Picking the Pac - The Openers
by John Berkowitz on Sep 2, 2010 6:36 AM PDT
Email
PrintUSC at Hawaii
The first game of the Lane Kiffin Era kicks off in the islands. The Trojans shouldn't have much of a problem with the Warriors but the zebras have been known to keep the home team in the game over in Honolulu. The Trojans are way down in depth but I think their remaining 65 can beat anyone in the WAC's 85. USC by 21
Arizona at Toledo
What is Arizona doing playing a MAC opponent on the road? I didn't bother to check but it must be one of those 2-1 type of things. Arizona on paper should have no problem with the Rockets but this game is a set up for one of those early season MAC upsets. That being said I can't imagine the Wildcats losing this game. Arizona by 14
UCLA at Kansas State
The Bruins had no problem with K-State last season but the odds makers are favoring the Wildcats this season. UCLA's offensive line is a mess, the QB is banged up ,and the game is on the road so advantage K-State. Neuheisel has a way of winning these type of games. UCLA by 3
Washington State at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are rebuilding after going 9-4 last season. The Cougars are rebuilding after going 1-11. This game will tell us a lot about where the Cougars are headed this season. If they can keep it close it means Wulff is making progress. It would be nice to watch a WSU game that isn't over by the end of the first quarter. If they can accomplish that it means they are tracking upwards. OSU by 17
Oregon State vs. TCU
The Beavers play a neutral site game against one of the nations best non BCS programs. Oregon State is one of the favorites to win the Pac 10 and they are a 13 1/2 point underdog? I guess breaking in a new QB on the road and a history of slow starts is fueling the betting line. I think it will be a lot closer than 13 points with the nod going to TCU because they are basically playing at home. TCU by 3
Portland State at Arizona State
Sun Devils host Portland State in former Husky Nigel Burton's head-coaching debut. ASU likes to schedule a couple of FCS games a year and this is one of them. Steve Threet will start but expect Brock Osweiller to get plenty of reps. ASU by 28
UC Davis at California
This one shouldn't be close but scribes in the Bay Area are saying that this game will be a lot tougher than it looks. Maybe it is because UC Davis beat Stanford a few years ago in the pre Harbaugh days. Cal by 21
New Mexico at Oregon
This one should be over at the end of the first quarter despite the fact that Oregon has a new QB and LaMichael James will be sitting out as a penalty for getting into a strangling session this spring with one of his women. Despite the off season problems the Ducks have enough talent on the roster to win the conference. Oregon by 30
Sacramento State at Stanford
Andrew Luck will be lucky to play two quarters in this mismatch. It will be interesting to see how much of a game that Sac State can make out of it so the Cardinal regulars can get a good work out. Stanford by 30
Washington at BYU
All the hype generated leading up to this season meets the moment of truth in Provo, Utah. Can Washington win on the road? Will this game be the lift off that Jake Locker needs to kick off a legitimate Heisman campaign? The odds makers favor BYU by three which means they think it is a tossup and they are throwing a FG BYU's way because they are at home. I think it will be a close game but BYU will have a hard time keeping UW under 30 points and they will have hard time scoring 20. UW by 12
12 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Whoops, guess I forgot you do this yearly, JB so next week I will wait and just post onto yours
rather than start my own thread. Looks like we agree on most except for TCU/ Ore St. Of course the early games are usually the gimmees in prognosticating for the season, but sad to have to admit it, unlike crazi, I have been wrong many times before.
No problem at all
You can post anything, anytime you want…!
The early big games are tough to call.
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Sep 2, 2010 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
It seems pretty well thought out...
I would pretty much agree with your thinking with the exception of a few points…namely the UW@ BYU where depending on how many shots I put in the latte….my final seems to range between; UW 31 BYU 14 to somewhere in the UW52 BYU 21 range…..After reading your guesstimating (and a quad with brown sugar) I’m firmly picking UW 38 BYU 24 ( at least for a few hours…) Here’s to hope;" Dawgs are many! Dawgs Are One! Dawgs Are Hungry! Dawgs Have Fun!"
Well that was a bit unexpected
Trojans looked awful on D, the lack of practice tackling showed. The offense looked good, but the USC squad was bullying them on pure physical strength and speed more than scheme. Makes me a bit excited that we get them early before they get the kinks worked out. The team they fielded tonight looked vulnerable.
USC’s defense looked awful, but I’d hesitate to say that they will stay that way all season. Let’s see how they rebound in week 2 – I have a feeling there’s going to be some heads rolling in practice this week.
All that said, I’d actually rather get USC late in the season than early – I think whatever depth they have is going to be sorely tested as the season progresses and the wear and tear grinds on them.
Hawaii played very well offensively against USC and exposed a lot of USC's deficiencies on their defense.
If anyone wants a pro prospect to keep an eye on, they should keep one on Kainoa LaCount, RT for Hawaii. He just dominated his man time and time again against USC.
Golden!
And were it not for several mistakes against USC, it would have been a very different game. A lot closer than 49-36.
Golden!
by Carl Shinyama on Sep 3, 2010 8:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Hawaii was very sloppy
UW Dawg Pound - SBN Seattle
by John Berkowitz on Sep 3, 2010 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions
Yep
A lot of dropped passes, the special teams breakdown on Johnson’s punt return for a TD, late substitutions on defense that led to another easy USC TD. Hawaii could have won that game if they play a little less sloppy and if the officials don’t blow that TD ruling – how much clearer could it have been that the WR had crossed the goal line (by a wide margin) before any part of him was down?
On a side note, Bob Davie had a bad game. He’s got a good voice for the job, but he was dead-wrong on that TD ruling and he was dead-wrong about calling Morgan’s hit on Moniz to be a dirty hit that should have been flagged.
Glad to know I'm not the only one who likes a good hit.
Since when was it wrong to drop your shoulder and level a guy? This is football isn’t it? If he tried to spear the QB, I’d agree with Davie, but he didn’t, shoulder/arm to helmet is legal last time I checked.
"Legends are made on the shores of Lake Washington"
"BOW DOWN TO WASHINGTON"
Well
I get that officials are making it a point of emphasis to call illegal hits to the helmet on QB’s this year, but that wasn’t an illegal hit. The replays were poorly done so it was hard to tell for sure, but still photos published today prove that Morgan didn’t deliver an illegal hit – it was his shoulder pads to the helmet, and it was pretty clear from watching the replay that Morgan had no time to react – he was hot in pursuit of Moniz, and Moniz cut back at the last second right into the path of Morgan.
I’ve been having this debate with another Dawg friend of mine today, and I just don’t see evidence that what Morgan did was against the rules.
Here’s as good a place to post this as any I guess – as much as I hate to admit it, Mike Bellotti was really, really good as a color analyst on the UCLA game. Brock was also very good, but Bellotti was fantastic.
UCLA didn’t impress me a whole lot, but then again the Huskies didn’t impress me either…
It probably makes me a smaller person to admit seeing WSU get trounced makes me feel a little less bad about the Huskies losing. Man, so much for any optimism in Pullman about the Cougars showing improvement this year…
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
