Week #3

It was a big week for my non-existent Sportsbook account last Saturday. I hit on 4 of 5 picks and continued to distance myself from old George Washington.

Here we go with a look at 5 games from week 2.

Rice (+8.5) at Vanderbilt -- MY PICK: VANDY, GEORGE'S: RICE; Since they are the only team with a win in conference play, Vanderbilt sits on top of the entire SEC. They better enjoy it because it won't last. However, they sure earned some respect with a 24-17 home win over South Carolina. Vandy won that game with good defense and special teams play including 2 INT's, 4 sacks, a blocked field goal, and a block punt returned for a TD. They'll need more of that to beat the high octane Rice Owls as the Commodores offense is nothing special, led by athletic QB Chris Nickson. But I gotta go with the SEC here.

Florida Atlantc(+17) at Michigan State -- MY PICK: FLORIDA ATLANTIC, GEORGE'S: MICHIGAN STATE; Florida Atlantic is such a good story. The start-up program has been led by famed 72 year old coach Howard Schnellenberger since its inception only a decade ago. As they play in South Florida, the Owls are overshadowed by Schnellenberger's old team, plus every other big football school in the state. However, that started to change last year when Florida Atlantic captured the Sun Belt Conference and won their first ever bowl game. Look for this program to continue to grow as they land better hometown recruits. I would not be at all surprised if Schnellenberger leads another program from nothing to the hilltop where he can view the promised land before retirement, as he has done before in Miami and Louisville. With my lack of respect for the Big 10, I like high powered QB Rusty Smith to lead the Owls to the upset of the week.

Penn State (-27.5) at Syracuse -- MY PICK: PENN STATE, GEORGE'S: PENN STATE; What a shame how this once-famed rivalry has fallen. Ever since Harvard and Yale ceased to be football powers a century ago, these two schools have kept big time college football alive in the baseball-obsessed Northeast. However, times have changed. Newer schools like Boston College, Connecticut, and Rutgers have emerged and chipped away at recruiting. Meanwhile, while Coach Joe Paterno struggles to keep his Nittany Lions competitive, Syracuse's program has completely crumbled since the Donovan McNabb era ended in the late 1990s. Look for Penn State to rack up yardage on the ground and embarrass the Orangemen in their once-legendary Carrier Dome.

Michigan (-2) at Notre Dame -- MY PICK: MICHIGAN, GEORGE'S: MICHIGAN; Because this is Michigan-Notre Dame, I will make a pick. Otherwise, this game is a dud. Both teams are rebuilding and suck-ass teams. However, there is a big difference. The Wolverines will get better with new coach Rich Rodriguez. But for Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish, it's over pal. Notre Dame is getting its comeuppance for wrongfully firing former coach Ty Willingham. And it couldn't happen to a nicer team. Expect little from once-prized recruit QB Jimmy Clausen. Michigan wins on the road with defense and special teams.

Ohio State(+11) at USC -- MY PICK: USC, GEORGE'S: USC; ESPN is calling this game "Clash At The Coliseum." To that I say "Much Ado About Nothing." Though Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is a likeable guy in his red sweater-vest, the OSU Buckeyes are totally over-rated yet again. It's a disgrace that voters continue to offer them such respect after their poor performances in big-time bowl games. The SEC seems to make mincemeat out of the Big 10's best every January. Ohio State still has QB Todd Boeckman and RB Chris Wells from last year's team, but they will continue to have a "speed" deficit on both sides of the ball against USC. Look for USC RB Joe McKnight to have a big game and start the Reggie Bush comparisons.

JTB YEARLY RECORD: 7-3
GW YEARLY RECORD: 2-8