College Football - Week One Picks

Stick with us and your Sunday mornings will never feel like this

I rarely ever gamble on anything.  I'll play poker here and there, or bet a buddy $5 on a game we are watching together, but I don't have a bookie or an online gambling account.  I do feel like putting myself out there by providing my picks against the spread is risk enough.  The upside, you think I know what I'm doing.  The downside, you think I'm an idiot.  I'll take being an idiot in your eyes over having to tell my wife I lost a paycheck because a 20 year old kid threw 3 interceptions.  

Record to date

Sef Sam Holy - 2-1

Ryan McMahon - 1-2

#24 Boise State (+7) at #13 Michigan State

Ryan:  I like Boise to cover in a close game.  Close game throughout but MSU just comes out ahead.  Boise has lost 7 starters and has a inexperienced QB starting for the 1st time on the road, you know they can score points but MSU's crazy good D ends (specifically Gholston) will put the untested Southwick on his back several times. 

Sef Sam Holy:  I'll take MSU to not only beat a depleted Boise team, but make a statement that they are force to be reckon with this season.  Losing Kirk Cousins will undoubtedly hurt their offense, but Andrew Maxwell will play well enough with a sick defense and home crowd behind him tonight to win by 10 points. 

Notre Dame (-16.5) vs Navy in Ireland

Ryan:   ND covers.  ND beat Navy 56-14 last year, I predict much of the same.  Total homer pick and couldn't care less. 

Sef Sam Holy:  For the first time all year, I'll agree with you.  I hate Notre Dame and nothing would start off my Saturday better than to see Brian Kelly crying on the sidelines in another country as the Irish drop a game they should win, but I think they are way too much for a Navy team I won't care about enough to watch again the rest of the year.  

#14 Clemson (-3.5) vs Auburn in Atlanta

Ryan:  The line on this game feels so spot-on its unbelievable.  I think Auburn wins in the first upset of the year.  If this game is played in late October Auburn wins by double digits, they are loaded with talent even if its young and I say they finish the year in the top 20. 

Sef Sam Holy:  I hate Clemson almost as much as I hate Notre Dame.  Without Sammy Watkins, Tajh Boyd may struggle to get going but I think they end up winning this game.  Tons of people are sleeping on a very talented Clemson team and for good reason, see last year's Orange Bowl, but they won the ACC last year, and return almost everybody.  Will they cover the 3.5?  Sure but I'm about as confident in that as I am in Lee Corso making sense on Game Day Saturday morning.   

Hawaii (-42) at #1 USC 

Reason enough to watch USC

Ryan:  Really!?!? 42 point spread week 1!?!? Thats ridiculous, obviously SC wins huge but not that huge.  Kiffin (insert bad word to describe a person) gets his starters out after 3 quarters and with Norm Chow taking over at Hawaii i think they can at least score some points.  USC does have the most talent 1-22 in my opinion, but who cares because they're USC and if you have ever walked on that campus its like a model shoot every step.  You would have to be some sort of super moron to not want to go there.  Hawaii covers

Sef Sam Holy:  This type of line is why I don't gamble.  I'd rather watch this game to enjoy Gus Johnson yelling than worry about what happens in the 4th quarter of what will be a blowout.  Give me USC just to disagree with a guy that lived in Vegas and really gambles on football.  

#8 Michigan (+14) vs #2 Alabama in Dallas

Ryan:  Michigan to cover.  Alabama pounds the ball and plays boring old Saban ball.  They win but it will probably be closer to a 10 point victory.  Early in the year like this Shoelace's talent alone keeps the game close against a defense that lost 6 players to in the draft alone.  Great first week game, really pumped for this one  and even though as a ND fan i despise Big Blue i wouldn't mind seeing an upset.  

Sef Sam Holy:  Michigan can win this game outright if they don't turn the ball over, Denard makes 3 big plays (40+ yards), and their defense scores them a turnover that gives their offense the ball inside the red zone.  If there is ever a time to play a defense that is starting 7 new players, it's the first game of the season.  We saw last night in the Vandy/SC game that missed tackles are a part of early season college football and those missed tackles can turn into 78 yard TD passes.  I do think Michigan comes into this season slightly overrated but they find a way to make this a game worth watching when the 4th quarter rolls around and cover the 14 points.  

