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Foxsports NCAA fearless predictions
Saturday Spotlight
No. 20 Notre Dame at No. 4 Michigan — Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
Mich -7
This certainly got a heck of a lot more interesting. In one of college football's better rivalries, the stakes have been upped big time after Notre Dame's impressive 42-21 thumping of Pitt. Has Charlie Weis made that much of a difference right away? Is the team really that good, or is Pitt that lousy? The Michigan game will provide more answers about 2005's biggest mystery team. To anyone looking at just the scoreboard, Michigan's 33-17 win over Northern Illinois might seem like just another walk-in-the-park non-conference game. It was anything but. NIU's O-line held up well against the superior Big Ten foe and was able to help the offense roll up 411 yards of total offense. Had it not been for five turnovers, it might have been a much, much different game. Now Michigan is looking to show that it's a legitimate national title contender while hoping to bring the Irish back down to reality. After losing 28-20 last year in South Bend, the Wolverines will be sky high. It might be too soon to put Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, but this team appears to be too well coached and too good to beat if the offense isn't thrown off its rhythm. Michigan has to consistently get to Brady Quinn and not allow him time to look at his second, third and fourth receivers. This will be a make-or-break game for the defense in the eyes of many Michigan fans, and it won't come through.
Prediction: Notre Dame 27 ... Michigan 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Michigan-Notre Dame central | Keys | Analysis
No. 7 Virginia Tech at Duke
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
VT -20
It's the ACC's best vs. the ACC's worst in the Coastal Division opener for both teams. Virginia Tech got a leg up in the ACC race by beating NC State in a hard-hitting 20-16 win, and got some help with Miami losing to Florida State. Duke wanted to come out hot against lowly East Carolina, but came away with a 24-21 loss. Even though you probably know what the outcome is going to be, this is an important game in the ACC race to see how Hokie QB Marcus Vick progresses.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 45 ... Duke 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 25 Clemson at Maryland
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
Mary -1.5
And now the fun really begins. Clemson is coming off a thrilling, last-second win over Texas A&M that jumped started the expectations for what Tommy Bowden's team might be able to do this season. Maryland struggled to get past Navy, but showed good heart in pulling out the 23-20 victory. Both teams are battle tested and should play a fun one. This isn't just a big ACC battle, it's an Atlantic Division showdown that might be an elimination game in the ACC title race.
Prediction: Clemson 24 ... Maryland 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Army at No. 19 Boston College
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
BC -27.5
It's the opener for Army — getting a tough first assignment against a Boston College team coming off a should've-gotten-more-respect 20-3 win at BYU. The Eagles are one of the ACC teams flying under the radar with a good, solid team from top to bottom, but can't get caught looking past the Black Knights to next week's showdown with Florida State. Army has several holes to fill on both sides of the line, but is looking to pull off the shocker, or at least keep it interesting, with an extra week to prepare. It won't be BC's sharpest performance, but it'll still be good enough.
Prediction: Boston College 41 ... Army 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Tulsa at No. 18 Oklahoma
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
OU -30.5
ON FSN
This should certainly be interesting. Oklahoma is coming off a stunning 17-10 loss to TCU showing no offense, little intensity, and none of the swagger it has had in past seasons. Was the loss just a blip in the opening game of the season, or is Oklahoma officially in rebuilding mode? If this isn't a blowout Sooner win, the alarm sirens will go off long and loud before next week's game at UCLA. Tulsa got run over 41-10 last week by Laurence Maroney and Minnesota, but is hoping to catch some of the magic left behind by the Horned Frogs and pull off an even bigger shocker.
Prediction: Oklahoma 45 ... Tulsa 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Akron at No. 13 Purdue
Saturday at 1 p.m. ET
Line:
Purdue -35.5
Akron and Purdue sat and rested in Week 1 while their respective leagues were battling it out. The MAC went 0-7 vs. the Big Ten, and now Akron gets a shot to pull off a big upset and ruin what Purdue fans hope to be a dream season. Purdue is loaded with experience and is a sleeper to win the Big Ten title. They need to use this apparent breather to get their feet wet before going on the road the following two weeks to face Arizona and Minnesota. Akron doesn't see itself as a pushover and wants to give Purdue a good game for some confidence going into the MAC season.
