What to Watch this Weekend

Thursday Night

Appalachian State @ #9 Tennessee- SEC Network 7:30

South Carolina @ Vanderbilt- ESPNU 8:00

The first Thursday night of the season starts off with 2 SEC games.   Tennessee starts their most hyped season since Phillip Fulmer was the coach when they host 11 win App State on the SEC network.  While Tenessee is rightfully the clear favorite, they will not be able to sleep walk through this one.  Over on ESPNU, two of the cellar dellars in the SEC East square off.  Both teams will most likely need a win in this one in order to be bowl eligible by season end.

Friday Night

Kansas State @ #8 Stanford- FS1 9:00

Heisman hopeful Christian Mccaffrey takes the field for the first time as Stanford hosts Kansas State.  Last year, Stanford lost their opening game to Northwestern, as the were unable to get any offense going in a 16-6 loss, which most likely kept them out of the playoff.  If they come out of the gate slow, this is another loseable game. 

Saturday Morning

Georgia Tech VS Boston College (Ireland)- ESPN2 7:30

BC takes on Georgia Tech in Ireland for a rare Saturday morning start.  Both teams had very dissapointing season’s in 2015, and will be looking to right the ship to start the 2016 season.

Saturday Day

#3 Oklahoma @ #15 Houston (Reliant Stadium)- ABC 12:00

Missouri @ West Virginia- FS1 12:00

Hawaii @ #7 Michigan- ESPN 12:00

Oklahoma heads to Reliant Stadium to take on Houston.  Both of these teams are coming off very succesul seasons with Oklahoma making the playoff, and Houston winning the Peach Bowl.  Each team is lead by its star QB, Baker Mayfield for Oklahoma, and Greg Ward Jr. for Houston.  Look for Oklahoma runningback Samaje Perine to be the difference in this one.  Elsewhere, Missouri takes on West Virginia in a game featuring two teams who are dark hourse picks for their respective conferences.  Also, Michigan begins their season against Hawaii, who turned the ball 5 times in their opener against Cal.

Saturday Afternoon

#5 LSU VS Wisconsin (Lambeau Field)- ABC 3:30

#16 UCLA @ Texas A&M- CBS 3:30

#18 Georgia VS #22 North Carolina (Atlanta)- ESPN 5:30

College football heads to Lambeau Field as LSU heads to Wisconsin.  LSU is arguably the most talented team in college football but don’t rule of Wisconsin.  Wisconsin’s defense is strong enough to keep it close, but if LSU plays the way they are capable of playing, they should win this one.  Also, UCLA and QB Josh Rosen play at Texas A&M.  A&M had a lot of turmoil this offseason, but have Oklahoma transfer Trevor Knight at QB, and an excellent defensive line.  The Chick-Fil-A kickoff game starts in the late afternoon.  Both UNC and UGA are led by their runningbacks, Elijah Hood and Nick Chubb respectivly. This is a tough test for new Georgia coach Kirby Smart, but they should have a strong home-field advatnage as this “nuetral-site” game is taking playing in state.

Saturday Night

#20 USC VS #1 Alabama (Dallas)- ABC 8:00

#2 Clemson @ Auburn- ESPN 9:00

The top 2 teams open this season on Saturday night. Alabama returns to Dallas to face USC, while Clemson heads to Auburn.  Alabama is undefeated in Kickoff games, but faces a tough test in USC.  The Trojans are led by All-American WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, while Alabama is breaking in a new QB for the third straight season.  Minewhile, in Auburn Deshaun Watson and defending ACC champs face a tough road test.  Auburn should be improved from last year, and have finally settled on a QB in Sean White.

Sunday Night

#10 Notre Dame @ Texas-ESPN 7:30

Notre Dame heads to Texas for a rare college football Sunday night gam.  Last year Texas was destroyed by Notre Dame in both teams opening game.  Texas lost multiple close games last season, and should be improved.  Notre Dame is once again a playoff contender.  Head Coach Brian Kelly made the unusual decision of not naming a starting QB, but instead saying Malik Zaire, and Deshone Kizer will both received snaps in this one.