Georgia Tech (+7.5) at #16 Virginia Tech

Ryan:  It sucks to play in Blacksburg and GT knows it.  GT gets Beamered all Monday night.  VT has been slow to start the last few years but that trend ends this year, 9 defensive starters return to one of the nations already best units.  They will be tested against that stupid GT triple option offense, the only way to stop that though is with speed on D and VT has that in spades.

Believe all you want, it's still Kentucky football

Sef Sam Holy:  I'm going to go the other way on this and say this game mimics what you see happen quite a bit when a vastly more talented team plays someone they are supposed to beat in an early season conference game.  Yes, Blacksburg will be going nuts and the Yellow Jackets will struggle, but expect a low scoring affair that's closer than the rosters will indicate when the NFL Draft rolls around.  Georgia Tech covers but only because I think Va Tech wins by 7.  

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful 3 day weekend that's filled with good friends, college football, and BBQ.  Soak it in baby, watch the pregame shows, put on your favorite jersey, and let hope spring eternal.  There is still a chance your team runs the table and plays in Miami this January.  Come Tuesday, work is back and your team could be looking at an 0-1 start.  

College Kickoff With Ryan McMahon

Rule one in college football, your team is always number one

I’ve had one of the worst weeks of my adult life this week.  I won’t share any details because no one reads a sports blog to hear about the personal life of the guy writing the entry, but let’s just say it’s making the college football kick off tonight extra nice. 

I got an email from a buddy of mine that moved to Colorado and now has to watch and talk college football with people that would rather spend their Saturdays in the fall hiking and being outside rather than sitting on their couch watching the best sport ever all day long.  Needless to say, I feel bad for him, but he does like Notre Dame so it’s give and take. 

Anyway, let’s hear from Ryan McMahon. 

Ryan:  I haven’t even thought about Saturday’s lines, I can barely contain my excitement for tonight, let alone Saturday.  And I have 2 Fantasy Football drafts tonight, one will take place at hooters and all my GF wants is some fried pickles to-go.  Basically these next 5 days are going to be fantastic.

Sef Sam Holy:  My next 60 hours - Fantasy football draft at work at 330, home for tape delayed Vandy SC, sleep, work, MSU Boise State, sleep, cook steaks for friends at 730, have 4 friends over for Notre Dame Navy, then on the couch for laying down and watching college football until San Diego State and Washington get done.  Yeah, I'm stoked.  College football has officially become my favorite sport and this first weekend is better, in my opinion, than the first weekend of March Madness.

South Carolina (-6.5) at Vandy

Ryan:  I’ll take the Gamecocks to cover tonight even though they always have trouble at Vandy.

Sef Sam Holy: I think SC will cover the 6.5 tonight but it's a great line.  I would be willing to bet Vandy has a halftime lead.  The thing that makes me nervous about taking SC with that cover is that Steve Spurrier now plays boring, SEC football.  They have a ridiculous defense and Lattimore is going to run the sheezy out of the ball.  I think Vandy is up at half like 10-7, SC ties it on their first drive in the 3rd, and then scores a TD early in the 4^th.  But ya know what, let's start off the year disagreeing, it's more fun, give me Vandy. 

Ryan: Lattimore gets the ball all day but the Old Ball Coach will chuck it a few more times this year with a less alcoholic QB.  If Vandy ever does have the lead it will be 3-0 and wont last long, but im glad you disagree because this is football dammit, and agreements are for badminton.

Minnesota (-8.5) at UNLV

Ryan:  UNLV to cover although that is a bet with my heart.  Minnesota will be terrible as always

Sef Sam Holy:  I'll go Big Ten over UNLV any day of the week.  After the 100 Day Burpee Challenge, I might be big enough to suit up and play for the Runnin Rebels.  If Duke and Indiana can't be good at football, neither can UNLV.  Disagree again, give me the Gophers. 

Ryan: You can make all the Rebs jokes you want but they will happily lose by a touchdown and cover just the same.  And UNLV can be good at football, two words: Randell Frickin Cunningham!!! You know how many burpees Randell did at UNLV? The answer: all of them.

Washington State (+12.5) at BYU

Ryan:  WSU to cover Mike Leach turns the program around starting tonight.