Prediction: Purdue 52 ... Akron 7
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
North Carolina at No. 17 Georgia Tech
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
GT -12.5
Was there a more impressive team in Week 1 than Georgia Tech? Having to deal with the emotion of a road trip to Auburn, the Yellow Jackets calmly and coolly came up with a rock-solid 23-14 win with its ball-hawking defense and steady, mistake-free offense. For North Carolina, the opener begins what might be the nation's hardest schedule, but isn't thinking of itself as anything but a player in the ACC race. If Georgia Tech doesn't have the intensity it showed last Saturday night, this Coastal Division opener might be a tougher battle than Yellow Jacket fans are hoping for.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 31 ... UNC 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 8 Iowa at Iowa State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Iowa -8.5
With Texas-Ohio State getting all the Big Ten/Big 12 headlines this week, and with Notre Dame-Michigan taking even more attention away, the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry game has been swept under the rug. That's a big mistake since five of the last six games between the two were decided by ten points or fewer. Iowa is coming off its annual hapless MAC team butt-whupping and looks as complete on both sides of the ball as it ever has under head coach Kirk Ferentz. While this is a team that believes it can get to a BCS game, it should have a tough time, as always, with an Iowa State squad ready to get on the national map. This is head coach Dan McCarney's best team yet, but it didn't play like it last week in a stunningly average performance against Illinois State.
Prediction: Iowa 31 ... Iowa State 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 16 California at Washington
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Cal -8
Talk about getting slugged in the gut. Washington was this close to beating Air Force last week, but lost 20-17 on a last minute touchdown. New head coach Ty Willingham's motivational talks can only go so far. Despite the season being a week old, he's fighting an uphill battle to get the team over the hangover suffered from last year's 1-10 campaign. This is a team in desperate, desperate need of a win. A few weeks ago, the Pac 10 opener seemed like a sure Cal blowout, but now the Bears have major concerns after losing starting quarterback Nate Longshore to a broken leg in the blowout win over Sacramento State. The schedule isn't all that bad for a few weeks, but head coach Jeff Tedford has to get the quarterback situation in shape in a hurry.
Prediction: California 38 ... Washington 16
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
South Carolina at No. 9 Georgia
Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET
Line:
UGA -16.5
"Hurl insults, just don't hurl bottles." That was the line from Steve Spurrier's press conference this week when asked how the Georgia fans were going to treat him. Love him or hate him, Spurrier has brought a lot of fun to the start of the SEC season after his Cock 'n' Fire offense was able to get past UCF 24-15 in last week's opener. Georgia avoided what many considered a dangerous landmine by obliterating Boise State 48-13 in one of Week 1's most impressive performances. The kickoff of the SEC East season will have a ton of fanfare, a lot of attention, and plenty of intensity on both sides. Spurrier gets to play the unfamiliar role of SEC underdog, while UGA can make another big splash on national TV.
Prediction: Georgia 34 ... South Carolina 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Louisiana Tech at No. 10 Florida
Saturday at 6 p.m. ET
Line:
UF -30
By any way you want to measure it, the opening of the Urban Meyer era was a rousing success — cranking out 411 yards of total offense in a 32-14 win over Wyoming that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate. The Gators have Tennessee coming up next week, but it first has to get by a Louisiana Tech team that won't be all that bad even after losing star RB Ryan Moats to the NFL. The Bulldogs have some good offensive players and an attacking defense to give the Gators a little bit of a challenge. Florida's offense will get better week after week. This is an important game to get the timing of the spread down, but the Gators will still be sharp enough to get by the Bulldogs without much of a problem.
Prediction: Florida 41 ... Louisiana Tech 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Citadel at No. 11 Florida State
Saturday at 6:45 p.m. ET
Line:
No Line
Here's a little tip for Florida State: schedule The Citadel before Miami. Seminole fans are still rejoicing after breaking a six-game losing streak to the 'Canes with an ugly 10-7 win on Monday night. Florida State looked awful everywhere but on the defensive line, and now it gets to tune everything up and also getting a chance to see if its quarterbacks can complete a pass before dealing with Boston College next week. The Citadel beat Charleston Southern 28-14 thanks to a three touchdown passing day from Duran Lawson. If you felt cheated by not seeing FSU's offense do anything vs. Miami, this is the game for you.