Monday Night

#11 Ole Miss VS #4 Florida State (Orlando)- ESPN 8:00

Week 1 ends with a good one down in Orlando.  Florida State and Dalvin Cook start the season off as playoff hopefuls.  Ole Miss, lost aton of talent, but return staring QC Chad “Swag” Kelly.  Florida State on the other hand returns plenty, but will be starting Freshman QB Deondre Francois.  FSU will have a strong home field adantage.  While Francois is a top recruit, he shouldn’t have to be the star, as Cook is one of the best backs in the country.

BC Prediction- What Will Happen

Georgia Tech (Ireland)- Win

BC takes an ugly one from GT to start the season off in Ireland.  Towles gets the start and doesn’t play particularly well, but it able to hit receivers on a few long passes that are difference makers.  The defense stops GT from getting the option going, and the Eagles ride an early lead to a close victory

@ UMASS- Win

BC cruises to an easy victory at Gillette.  The offensive line shows signs of being much better than last season, as the Eagles start 2-0. 

@ Virginia Tech- Loss

After a 2-0 start the Eagles lose a tough one in Blacksburg.  The offense struggles and turns the ball over multiple times in the loss.  Well the defense plays well they don’t do enough to get the victory.  There are grumblings about Wade taking over the QB job as Towles hasn’t played particulary well, but Daz squashes this and announces Towles will stay as the starter.

Wagner- Win

BC gets back on track with a game against a bad Wagner team.  The Eagles are over halfway to bowl eligibility before the end of September.

Buffalo- Win

Buffalo places a scare into BC after a slow start, but the Eagles are able to come back and win easily.  BC improves to 4-1 as they head into the bulk of ACC play.  After back to back wins the calls for Wade to take over begin to ease off. 

Clemson- Loss

The Eagles lose to Clemson at home to a very good Clemson team.  The Eagles start off well, and Towles is able to make some big plays through the air, but Deshaun Watson is too much for the defense.  Even with the loss, the team sits at 4-2, with a good shot at making a bowl.

Syracuse- Win

The Eagles pull out a victory over Syracuse to get back on track after losing to Clemson.  4 out of the 5 wins this season so far have been to teams that won’t likely make it to bowl games.  However, the team sits at 5-2, and does not have a bad loss. 

@NC State- Win

BC becomes bowl eligible over Halloween weekend with a win over NC State.  Like most games, the defense sets the tone right off the bat.  BC is able to use big plays on offense to overcome an otherwise below average game.  At 6-2, the team receives some votes in the polls.

Louisville- Loss

After becoming bowl eligible, they drop one to a very talented Louisville squad.  BC is able to keep it close for a half, but gets blown out in the second.  The loss drops BC to 3-3 in the ACC and snaps any outside shot at winning the Atlantic.

@Florida State- Loss

BC loses back to back games for the first time this season after losing in Tallahasee.  Lead by a strong first quarter by Towles, BC has the lead in this one for most of the game.  However, Dalvin Cook turns it on in the second half and the Eagles lose a close one.  Looking forward, BC has two easy games to close out the season and improve their bowl prospects.

UCONN- Win

BC finishes off the home schedule with an easy win over UCONN.  While not the toughest opponent BC plays its most complete game of the season, and are lead by a strong running attack. BC uses Rouse, Willis and Hillman almost interchangeably, and runs all over UCONN.  With the win, Daz ties his highest win total as BC coach.

@Wake Forest- Win

BC ends the season with an easy victory down in Winston-Salem.  This wins improves their record to 8-4, and 4-4 in the conference, the most wins for Daz in a single season.  Even though they benefited from an easy schedule, the team was able to mightily improve.  BC heads to the Sun Bowl, where they lose to Washington State to finish 8-5

BC Best Case Scenario

Georgia Tech- Win

BC comes out of Dublin with an easy win to start the season.  The defense gets back right where they left off as they slow down the GT option.  While the offense isn’t great Towles is able to connect on some big plays, and BC is able to capitalize on scoring chances.  BC comes home from Ireland feeling real good about their bowl chances.

UMASS- Win

BC wins handily as they shut out UMASS at Gillette.  Tolwes again shows off his arm as the offense makes big plays through the air. 

Virginia Tech- Win

BC goes down to Lane Stadium and pulls out the victory to start 3-0.  The defense shines in the victory and holds VT offense.  BC doesn’t do much on offense, but gets the job done in the victory.  While Towles isn’t a star he plays well enough to put the QB controversy to rest. There starts to be some excitement around BC as they enter the receiving votes category in the polls. 

