Maddux Sports Blog

Here are the storylines that stand out for me this week in college football action:

Eastern Michigan (+24) at Michigan – Isn’t everyone always endlessly fascinated every time Michigan plays? I know I am. If this one is even close I am going to be less than thrilled.

Cal (-13.5) at Minnesota – Cal seems to be for real. The pollsters sure think so. This game won’t prove that they really are, but it’s a chance for a misstep if they aren’t focused.

Ohio State (-21) at Toledo – The Buckeyes were brutal offensively the Trojans. This will be a good chance for them to start to work out the kinks before they begin their next shot at redemption when their Big Ten season starts.

Tennessee (+29.5) at Florida – Urban Meyer is really, really, really going to try to pound the life out of Lane Kiffin and the Vols. This one won’t be even close, but it will certainly be entertaining. The Gators could win by 50.

Nebraska (+5) at Virginia Tech – Both of these teams are well regarded in the polls, but both of them could use a big win here to define their season and prove that they are legitimate. This would be one heck of a momentum win for the Pelini era.

Tulsa (+18) at Oklahoma – Is Landry Jones any good. How about Tulsa. This one probably won’t be very interesting, but there is a chance that it could be.

Michigan State (+10) at Notre Dame – Can Charlie Weis bounce back from a tough loss last week, or can this season degenerate into a total disaster?

USC (-19) at Washington – There are some prominent people out there who are predicting an upset here. I’m not sure that I see that, but I would love to see the Huskies finally make some real progress. It will also be interesting to see how the Trojans’ offense looks under the control of Aaron Corp. It can’t look much worse than it did under Matt Barkley for most of the Ohio State game.

Utah (+4.5) at Oregon – The Ducks need nothing more than a huge win here to prove that the Boise State debacle was just a blip in the road. A team like Utah can always use a win over a major conference opponent.

Cincinnati (-1.5) at Oregon State – This game fascinates me. The Bearcats have been almost flawless so far this year, but they take a step up in class. The Beavers have one of the most exciting young players in the country. Either tea could win this one, and it will be a big win for whoever does.

Rice (+33.5) at Oklahoma State – The Cowboys totally and utterly outclass Rice. They need to have a massive game here – if they don’t bounce back strong from the embarrassment of last weekend then there are serious questions to be answered.

Florida State (+8) at BYU – A second win over a legitimate major conference team would help BYU’s cause. An overwhelming win would keep alive their slim chance of making the national championship game.

Texas Tech (+18.5) at Texas – Am I the only one that is still uneasy about Texas? They have ridiculous amounts of talent, but they haven’t had to prove anything yet, and I can’t shake the feeling that they have looked a bit lethargic so far. This will be the biggest test they have had yet. A big win here would prove a lot to me.

Here are the weekend’s top college football stories as I see them:

Iowa (-6) at Iowa State – The Hawkeyes started the season ranked, but they looked truly awful last weekend. Which team is the real Iowa?

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Holy Freaking Crap!!! As a Michigan fan that first half yesterday against Western Michigan was the second best thing to happen to me in the last few years (And I only say second best because I’d get grief from my wife if I didn’t at least pretend my wedding mattered more). It has been a very rough year and a half since we beat Florida in the Capital One Bowl, so the 31-0 drubbing we laid on Western Michigan in the first half yesterday was tremendous relief. For the first time in too long there was something beautiful on witness when we played – competence. Our defense was smothering, our offense looked pretty good and true freshman Tate Forcier threw three touchdown passes and looked far beyond his age. Glory days. So much for all those reports of division in the locker room and incompetence by Rich Rodriguez. I hope I’m not the only one who took the over on Michigan’s season win total this year.

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The college football season gets going in earnest today with a whole plate of games. Some of them are ridiculously easy (Charleston Southern?!?! I’ll never understand why Florida doesn’t get more grief for their brutal non-conference scheduling), but there are more than a few that will have my attention today. Here, in chronological order, is a look at some of the highlights:

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It’s Finally here. After months and months and months of waiting, the world’s finest team sports gets underway tonight. It’s college football time!!! Normally the opening Thursday night games are less than exciting, but this time around we have one real gem and a couple of others that are more than worth a look. Here’s a quick preview of the highlight’s of tonight’s action:

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As you probably know if you have read this blog much I am a diehard Michigan fan – the kind that bleeds maize and blue.Given that you’ll have a sense of how much I have enjoyed the last year or two of football, and the last decade of basketball. I’m optimistic now, though – In Rod I trust. The being said, the press conference by coach Rich Rodriguez today pretty much terrified me.

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I’m about to watch my Calgary Flames play at Dallas. It’s with a sense of doom, though – Dallas is red hot, and Calgary played last night. The Flames have played back to back games seven times this year, and have won just one. Expecting to lose is not a good feeling for a fan. Hedging my loyalty with a bet on the Stars is probably the best solution.

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It’s all over. No more college football for almost nine months. Nine long, painful months. I’ll miss it. There are millions of reasons, but here are 10:

1. Good teams are often good bets. The final top five of the year is likely to be made up of Florida, Oklahoma, USC, Texas and Utah. Those teams are a combined 42-16-1 ATS, and that includes USC’s uninspiring 6-6 ATS mark. That’s a 71 percent win rate. What’s not to love about a sport where identifying the better team is often the biggest part of the battle.

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It’s halfway through the Sugar Bowl, and I have contentedly been watching college football almost non-stop for three days. This is such a great, great time of year. As I sit here at halftime hoping that Utah can hold on and keep Alabama at bay, it seems like a good time to look back to see what we have learned the last few days:

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The last installment. These are the New Year’s Day games and beyond.

Outback Bowl - Iowa -3. The Hawkeyes won five of six. South Carolina looked terrible in their last two, and they can’t stop the run.

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