Prediction: Florida State 58 ... The Citadel 0
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Florida Int. at No. 21 Texas Tech
Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
Line:
TT -34.5
The Texas Tech cupcake world tour begins with its only game against a D-I team facing new D-I Florida International before dealing with mighty Sam Houston State and Indiana State. Considering Texas Tech is getting its most preseason respect ever in the polls, the idea of tuning up the machine before Big 12 play might not be a bad idea. FIU is coming off a surprisingly tough showing in a 35-21 loss to Kansas State. With a road game under its belt, it's hoping to give Texas Tech a good scrimmage. FIU will keep it close for about ten minutes, and then the fireworks will begin. This won't be pretty.
Prediction: Texas Tech 50 ... FIU 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 5 LSU at No. 15 Arizona State
Saturday at 9:15 p.m. ET
Line:
LSU -3
Good luck trying to figure this one out. LSU players, coaches and fans have obviously had a lot to think about other than football, and now they all get a break for a few hours in one of the biggest non-conference games of the season. Because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, LSU had to postpone its opening game with North Texas and chose to move the battle with the Sun Devils to Tempe. Will it be good to get away from the disaster for a few days, or will the home field advantage work more for ASU? The Sun Devils can't complain about not playing in Death Valley, and they certainly can't be upset that the Tigers didn't get a tune up game. LSU is a legitimate national title contender, while ASU is a top 10-caliber team that can make noise with a win.
Prediction: LSU 24 ... Arizona State 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 22 TCU at SMU
Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET
Line:
TCU -16
TCU pulled off what's sure to be the shocker of the season coming into Norman, Oklahoma as a 26.5 point underdog and coming out with a 17-10 win. Is TCU going to be this year's Utah? Was that the game that signaled the Horned Frogs are officially back after taking 2004 off? SMU hopes to ruin the warm, fuzzy feelings around Fort Worth with a huge upset. The Mustangs battled Baylor well last week before losing 28-23. It's possible it was the Horned Frog defense that made the OU QBs look that bad. TCU's defense was more effective and more aggressive last week than it was last year, and it showed by holding the mighty Sooners to 284 yards of total offense. If Adrian Peterson can only rush for 63 yards on TCU, what chance do the SMU backs have?
Prediction: TCU 38 ... SMU 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Saturday Spotlight
No. 20 Notre Dame at No. 4 Michigan — Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
Mich -7
This certainly got a heck of a lot more interesting. In one of college football's better rivalries, the stakes have been upped big time after Notre Dame's impressive 42-21 thumping of Pitt. Has Charlie Weis made that much of a difference right away? Is the team really that good, or is Pitt that lousy? The Michigan game will provide more answers about 2005's biggest mystery team. To anyone looking at just the scoreboard, Michigan's 33-17 win over Northern Illinois might seem like just another walk-in-the-park non-conference game. It was anything but. NIU's O-line held up well against the superior Big Ten foe and was able to help the offense roll up 411 yards of total offense. Had it not been for five turnovers, it might have been a much, much different game. Now Michigan is looking to show that it's a legitimate national title contender while hoping to bring the Irish back down to reality. After losing 28-20 last year in South Bend, the Wolverines will be sky high. It might be too soon to put Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, but this team appears to be too well coached and too good to beat if the offense isn't thrown off its rhythm. Michigan has to consistently get to Brady Quinn and not allow him time to look at his second, third and fourth receivers. This will be a make-or-break game for the defense in the eyes of many Michigan fans, and it won't come through.
Prediction: Notre Dame 27 ... Michigan 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Michigan-Notre Dame central | Keys | Analysis
No. 7 Virginia Tech at Duke
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
VT -20
It's the ACC's best vs. the ACC's worst in the Coastal Division opener for both teams. Virginia Tech got a leg up in the ACC race by beating NC State in a hard-hitting 20-16 win, and got some help with Miami losing to Florida State. Duke wanted to come out hot against lowly East Carolina, but came away with a 24-21 loss. Even though you probably know what the outcome is going to be, this is an important game in the ACC race to see how Hokie QB Marcus Vick progresses.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 45 ... Duke 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 25 Clemson at Maryland
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
Mary -1.5
And now the fun really begins. Clemson is coming off a thrilling, last-second win over Texas A&M that jumped started the expectations for what Tommy Bowden's team might be able to do this season. Maryland struggled to get past Navy, but showed good heart in pulling out the 23-20 victory. Both teams are battle tested and should play a fun one. This isn't just a big ACC battle, it's an Atlantic Division showdown that might be an elimination game in the ACC title race.
