Beyond that, unless you're Peter King or Chris Mortensen, why in the world do you need the DirecTV game mix? You can't possibly need to watch every single play from every single game live, as it happens. It's just an excuse to park in front of the TV all day and disengage from the world. It's hard enough to think about anything else when you're watching one game, let alone 8 at once.
And the college game (since this is a college blog) has similar enticements. ESPN GamePlan, the conference networks that are starting up, several college sports only channels, ESPN360.com, etc.
It's my belief that many of the ills of society can be traced, either directly or indirectly, to men disengaging from their responsibilities - fatherhood, husbandhood (that's actually a word - spell checker didn't underline it!), church and community leadership, mentoring. The reasoning behind that statement is another topic for another day, but my point is this - things like the DirecTV Game Mix, ESPN GamePlan, and loads of other things like video games, 500+ channel cable packages, and the slew of things that can be purchased with disposable income (or an incurrence of debt) all contribute to the distancing of men from authentic manhood. You won't hear me go so far as to say that watching sports or playing video games or purchasing boats are evil - that's way extreme - but what our culture often lacks is balance and priorities. The plethora of things that provide some level of instant gratification or some quick rush of excitement, coupled with the 24/7 availability of those things, mean that there is constant bait out there for us to swallow. What taking the bait does though, is pull us away from priorities and pursuing what's most important in life (hint - it's not football). As men reach the twilight of their lives, you won't find them saying, "Boy, I really wish I would have gotten that DirecTV Game Mix. I really missed out!" No, you find men wishing they'd spent more time with family, that they wouldn't have worked so hard and missed so much of their kids' childhood, that they'd prioritized their lives differently.
I've spent many a Saturday afternoon parked in front of the TV, surfing from game to game, reveling in a college football feast. But you know what? I can barely remember those days now. What I do remember are sweet times with my wife and daughter, or with the men who are my closest friends (yes, sometimes these do involve football too). My goal now, and I suppose what I hope to call others to through this soapbox moment, is to choose right priorities, to pursue balance and moderation, and to spend my best hours pursuing that which is most important to me - God, family, ministry, community. And yes, it's easier said than done.
And on to the picks. While last week looked like a truck stop steak dinner that turned out to be a premium grade A cut, this week looks like a bountiful buffet feast, with interesting games all through the weekend. Many of the most attractive non-conference games of the season lie in this week's schedule, and a few conference games worth keeping an eye on too. Hopefully the result will turn out as good as the promise. Enjoy the games - just don't watch them all at once.
1. Tennessee at Florida
Tennessee fell back to earth last week, revealing in the process that they're not quite ready to make the leap to SEC East threat quite yet, especially on offense. Florida meanwhile has yet to shift out of first gear and has still outscored their opponents a combined 118-9. Imagine what it could be like when Urban Meyer has his squad go to fifth gear against Tennessee - a longtime rival coached by Lane Kiffin, who's done everything he can to get under Meyer's skin, including accusing him of cheating in recruiting and saying this little nugget at his introductory press conference when named head coach: "I'm really looking forward to...singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year." Oops. I found an article from fanhouse.com that showed a picture of Lane's quote hanging in the Florida locker room in March. Watch this one only for the smug look on Meyer's face as he rolls up the score, because it won't be anything close to close.
Florida 62, Tennessee 7
2. Georgia Tech at Miami (FL)
In just a few seconds, Miami went from staring an 0-4 start in the face to having a realistic shot at 4-0. Florida State's Jarmon Fortson couldn't quite hold on to a last second pass in the end zone, turning loss into victory for the Hurricanes. The result of that game, coupled with the fact that Sam Bradford likely won't be back yet when the Canes face Oklahoma in a few weeks, makes each of the games in their gauntlet very winnable. It's not likely they'll win them each, not with @Virginia Tech and home for Oklahoma on back to back Saturdays, but it's not as impossible as it once seemed. Could we be looking at Miami sitting proudly in the top 10 by mid-October? Georgia Tech will be a stiff test Thursday, but it's the easiest of the 3 big hurdles left for Miami. I don't like how Tech let Clemson, a team that is known to collapse like a paper house in a tornado when it faces any sort of adversity, back in the game after opening a 24-0 lead last week. That tells me they are prone to lapses in focus, which Jacory Harris and Miami could take advantage of with some quick strikes.
Miami (FL) 27, Georgia Tech 23
3. Texas Tech at Texas
The Longhorns get some revenge from last year's Game of the Year loss in Lubbock against a Texas Tech team that is a shell of last year's version. Hard to believe that this game, amid all the possibilities, is the primetime national game and site of ESPN Gameday.
Texas 45, Texas Tech 28
4. Nebraska at Virginia Tech
This should be the primetime game - two tradition-laden schools that rest firmly in the top 20. Nebraska's young QB Zac Lee will face his stiffest test yet against the Hokie defense, which still stands head and shoulders above the Blackshirts, improved as they may be. Homefield advantage will be sizeable too, as Lane Stadium will be raucous as their Hokies welcome an old school power to town.
