First and foremost, I am so so so sad to hear about the injury to Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings. By all accounts he hurt his knee in practice today and it is not good. My sources tell me he may miss the season. You have no idea how troubling this is for me. My mother wears a Teddy Bridgewater #5 jersey every time she watches him on television. She already had it out during the pre-season. This makes me sad. Sorry, Mom. I know what it is like to have you favorite player on the bench. This was going to be a big season for the Vikes in the new stadium. I hope it still is. But I can tell you, I too lost another reason to be excited about the upcoming NFL season. Peyton is gone. Now Teddy for 2016.
On to the college football picks:
Louisville beats Charlotte…badly. I hope The 49ers get a nice payday. Louisville is loaded. Just wait.
FIU beats Indiana…and I hate it. The Hoosiers have not played a regular season game in Florida. Traveling south is not their forte. In 2011 they went to North Texas and got beat. The guys in Florida will have a chip on their shoulder when the basketball school comes to town. If the defense is improved for the Hoosiers, we will find out. Let’s hope so.
Stanford beats Kansas State…the job Coach Shaw is doing at Stanford is amazing.
Purdue beats Eastern Kentucky…The Boilers need a win. Hope they improve this year. Not holding my breath.
LSU beats Swissconsin…The Tigers get to play in Death Valley for home games and other venerable SEC venues…and now they go to Lambeau Field? Cam Cameron a.k.a The Trash Can (I will tell that story this year) will help Coach Les Miles this year. They studied hard. The offense will be more diverse and the defense will take care of business on their way to winning the BCS Title Game. You heard it here. I don’t like it.
Iowa beats Miami of Ohio…Practice game for the Hawkeyes, my third favorite Big Ten team.
UCLA beats Texas A&M…Josh Rosen comes out firing. He better…and he better find his receivers. A&M still finding itself.
Arkansas beats La. Tech…The Hogs will overwhelm the Bulldogs. Don’t worry Coach Holtz, you will still have a good season.
Southern Miss will beat Kentucky…UK is a bad penny. The guy calling plays for USM was fired by UK after last season. Need I say more? Southern Miss is where Brett Favre played. The Golden Eagles don’t lose this game. After the game, Coach Mark Stoops looks to the yellow pages for a realtor. Sorry Coach. I like you!
USC beats Alabama…The game is in Jerry’s World….the place the Dallas Cowboys play. The Tide has been there before. I don’t think the boys from Troy have been there. Doesn’t matter. Bama has played quality openers for a number of years. This is the most daunting since opening up against a Top Ten Michigan team in 2012 at… well…Jerry’s World. They dispatched the Wolverines that day 41-14. This time it is different. The USC team has their coach….Clay Helton. He replaced deposed Steve Sarkisian. He had his troubles. The players obviously wanted Coach Helton. He was not a sexy choice for such a program. Add new Athletic Director, Lynn Swann, into the mix…and folks in Dallas get nervous. That is the way it will work against the Tide. The Tide will fall this year. It is time. We don’t have to like it. That is just the way it happens. No coach or team ever stayed on top. It was a good run for the Tide. We must give them that. We must tip our hat. It is a new day. Their old defensive coordinator is now driving the company car at Georgia. That is quite the Tide compliment. That…and they are going to miss Kirby Smart.
Clemson beats Auburn…it won’t be a complete loss for Tide fans this weekend.
Notre Dame beats Texas….I hate this pick. I hope Texas wins. I don’t think they will. The Irish have had a tumultuous off-season. They are just not held in quite as high regard as they once were. I think it is because they put artificial turf in Notre Dame Stadium. That is not right.
Ole Miss beats FSU...because this is the stage and opening game they have been dreaming of. They have watched the Big Brothers of the SEC play meaningful openers (the Rebs did beat Boise St. in the 2014 opener in Atlanta) and they want their shot at a perennial power.
And so it begins. And though no one in America cares what a white high school guidance counselor in rural Southern Indiana has to say about anything…leading me to feel somewhat oppressed…I will still stand for the playing of our national anthem when I attend the high school football game this Friday night. Unlike some out there, I know the value of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and know how it can help kids in need be they black, white, or yellow.
Speaking the Football Rights…
Danny Johnson