Prediction: Clemson 24 ... Maryland 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Army at No. 19 Boston College
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
BC -27.5
It's the opener for Army — getting a tough first assignment against a Boston College team coming off a should've-gotten-more-respect 20-3 win at BYU. The Eagles are one of the ACC teams flying under the radar with a good, solid team from top to bottom, but can't get caught looking past the Black Knights to next week's showdown with Florida State. Army has several holes to fill on both sides of the line, but is looking to pull off the shocker, or at least keep it interesting, with an extra week to prepare. It won't be BC's sharpest performance, but it'll still be good enough.
Prediction: Boston College 41 ... Army 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Tulsa at No. 18 Oklahoma
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
OU -30.5
ON FSN
This should certainly be interesting. Oklahoma is coming off a stunning 17-10 loss to TCU showing no offense, little intensity, and none of the swagger it has had in past seasons. Was the loss just a blip in the opening game of the season, or is Oklahoma officially in rebuilding mode? If this isn't a blowout Sooner win, the alarm sirens will go off long and loud before next week's game at UCLA. Tulsa got run over 41-10 last week by Laurence Maroney and Minnesota, but is hoping to catch some of the magic left behind by the Horned Frogs and pull off an even bigger shocker.
Prediction: Oklahoma 45 ... Tulsa 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Akron at No. 13 Purdue
Saturday at 1 p.m. ET
Line:
Purdue -35.5
Akron and Purdue sat and rested in Week 1 while their respective leagues were battling it out. The MAC went 0-7 vs. the Big Ten, and now Akron gets a shot to pull off a big upset and ruin what Purdue fans hope to be a dream season. Purdue is loaded with experience and is a sleeper to win the Big Ten title. They need to use this apparent breather to get their feet wet before going on the road the following two weeks to face Arizona and Minnesota. Akron doesn't see itself as a pushover and wants to give Purdue a good game for some confidence going into the MAC season.
Prediction: Purdue 52 ... Akron 7
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
North Carolina at No. 17 Georgia Tech
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
GT -12.5
Was there a more impressive team in Week 1 than Georgia Tech? Having to deal with the emotion of a road trip to Auburn, the Yellow Jackets calmly and coolly came up with a rock-solid 23-14 win with its ball-hawking defense and steady, mistake-free offense. For North Carolina, the opener begins what might be the nation's hardest schedule, but isn't thinking of itself as anything but a player in the ACC race. If Georgia Tech doesn't have the intensity it showed last Saturday night, this Coastal Division opener might be a tougher battle than Yellow Jacket fans are hoping for.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 31 ... UNC 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 8 Iowa at Iowa State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Iowa -8.5
With Texas-Ohio State getting all the Big Ten/Big 12 headlines this week, and with Notre Dame-Michigan taking even more attention away, the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry game has been swept under the rug. That's a big mistake since five of the last six games between the two were decided by ten points or fewer. Iowa is coming off its annual hapless MAC team butt-whupping and looks as complete on both sides of the ball as it ever has under head coach Kirk Ferentz. While this is a team that believes it can get to a BCS game, it should have a tough time, as always, with an Iowa State squad ready to get on the national map. This is head coach Dan McCarney's best team yet, but it didn't play like it last week in a stunningly average performance against Illinois State.
Prediction: Iowa 31 ... Iowa State 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 16 California at Washington
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Cal -8
Talk about getting slugged in the gut. Washington was this close to beating Air Force last week, but lost 20-17 on a last minute touchdown. New head coach Ty Willingham's motivational talks can only go so far. Despite the season being a week old, he's fighting an uphill battle to get the team over the hangover suffered from last year's 1-10 campaign. This is a team in desperate, desperate need of a win. A few weeks ago, the Pac 10 opener seemed like a sure Cal blowout, but now the Bears have major concerns after losing starting quarterback Nate Longshore to a broken leg in the blowout win over Sacramento State. The schedule isn't all that bad for a few weeks, but head coach Jeff Tedford has to get the quarterback situation in shape in a hurry.