Sef Sam Holy:  Giving Mike Leach 12.5 points is nuts but it's game one, of year one, so it's a game I would definitely stay away from if I was betting my own money.  BYU won 10 games last year and although they were all against teams not in the top 25, 10 wins is still 10 wins.  They don't score a ton (30.1 ppg in 2011) so the almost two touchdown win could be difficult, but I'll take BYU just because I've seen them be decent and I want them to be the best independent team in college football (my passive aggressive jab at ND). 

Ryan:  Mike Leach.  Mike Leach.  Mike Leach. Dont care that its his first game and his talent isn't what you would call "talent".  WSU finds a way to score and keep it close enough to cover those beautiful 12 1/2pts.

The Return of the Mustache

With the NFL season less than two weeks away and South Carolina and Vandy kicking off in 6 days, it’s a good time to bring back the Mustache.  For all of you that missed us since we’ve been gone, we’ve missed you too.  I really don’t have any excuses for not posting since last December other than the fact that I work a full time job, spend time with my wife outside of work, and tried to focus on working out and getting my figure back to resemble what it was back in high school.  Good news though, work is going well, my marriage is awesome, and I’ve lost 18lbs since January 1^st (thanks 100 Day Burpee Challenge and T-Rex for the help/motivation). 

    

This time around at Mustache Sports, I’m hoping to accomplish a couple of things. 

More Contributors

I’d really like to get more people involved in writing posts and participating in the comments.  Last year, Colin Nelson (C-Murder), Chris Wernick (Monster), Scott Yasko (Scott Yasko), and Kurt Olson (Bert Kolson) did a fantastic job of providing insights into the world of NFL prognostications, fantasy football,  college football, and the Chicago Bears.  This year, you can all expect to see them back in some sort of capacity.  But as goes life, things change.  Colin is knee deep in his job and commitment to his beloved Molly, Wernick got a new job that involves him being on the road a lot more, Kurt is killing things over at CDW, and Scott had a beautiful baby girl.  So although you can expect to still read the things that pertain to the wonderful world of Mustache Sports, don’t expect to see it on such a consistent basis.  So please, if you have any interest in writing about anything, just let me know, and we will get it up for others to enjoy. 

Picks 

I am still going to be posting NFL and college picks on a weekly basis against the spread, I think that was pretty fun last year.  And I don’t know if I’m going to do much to adjust how all of that information was presented since I felt we did a great job with that last year.  Scott’s college football write ups were something that would put ESPN to shame, Wernick made Matthew Berry look like he didn’t play fantasy football, and when Colin or Kurt wrote up a Bears game preview, it always left me thinking that they should be working for the Score.  I guess the next part goes back to the getting more people involved so if you would like to participate in this portion of the blog and commit to doing it every week, please feel free to let me know. 

Pictures

I want to post pictures this year, they make things more fun.

Email Conversations

This year, my goal is to post more email discussions that I have with different people.  Scott and I did one last year about the FSU Notre Dame Champs Sports Bowl and since things turned out the way I wanted, (I ended up winning the argument, being correct about the result of the game (FSU 18 Notre Dame No Chance), and just looked smarter at the end of everything)  I want to do more of it. 

Interviews

I would also like to interview other bloggers or maybe even someone famous.  That’s sort of on my Mustache Sports Bucket List.  I’ve already had one Chicago celebrity commit to doing such a thing, Scott Bolohan (follow him on Twitter @scottbolohan), so expect that interview sooner rather than later. 

Twitter 

I have also created a Twitter account for the blog so be sure to follow us @Mustache_Sports.  Currently we are following 0 people and have 0 followers.  Impressed?  I thought so, especially since I just created it 3 minutes ago. 

Podcast

I’m also working on being able to post some sort of Podcast.  Once the technology gets worked out, and it’s easy to listen to and record, expect to see these as much as possible. 

All in all, I think this year at Mustache Sports is going to be fun.  I’m excited to see what we evolve into and who else wants to get involved.  I started writing this blog last year as a way to have some fun with things my friends and I had to say about sports without giving the reader a bunch of clichés he/she already hears from anchors at ESPN or the idiot at work that checks the score and comes in to the office the next day and says, “what a game last night, those were some really cool touchdowns.”  So, I hope, at the end of the day, we can provide that. 

It’s good to be back and it’s good to see you.  You look great by the way.  Here’s to a White Sox World Series, a Chicago Bears Super Bowl, an FSU National Championship and a fun year at Mustache Sports!  Let’s go!