KICKING OFF WEEK ONE

This is not your typical opening weekend for college football in which power teams play over matched weaklings. Instead we have a line up of several high octane games that can impact rankings and season outlooks. It truly is a weekend in which you, the fan, get to see some great football, and have the opportunity to make Make Mo' Money.

Kicking off the first weekend is a great slate of games. Take a quick read below including game insight from Mister Big Ten and Bayou Bengal. Then get ready to make some cash.

The GREAT EIGHT for Week One...

Miles will have smiles

#5 LSU vs Wisconsin...the Tigers are loaded with tons of talent. Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette anchors the backfield and qb Brandon Harris has plenty of athletic play makers around him. Meanwhile Wisconsin is retooling a young o-line but won't stray too far from their bread and butter ground game. In the end, Les Miles will have plenty of smiles as the Bengal Tigers chomp on Badger brats. Put your money on LSU.

#1 Alabama vs #20 Southern Cal...top ranked Bama has never lost an opener under Nick Saban, having won the previous nine. And the Crimson Tide's last two national championships, including last season, started at Jerry's House in Dallas. A win Saturday night will make it a perfect 10. Take the Tide over the Trojans.

#11 Ole Miss vs #4 Florida State...this game has all the makings for an offensive shootout featuring the SEC's best quarterback, Chad Kelly, going against Dalvin Cook, FSU's Heisman hopeful running back who led the ACC in six different offensive categories. There will be no shortage of talent - offense and defense - for both teams and NFL scouts will be licking their chops over this match up. In the end, we think the Noles have a few more weapons and will win a close one over the Rebels. FSU wins.

#18 Georgia vs #22 North Carolina...this game is shaping up to be a real dandy in the Georgia Dome. Dawg fans are once again optimistic that this could be their year (what else is new?). New head coach Kirby Smart is going with senior qb Grayson Lambert, backed by one of the best backfields in America with Chubb and Michel. The Tar Heels won 11 straight last season before losing to Clemson in the ACC championship game but will be breaking in a new qb as well as reworking their defense that yielded 24.5 points per game. We see the mutts pulling this one out. Georgia wins.

#2 Clemson vs Auburn...qb Deshaun Watson became the first FBS quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards and rush for 1000+ yards in a season. Throw in rb Wayne Gallman and Auburn will have its hands full. Auburn is now on its fifth defensive coordinator in six seasons and it's going to be another long night for War Eagle. Dabo's crew clobbers Aubbie. Clemson wins.

#10 Notre Dame vs Texas...despite experiencing off field issues with several Irish players, Notre Dame should not have any problems in handling the Longhorns who hope to bounce back from a losing season. We like the Fighting Irish in this one. Notre Dame on top.

#16 UCLA vs Texas A&M...this will be the toughest season opener for Jim Mora in his five seasons at UCLA as the Bruins travel to College Station. As a side note, Mora will be facing Noel Mazzone, his old offensive coordinator. The difference in this game will be Josh Rosen, the heady quarterback for UCLA. Look for the heat to increase on Aggie head coach, Kevin Sumlin. Bruins bop the cows.

#3 Oklahoma vs #15 Houston...the Cougars are coming off a 13-1 season with a big 38-24 win over FSU in the Peach Bowl. With its best preseason ranking since 1991, the Cougars are looking to knock off the Sooners. That's a huge task as Oklahoma is led by Heisman contender, Baker Mayfield. Look for a high scoring event in Texas with Boomer Sooner coming out on top. Oklahoma wins.

In Their Words...
LSU heads north to hallowed Lambeau Field to take on the Badgers of Wisconsin. While the Badgers are in the process of rebuilding, Les Miles is looking to kickoff 2016 with a big win to silence his critics. Sharing their game insight is Mister Big Ten and newcomer, Bayou Bengal.

Badgers Look For Upset

Mister Big Ten

The Badgers kick off the season against LSU in the (un)Frozen Tundra this week.  While LSU is ranked 5^th in the country, the unranked Badgers are looking to make their mark with homegrown talent, a quarterback primed for greatness, and a running back ready to follow in the Badger running back tradition. 

With the chips stacked up against the Badgers, my Vegas friends are not willing to bet on the Rudy factor.  Wisconsin will need to bring their top game defensively against LSU’s Heisman hopeful. After battling injuries all of last season, and loosing redshirt senior Dan Voltz, the Badger defense is mixing things up with some experienced sophomores that gained solid experience in 2015.

Offensively the badgers are revamping their air game with new starting quarterback Bart Houston and head coach Paul Chryst.  Ending the 2015 season with a 10-3 record and a Holiday bowl win over USC, The Badgers hope to reign an explosive offense with a healthy Corey Clement ready to show why he should also be part of the Heisman conversation.  I see this game being a battle of the running backs and the team that can keep the defensive line on their heels by mixing up the play calls will be able to create some scoring opportunities.  If the Badgers can contain Fournette, they might have a fighting chance to beat the spread and bring some freeze to the Frozen Tundra and give LSU fans a true Lambeau Field experience. Bucky the Badger will eat well Saturday afternoon.

Tigers Will Roar in Green Bay

Ah, Labor Day Weekend. The most wonderful time of the year. A paid long weekend, football back

Bayou Bengal

in our lives, and LSU starting its annual march to the playoffs.

The Tigers start the season licking their wounds from last year, a roller-coaster of a campaign that saw the best running back in the land, nay, in the UNIVERSE, fall scorching to earth as the team received a waxing from Alabama and never fully recovered. Amid calls for Les Miles’ sacking by angry mobs, the Tigers finished 9-3 in what felt like the hardest year of the Miles era to date. Now, on the eve of what should be a highly entertaining tilt with Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, the Tigers prepare to right wrongs, straighten out their fan base, and prove that there is still one team left to challenge the great Crimson Tyrants from the east.

There are always questions surrounding the Tigers, as Les Miles has yet to field a team that isn’t guaranteed to induce cardiac arrest at least 3 separate times most games, and this year is certainly no different. Sure, there are things you can bank on: A stout defense, uber-athletic wide receivers, and Leonard Fournette showing these kids what it’s like in a man’s world. But can Brandon Harris, the embattled incumbent QB who has the talent, but perhaps not the constitution, stand behind what projects to be a bend-but-pray-they-don’t-break offensive line? Will Dave Aranda, fresh from Wisconsin himself, prove to be the effective defensive coordinator Tigers faithful have prayed for the past few years? All signs point to the positive out of camp, and with impressive depth at every position, the Tigers appear poised to retake their rightful place at the top of the SEC.

Look for LSU to come out HOT on Saturday, and Lambeau Leap their way to victory (if ol’ Les allows the Leap. It’s a thing). Wisconsin is always sneaky, and the game is taking place deep in Wisconsin territory. Tigers fans always travel well, so I fully expect the Purple and Gold to have a strong showing in the stands. My crystal ball is telling me the Tiger running game picks up where it left off last season, and with a few well-timed passing plays, the Fighting Tigers send those pesky Badgers to bed without supper. GEAUX TIGERS! GEUAX AMERICA!

 Let's check in next week to see how we did. Good luck with your opening week picks!

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