Wagner- Win

BC easily handles Wagner.  The starters only play a quarter as the Eagles improve to 4-0.

Buffalo- Win

While Buffalo puts a scare in BC, the Eagles pull away in the fourth quarter for the victory.  BC stands at 5-0 for the first time since 2007.  There is plenty excitement heading into a primetime matchup with Clemson on Friday Night

Clemson- Loss

The Eagles lose to Clemson as Deshaun Watson proves to be too much.  The defense does well to keep the game close but the offense cannot get on track.  Towles throws a few coastly interceptions to end any comeback attempt. BC falls to 5-1 but only 1 game away from being bowl eligible. 

Syracuse- Win

BC becomes bowl eligible before Halloween after beating Syracuse.  The offensive line is able to take control as BC just pushes around Syracuse.  The offense begins to have an identity with power runs, mixed with long play action passes.  More excitement builds as the Eagles are 3-1 in the ACC with an outside shot at making the championship game.

NC State- Loss

The BC hype train slows as the team stumbles in Raleigh.  The offense turns the ball over multiple times as BC loses a close one. The setback puts the team at 6-2, and still on their way for a very successful season.

Louisville- Loss

BC loses back to back games for the first time all year when Louisville visits the Heights.  Although the defense holds strong, the offense comes up just short in their upset bid.  The dreams of making the ACC Championship game is over, but the team has plenty left to play for.

Florida State- Win

Towles plays by far the best game of his career in Tallahassee, and the defense stuffs out Heisman counter Dalvin Cook.  BC leads the whole way, and is able to hold off a late comeback for the win. The win brings back shades of the USC victory as the Eagles are making headlines throughout the country. 

UCONN- Win

On Senior day, the Eagles come out and run all over UCONN, as the offensive line leads the way to an easy victory.  BC gets to 8 wins for the first time under Daz, as the team is ranked going into the last week of the regular season.

Wake Forest- Win

The Eagles finish the season by beating a bad Wake Forest squad.  With a 9-3 record and 5-3 in the ACC, the head to the Belk bowl.  With the large turnaround, Daz receives many coach of the year accolades, and gains an extension.

BC Worse Case Scenario

Georgia Tech- Loss

BC comes flat out of the gate.  It’s a weird game being played in Dublin, and against an offense they will see only once this year.  Towles gets the start, and doesn’t really do much.  Once BC gets behind, the offense is unable to get back in it, and the option offense limits our possessions.  Even though it’s a letdown, expectations are still there to make it back to a bowl game.

UMASS- Win

BC has a huge talent advantage in this one, and right the ship to get back to .500.  Towles is able to use his arm to get the offense back on track.

Virginia Tech- Loss

The offense struggles mightily in a loss to VT, while the defense keeps VT close enough to make it respectful.  Afterwards Daz is faced with another QB controversy between Towles and Wade.  Unlike last year, Daz sticks with Towles as the starter.  While BC doesn’t need to beat either of the techs to make a bowl they are good measuring stick games for the program, and some diehards begin grumbling about Daz’s job.

Wagner- Win

Similar to the UMASS game BC cruises to a victory.  Similar to the Howard game last year, the coaches agree to shorten the second half.

Buffalo- Win

Another low quality opponent, another easy win for the eagles.  After this game, the possibility for a bowl becomes reasonable as Wake, UCONN and Cuse remain on the schedule.

Clemson- Loss

BC keeps it close in the first half but losses a blowout to a very talented Clemson squad on a Friday night.  The defense keeps it tight early but Watson begins to pick them apart in the second half.  Even with the loss, the bowl hopes still remain.

Syracuse- Win

BC sneaks by Syracuse in an ugly game to win their first ACC game in almost 23 months. The bowl hopes remain, but it becomes clear that this just isn’t a very good team, and are only skating by on an easy schedule.  However, they are .500 heading into Halloween weekend.

NC State- Loss

BC losses in Raleigh in a game where the score is closer than the game actually is.  Towles throws some costly interceptions and Wade comes on at the end but doesn’t do much.  The defense does their best to keep it close, but can’t overcome a putrid offense.  While not an encouraging game for the program, they still have Wake and UCONN left to become bowl eligible.

