This Particular Saturday

So it's the first big day of college football and a lot of people have done a little research and are eager to get the season started, but there is just so much to watch that I'm here to break it down a bit. And don't forget that Monday night has one of the biggest matchups not only of opening weekend, but of the season! Boise State at Virginia Tech is the Broncos chance to prove that they're worthy of a chance at the National Championship, going up against the Hokies and Tyrod Taylor. Should be the most exciting and meaningful game of the weekend, so enjoy watching that on your Labour Day holiday. As for today, here are ten games to keep on hand.


Weber State @ Boston College

What better way to start a new season than a new start? Mark Herzlich, the linebaker who won the ACC defensive player of the year award in 2008, is back from a year away battling with bone cancer and is eager to go. It is still to be seen whether he will be back on the field after Boston College's defense remained strong throughout the season last year, but just having him on the sidelines should be inspiration enough and worth watching.

pick: Boston College by 20

Jacksonville State @ Ole Miss

Speaking of absent players, former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was kicked off the team last year for various off-field infractions including a (oh no!) marijuana possession charge, will be back on the field in a Rebels (how suiting) uniform this fall. He missed the entirety of spring practices for either team due to the legal trouble, but has been cleared and is ready to start behind center for Ole Miss. Let's just see how his teammates react to his insertion and whether he can recapture some of the spark he had in Oregon.

pick: Ole Miss by 34

Purdue @ Notre Dame

Charlie Weis is out, and so is Golden Tate and Jimmy Clausen, but it's not that much of a fresh start for new head coach Brian Kelly. Unfortunately most of the returning players are part of the horrendous defense that the Fighting Irish had on the field last year. Even if Kelly is able to install his spread offense with the new QB, Dayne Crist, Purdue is by no means an easy way to start the year. Lucky for Notre Dame, running back Ralph Bolden might be missing from action, which might give Notre Dame the slight edge.

pick: Notre Dame by 4

Kentucky @ Louisville

Lousiville has suffered nothing but disappointment the last few years, and Charlie Strong is looking to turn a team around that has had losing records three years running. On the other hand, Kentucky, playing in the most competitive conference in college football, the SEC, has a team that may be ready to emerge. They don't have a lot of established talent, but neither do the Cardinals, but this battle of seemingly mediocrity may just be an entertaining football game between two struggling programs looking to bust out.

pick: Kentucky by 7

Connecticut @ Michigan

Last year went from tragedy to triumph for a Huskies team torn apart. After cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed to death on campus, this UConn team had to bond together, eventually going on to win the Papajohns.com bowl in a huge victory over South Carolina. This year, however, may be a different story. Their first matchup versus Michigan should be a big test as to whether they can keep their momentum up. Wolverines' quarterback Tate Forcier has hopefully improved since his stellar start to the season last year and eventual crumble near the end, and Rich Rodriguez is looking to get his team above .500. This is a defining game for both teams.

pick: Michigan by 10

Northwestern @ Vanderbilt

I like this game just because I would like to see how Northwestern follows up its 8-5 season last year and a winning conference record, against a Vanderbilt team that has a somewhat decent defense, but very little offense. I just have this feeling that this game could be worth watching as the Wildcats try to crack the top 25 this year.

pick: Northwestern by 10

Washington @ BYU

What an interesting start to the season for Jake Locker. Pretty much the entire offense for Washington returns, as well as most of the defense, but let's face it, both units need to improve if the Huskies want a shot at making it into the top 25. BYU will be a great test, and a victory on the road could beef up Washington's season resume, especially if BYU goes on to beat TCU, Utah (who defeated Pittsburgh on Thursday night), Air Force, and Florida State. Now is the chance for Washington with BYU missing their star running-back and more than likely starting Jake Heaps, a freshman, at quarterback. This is pretty much a must win game for both teams as far as bowl slotting is concerned and should be highly entertaining.

pick: BYU by 6

Oregon State(24) @ TCU(6)

Probably the most difficult game to pick of Saturday. I like both Jacquizz and James Rodgers, and this Oregon State team returns eight players on either side of the ball from a solid 2009 season, but TCU has a defense that is lights out no matter how you try to move the ball. Their offense is also stellar, led by QB Andy Dalton who ranked eighth in pass efficiency nationwide last year, and a balanced attack both on the ground and in the air. I say TCU manages to pull off a victory here by a slim margin, but both of these schools should have tremendous years and this is a great game to kick off the 2010 season.

pick: TCU by 6

LSU(21) @ North Carolina(18)

I seriously thought that UNC's defense was going to stand strong against this uncertain LSU team, but then they went and lost 6 starters, 5 of them projected first or second round defensive players in next year's NFL draft, and well, LSU looks pretty damn good right now. I mean, LSU had a chance to beat UNC regardless but this is just sort of the nail in the coffin. The Tigers' defense was comparable to that of the Tarheels, but with a slightly better offense, LSU could have won this game even with the entirety of UNC's scary defense intact. In fact, cornerback Patrick Patterson is a projected first round defensive player himself, and a huge shutdown man, especially against weak offenses such as North Carolina's. Right now, this game should be a nice little practice both for LSU's struggling offense, and for the rest of the UNC squad for next year, when all these top guys leave for the NFL.

pick: LSU by 14

Cincinnati @ Fresno State

There's no reason to believe that Cincinnati couldn't win the Big East this year, especially after Pittsburgh's loss in the first game of their season to Utah, and Fresno State should be a good place to start. The lack of Ryan Mathews, for one thing, is something for the Bearcats to be cheerful about. They had a decent rushing defense last year but nothing to write home about, it was more their offense that shone. Only problem is, a lot of their positional players are gone this year, and so is their head coach Brian Kelly, off to Notre Dame. The big question will be Zach Collaros, Pike's backup last year at QB, and whether he can step up. If he can, the Bearcats have a chance at the Big East title, and they should get Collaros up to speed here against the Bulldogs.

pick: Cincinnati by 17