East.

They do face Miami, Ohio on the road, but have dominated the series in recent years and the schedule looks like one where they could surpass their 6 Conference wins from each of the last two seasons.

MAC Champion: Ohio lost the MAC Title Game last season, but I think they could have revenge on Northern Illinois this time. Confidence will be higher now they have won their first Bowl Game and they will be my pick in this Conference.


WAC: This could be the final season for the WAC as they think they won't have enough schools for their football Conference from next season and they have lost three schools from last season coming into this one.

The one positive is that their defending Champion, Louisiana Tech, are back this season and they look the pick of the Conference and could sweep their games. The Bulldogs pushed teams like Houston, TCU and Mississippi State last season and they have brought back a lot of starters from last season who should have improved for the experience.

Louisiana Tech finished 6-1 last season within the Conference, but rivals like Nevada, Fresno State and Hawaii are gone and they host Utah State which could be a tie-breaker.

WAC Champion: It has to be Louisiana Tech who made life difficult for schools with much higher expectations and I expect them to retain their title.


Sun Belt Conference: This is another Conference that has a few teams that can make a run for the title.

FIU, Troy, Louisiana, Western Kentucky and Arkansas State will all give very good reasons as to why they can win the title.

FIU and Western Kentucky have probably the best defenses in the Conference and I am of the believe that defenses do still win Championships.

I also favour FIU over the Hilltoppers because they have the more manageable schedule of the two and also host Western Kentucky- of the five teams mentioned, FIU have 2 at home and 2 on the road, while Western Kentucky have 1 at home and 3 on the road.

Sun Belt Conference: I am going to say FIU here but only because they have the better schedule and host Western Kentucky.

Week 1 Picks

The Week 1 Picks from the College Football games will be listed here, but they will be coming out when I lock in the games I like and they will also come out in staggered times as the games this week are spread from Thursday 30 August through to Monday 3 September.

Whenever picks are made, I will post a link to this thread and let's hope for a good start to a great season.

South Carolina Gamecocks @ Vanderbilt Commodores Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14814-South-Carolina-at-Vanderbilt.htm)

UCF Knights @ Akron Zips Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14817-UCF-Knights-at-Akron-Zips.htm)

UCLA Bruins @ Rice Owls Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14818-UCLA-Bruins-at-Rice-Owls.htm)

Oklahoma Sooners @ UTEP Miners Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14860-Oklahoma-Sooners-at-UTEP-Miners.htm)

Arkansas State Red Wolves @ Oregon Ducks Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14861-Arkansas-State-at-Oregon-Ducks.htm)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Tech Hokies Preview (http://goonersguide.com/football-pick-14881-Georgia-Tech-at-Virginia-Tech.htm)

MY PICKS: South Carolina Gamecocks - 6.5 Points @ 1.95 Paddy Power (1 Unit)
UCF Knights - 23.5 Points @ 1.95 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
UCLA Bruins - 16.5 Points @ 1.95 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Oklahoma Sooners - 30 Points @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Oregon Ducks - 37 Points @ 1.95 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Virginia Tech Hokies - 7.5 Points @ 2.00 Pinnacle (1 Unit)

Season 2011: 63-36, + 23.25 Units (99 Units Staked, 23.5% Yield)