Virginia Tech 20, Nebraska 13
5. Georgia at Arkansas
Oklahoma State's loss to Houston doesn't help the Bulldogs any, who only managed 10 points against an Oklahoma State defense that surrendered 45 to Houston. Something tells me that Joe Cox isn't the right guy under center for Georgia, he seems like he could be more of a liability than an asset. Against tough SEC defenses, he'll be called on to generate offense, but can he do it? Arkansas isn't the toughest D the SEC offers, but the Razorbacks are sort of an "it" sleeper from the conference, with Michigan transfer Ryan Mallet at the helm of Bobby Petrino's offense. Arkansas welcomes itself to the national conversation with an upset of Georgia.
Arkansas 35, Georgia 27
6. Michigan State at Notre Dame
Weird things tend to happen in this series, and the road team has seemed to fare better. But I can't take Michigan State in light of their gift-wrapped loss to Central Michigan last week. Notre Dame bounces back from a tough loss by pushing around the other Michigan team.
Notre Dame 34, Michigan State 17
7. Utah at Oregon
Logic says take Utah in light of how poor Oregon has been so far. But the Utes haven't looked stellar either. They've had unimpressive wins over teams they ought to have clobbered, and Autzen Stadium is a tough place to play, even against a team that has yet to find itself. An Oregon loss would put them first in the race to be given the "Without a Parachute" Award, given to the highly ranked preseason team who fell most quickly and abruptly. An award proudly owned by Michigan in 2007 and Arizona State in 2008. But I think Oregon circles the wagons and ekes out a win at home.
Oregon 26, Utah 24
8. Florida State at BYU
The Mountain West cannot be faulted for lazy scheduling. The conference has demonstrated a willingness to take on anyone, which meshes well with the mentality of their conference commissioner - the most vocal and active in seeking to take down the BCS. It helps that they have some teams that can play too. It would be easy to blame Florida State's abysmal performance against Jacksonville State on a short week, but it might be a sign of more pressing concerns. We'll find out this week, as they face a BYU team as tough as anyone in the ACC, maybe even the whole country.
BYU 24, Florida State 23
9. Arizona at Iowa
Arizona was the wild card in Pac-10 predictions. I saw them ranked as low as 8th, just one small step above the lowly Washington teams, and as high as a frisky pick to crack the conferences top 4. My guess is that they'll fall somewhere in the middle, but they do pose a threat to Iowa in this one. The Hawkeyes righted the ship in a big way, destroying their rival last week, and I'm guessing that's what they needed to get their season, which still could turn out to be very good, back on the rails. They have too much muscle for the Wildcats.
Iowa 21, Arizona 17
10. West Virginia at Auburn
The toughest pick of the week. Auburn has managed to score plenty of points, albeit against less than formidable competition, but they've also allowed more than you'd expect too. West Virginia is capable of putting up some digits behind Jarrett Brown and Noel Devine, but they too have allowed more points than their fans are comfortable with against inferior opponents. In a coin flip, I'm going to go with West Virginia. They have more of a run/pass balance on offense, and I fear that inconsistency at the QB position for Auburn could do them in.
West Virginia 31, Auburn 28
11. Cincinnati at Oregon State
I'll be honest. I could not even come close to naming who Oregon State has played so far. I scan the scores at the end of the day Saturday, but no Beaver score is standing out to me. I know they rest just outside the top 25, so they must be doing something right, but I know little to nothing about them. Jaquizz Rodgers, the scatback who emerged as a star in the USC game last year, is still there. I know that. I get the sense, though, that if Cincy won in Corvallis it would be an upset. It's not often that a team comes across the country and outplays the well-coached Beavers. But I think Cincy could be the real deal, which means that they're one of the few who can step in there and win.
Cincinnati 34, Oregon State 24
12. California at Minnesota
I had this labeled as an upset before the season began, and it very well could be. California got lambasted last year when they played Maryland in a noon ET kickoff, which is when this game will start. But Minnesota hasn't done anything to impress me in squeaking by both Syracuse and Air Force. They seem to be a gritty bunch who can win close games, but it will take more than grit to knock of Cal.
California 30, Minnesota 21
13. Northwestern at Syracuse
Yes, for the third straight week Syracuse makes the freshman fifteen. What can I say, I like the direction the Orange are heading, even with 2 losses to open the season. I think they finally break through this week - the home crowd is back behind them and Northwestern struggled to hold off a pathetic Eastern Michigan side last weekend.
Syracuse 28, Northwestern 27
14. Boise State at Fresno State
This could be the toughest test left on the schedule for Boise State, as both Nevada and Louisiana Tech have yet to show that they're anything close to a threat yet. Fresno State has played well to open the season, taking Wisconsin to double OT last week. But the Broncos, behind a suddenly stout defense (4 ppg allowed), are way too much for anyone in this conference to handle, even an amped up Fresno State.
Boise State 33, Fresno State 14
15. Navy at Pittsburgh
Navy has beaten Pitt before - just 2 years ago at Heinz Field, in fact. And if they can scare the living daylights out of Ohio State, what might be possible here? But I'm not going to fall for that logic again. Pitt is looking very strong. While the defense still needs a bit of work, the offense is moving along just fine. Shady McCoy hasn't been missed yet, as freshman Dion Lewis has exceeded even the high expectations that were bestowed upon him. Pitt wins on the strength of that run game and an offensive line that will overpower the smaller Navy defensive front.
Pittsburgh 38, Navy 27
Next week: um, more of the same I guess. Nothing special to lure you in with. I know you're good for coming back anyway. Oh, and no Saturday recap this week - I'll be away at a conference and likely won't be able to watch much football, let alone write somewhat intelligent thoughts about it.
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