Louisville- Loss

BC gets embarrassed by a very good Louisville squad.  The defense finally has an off night as they are unable to control the running ability of Lamar Jackson.  Towles begins to press and throws some bad interceptions.  Wade enters the game in the fourth but fairs no better.  Not a good sign as the eagles’ best unit (the defense) is exposed.

 

Florida State- Loss

BC losses a close one on a Friday night in Tallahassee.  The defense rebounds to keep Dalvin Cook in check, but the offense is unable to do much when provided with good field position.  The team falls to 4-6 with the loss.

UCONN- Loss

BC suffers one of its worst losses in decades at the hands of a bad UCONN team, spoiling senior day.  Towles plays bad, and is replaced by Wade in the second half.  The defense comes out flat, and the Eagles get down to much to come back.  With the loss, BC can no longer become bowl eligible.  Calls for Daz’s head begin as BC is no longer even the best team in New England.  Daz’s overall record drops to 21-28 and 16-28 against the FBS.

Wake Forest- Win

Wade gets the start and the offense clicks for the first time all season as BC wraps up the season at 5-7.  This, however, provides more scrutiny to Daz as many wonder why Wade hasn’t been the starter all season.  Daz get a vote of confidence from Bates, but it is made that he is on the hot seat.  Bates, as well, is on the hot seat after both Football and basketball hires did not turn out well. 