Prediction: California 38 ... Washington 16
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
South Carolina at No. 9 Georgia
Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET
Line:
UGA -16.5
"Hurl insults, just don't hurl bottles." That was the line from Steve Spurrier's press conference this week when asked how the Georgia fans were going to treat him. Love him or hate him, Spurrier has brought a lot of fun to the start of the SEC season after his Cock 'n' Fire offense was able to get past UCF 24-15 in last week's opener. Georgia avoided what many considered a dangerous landmine by obliterating Boise State 48-13 in one of Week 1's most impressive performances. The kickoff of the SEC East season will have a ton of fanfare, a lot of attention, and plenty of intensity on both sides. Spurrier gets to play the unfamiliar role of SEC underdog, while UGA can make another big splash on national TV.
Prediction: Georgia 34 ... South Carolina 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Louisiana Tech at No. 10 Florida
Saturday at 6 p.m. ET
Line:
UF -30
By any way you want to measure it, the opening of the Urban Meyer era was a rousing success — cranking out 411 yards of total offense in a 32-14 win over Wyoming that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate. The Gators have Tennessee coming up next week, but it first has to get by a Louisiana Tech team that won't be all that bad even after losing star RB Ryan Moats to the NFL. The Bulldogs have some good offensive players and an attacking defense to give the Gators a little bit of a challenge. Florida's offense will get better week after week. This is an important game to get the timing of the spread down, but the Gators will still be sharp enough to get by the Bulldogs without much of a problem.
Prediction: Florida 41 ... Louisiana Tech 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Citadel at No. 11 Florida State
Saturday at 6:45 p.m. ET
Line:
No Line
Here's a little tip for Florida State: schedule The Citadel before Miami. Seminole fans are still rejoicing after breaking a six-game losing streak to the 'Canes with an ugly 10-7 win on Monday night. Florida State looked awful everywhere but on the defensive line, and now it gets to tune everything up and also getting a chance to see if its quarterbacks can complete a pass before dealing with Boston College next week. The Citadel beat Charleston Southern 28-14 thanks to a three touchdown passing day from Duran Lawson. If you felt cheated by not seeing FSU's offense do anything vs. Miami, this is the game for you.
Prediction: Florida State 58 ... The Citadel 0
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Florida Int. at No. 21 Texas Tech
Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
Line:
TT -34.5
The Texas Tech cupcake world tour begins with its only game against a D-I team facing new D-I Florida International before dealing with mighty Sam Houston State and Indiana State. Considering Texas Tech is getting its most preseason respect ever in the polls, the idea of tuning up the machine before Big 12 play might not be a bad idea. FIU is coming off a surprisingly tough showing in a 35-21 loss to Kansas State. With a road game under its belt, it's hoping to give Texas Tech a good scrimmage. FIU will keep it close for about ten minutes, and then the fireworks will begin. This won't be pretty.
Prediction: Texas Tech 50 ... FIU 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 5 LSU at No. 15 Arizona State
Saturday at 9:15 p.m. ET
Line:
LSU -3
Good luck trying to figure this one out. LSU players, coaches and fans have obviously had a lot to think about other than football, and now they all get a break for a few hours in one of the biggest non-conference games of the season. Because of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, LSU had to postpone its opening game with North Texas and chose to move the battle with the Sun Devils to Tempe. Will it be good to get away from the disaster for a few days, or will the home field advantage work more for ASU? The Sun Devils can't complain about not playing in Death Valley, and they certainly can't be upset that the Tigers didn't get a tune up game. LSU is a legitimate national title contender, while ASU is a top 10-caliber team that can make noise with a win.
Prediction: LSU 24 ... Arizona State 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 22 TCU at SMU
Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET
Line:
TCU -16
TCU pulled off what's sure to be the shocker of the season coming into Norman, Oklahoma as a 26.5 point underdog and coming out with a 17-10 win. Is TCU going to be this year's Utah? Was that the game that signaled the Horned Frogs are officially back after taking 2004 off? SMU hopes to ruin the warm, fuzzy feelings around Fort Worth with a huge upset. The Mustangs battled Baylor well last week before losing 28-23. It's possible it was the Horned Frog defense that made the OU QBs look that bad. TCU's defense was more effective and more aggressive last week than it was last year, and it showed by holding the mighty Sooners to 284 yards of total offense. If Adrian Peterson can only rush for 63 yards on TCU, what chance do the SMU backs have?
Prediction: TCU 38 ... SMU 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
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