Playoff Predictions

1. Florida State
2. LSU
3. Ohio State
4. Alabama

Semifinals
Florida State over Alabama
LSU over Ohio State

National Championship
LSU over Florida State

PAC 12 Prediction

PAC 12

North

1. Oregon 10-2 (7-2)

2. Stanford 10-2 (7-2)

3. Washington State 9-3 (6-3)

4. Washington 6-6 (3-6)

5. California 3-9 (1-8)

6. Oregon State 2-10 (0-9)

South

1. USC 10-2 (8-1)

2. UCLA 9-3 (6-3)

3. Utah (7-2)

4. Arizona 8-4 (6-3)

5. Arizona State 6-6 (3-6)

6. Colorado 1-11 (0-9)

Pac 12 Championship: USC over Oregon

SEC Predictions

East

1. Georgia 9-3 (6-2)

2. Florida 9-3 (6-2)

3. Tennessee 9-3 (5-3)

4. Missouri 7-5 (3-5)

5. Kentucky 5-7 (2-6)

6. Vanderbilt 3-9 (1-7)

7. South Carolina 3-9 (0-8)

West

1. LSU 11-1 (7-1)

2. Alabama 11-1 (7-1)

3. Ole Miss 8-4 (5-3)

4. Auburn 7-5 (4-4)

5. Arkansas 7-5 (4-4)

6. Mississippi State 7-5 (3-5)

7. Texas A&M 6-6 (3-5)

Championship Game: LSU over Georgia

Big 12 Prediction

1. Oklahoma 10-2 (8-1)

2. TCU 10-2 (7-2)

3. Oklahoma State 9-3 (6-3)

4. Baylor 8-4 (5-3)

5. Kansas State 7-5 (5-4)

6. Texas 7-5 (5-4)

7. West Virginia 6-6 (5-4)

8. Texas Tech 5-7 (3-6)

9. Iowa State 3-9 (1-8)

10. Kansas 1-11 (0-9)

Big Ten Predicttion

East

1. Ohio State: 11-1 (8-1)

2. Michigan State: 10-2 (7-2)

3. Michigan: 10-2 (7-2)

4. Penn State: 7-5 (5-4)

5. Indiana: 7-5 (4-5)

6. Maryland: 5-7 (2-7)

7. Rutgers: 3-9 (1-8)

West

1. Wisconsin: 9-3 (7-2)

2. Iowa: 9-3 (7-2)

3. Nebraska: 8-4 (6-3)

4. Northwestern: 7-5 (6-3)

5. Minnesota: 6-6 (4-5)

6. Illinois: 3-9 (1-8)

7. Purdue: 1-11 (0-9)

Championship Game: Ohio State over Wisconsin

ACC Predictions

Atlantic

1. Florida State: 12-0 (8-0)

2. Louisville: 10-2 (7-1)

3. Clemson: 10-2 (6-2)

4. Boston College: 8-4 (4-4)

5. NC State: 5-7 (2-6)

6. Syracuse: 3-9 (1-7)

7. Wake Forest: 3-9 (1-7)

Coastal

1. Pittsburgh: 10-2 (7-1)

2. North Carolina: 10-2 (6-2)

3. Georgia Tech: 7-5 (4-4)

4. Miami: 7-5 (4-4)

5. Virginia Tech: 6-6 (4-4)

6. Duke: 5-7 (2-6)

7. Virginia: 4-8 (1-7)

Championship Game: Florida State over Pittsburgh

What to Watch this Weekend

Friday Night

California VS Hawaii (At Sydney Austrailia) ESPN 10:00

The 2016 season starts off with a game being played halfway around the world.  This game will be played at 2:00 local time on Saturday, but will be a Friday night start in the states.  Cal comes into this game after losing first overall pick Jared Goff and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.  Look for new Cal QB Davis Webb to throw upwards of 50 times. Hawaii has new coach and former Nevada offensive coordinator Nick Rolovich.  Rolovich is very familiar to Hawaii as he was a former assistant there prior to joining the Nevada staff.

Prediction: While neither of these teams are expected to contend, this game should have plenty of offense.  It will be a very entertaining way to start the season on a Friday night.  However, Cal is the more talented team and should pull away in the second half.  California 48-Hawaii 27

Saturday Day

High School Kickoff- ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU All Day

ESPN starts the season with the high school kickoff all day on Saturday and includes games on Friday and Sunday.  Look out for IMG Academy which has a bevy of top recruits, and for St. Xavier, a big BC hotbed, who has produced players such as Luke Kuechly and Steven Daniels in the past.  The full schedule is below

Saturday Night

FCS Kickoff Game- Charleston Southern At North Dakota State 7:30 ESPN

A battle between top 10 FCS teams closes out “week 0” in college football. North Dakota State is once again the preseason #1 even after losing 2^nd overall pick Carson Wentz.  NDSU has won the last 5 FCS national championships.  However, this shouldn’t be a cakewalk victory as Charleston Southern is the #6 ranked team in FCS.  NDSU lost an exciting game to Montana last year during the FCS kickoff, and this should be another great one.

Best Neutral Site Games

This season there will be 18 neutral site games taking place at 15 different stadiums.   While there are some traditional rivalry games on this list, most of these are one-off or kickoff games.  Below are the best games, best locations, and the best traditional rivalry matchups for neutral sites this year.

Top 3 Games

1. Ole Miss VS. Florida State

2.  USC VS. Alabama

3. Oklahoma VS. Houston

Top 3 Locations

1. Bristol Motor Speedway

2. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

3. Dublin, Ireland

Top 3 Rivalry Matchups

1. Florida VS. Georgia

2. Oklahoma VS. Texas

3.  Army VS. Navy

Matchup	Date	Location	Notes
California vs. Hawaii	Aug. 27	Sydney, Australia	First Game of the Season
Colorado vs. Colorado State	Sept. 2	Denver, Colo.	Rocky Mountain Showdown
BYU vs. Arizona	Sept. 3	Glendale, Ariz.
Georgia vs. North Carolina	Sept. 3	Atlanta, Ga.	Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game
Georgia Tech vs. Boston College	Sept. 3	Dublin, Ireland	Aer Lingus Football Classic
LSU vs. Wisconsin	Sept. 3	Green Bay, Wis.	At Lambeu Field
Oklahoma vs. Houston	Sept. 3	Houston, Texas	Texas Kickoff
Southern California vs. Alabama	Sept. 3	Arlington, Texas	Cowboys Classic
Mississippi vs. Florida State	Sept. 5	Orlando, Fla.	Camping World Kickoff
Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech	Sept. 10	Bristol, Tenn.	At Bristol Motor Speedway
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M	Sept. 24	Arlington, Texas	Southwest Classic
BYU vs. West Virginia	Sept. 24	Landover, Md.
Notre Dame vs. Syracuse	Oct. 1	East Rutherford, N.J
Oklahoma vs. Texas	Oct. 8	Dallas, Texas	Red River Shootout
Air Force vs. New Mexico	Oct. 15	Dallas, Texas	At the Cotton Bowl
Florida vs. Georgia	Oct. 29	Jacksonville, Fla.	World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
Navy vs. Notre Dame	Nov. 5	Jacksonville, Fla.
Army vs. Navy	Dec. 10	Baltimore, Md.	Last Game of Regular Season