I AM HUGE (0-0 YTD) WEEK 1 PICKS AND ANALYSIS

@iamhuge

 NMSU too... and pretty much any of those lower lever teams outside the Top #100 should be in FCS.

OKLAHOMA -32 utep

Does anyone else think it was pisser when the wheel fell off the Sooner Schooner and it tipped over?  I laughed my balls off.  How about the time in the 1985 Orange Bowl game against Washington when Oklahoma kicked the tying field goal and the Schooner went on the field and the refs threw an unsportsmanlike penalty against them…backed them up 15 yards and then the re-attempted field goal was blocked.   You can’t make up this shit.

Anyway, the only thing more laughable than the crash of the Sooner Schooner is the UTEP football team dumpster fire.  Now I know UTEP actually won 7 games last year (that is, of course, if you count wins over Rice, Bethune Cookman, New Mexico State, Southern Siss and ODU as real wins) but they are still UTEP.  I’m not sold.  UTEP has played Oklahoma 4 times and the average score of those 4 games has been 51-7.  The only thing different about UTEP is that they are set to debut a new-look helmet with all-white uniforms during Saturday's game.  How silly.  They will look like the storm troopers from Star Wars…how did that work out for them?

Now I’m not blowing my horn on the Sooners, but UTEP will be the worst team they play all season.  One thing is for sure, Brent Venables came over to Oklahoma to shore up the defense, and there is no chance at all that UTEP is going to score more than 1 touchdown on Saturday.  The Miners only scored 13 points last week against North Texas and the Mean Green defense does not quite measure up to Oklahoma’s standards.  The UTEP QB completed only 44% of his pass attempts and they weren’t able to run the ball for more than 3.6 yards per carry…and they were the home team.  You know what happens when you can’t run the ball on the road, and your QB can’t complete more than half of his passes?  You lose…that’s what happens. Venables’ aggressive style will put the defense in a position to make some big plays.    So we know that UTEP isn’t going to score more than 10 points.  The question is, will the Sooners be able to put up 43?

It all starts with the QB and when Lincoln Riley pilfered Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler hit the bricks, the Sooners brought in Dillon Gabriel from UCF.  Now this kid is a winner.  He’s a leader.  He’s a great athlete.  Everyone around the Sooners camp has spoken highly of Gabriel since his arrival.  The good news is Gabriel knows offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby's scheme from their days together with UCF, so there won’t be any Week 1 oopsies.  The Sooners have 3 returning starters on the O-Line and brought in another starter from Cal.  So the QB should be able to set his feet and find wide open receivers when they run the up tempo offense that will have UTEP reeling, and behind on the scoreboard very quickly.  Of course, OU will look to pound the rock as well and they will find great success against the Swiss Cheese Miner front 7. 

With the Big 12 clamoring for national attention, as it starts to look less and less like a Power 5 conference, style points are going to matter.   Venables knows this and anything short of a big win over UTEP won’t look good coming out of the gate.  The Sooners have Kent State next week, so there’s no look ahead issues or resting stars for the big game concerns.  Brent Venables’ big focus since arriving in Norman has been about establishing an intensity and physicality that, to quote Venables’ is “relentless and suffocating.”  I expect touchdown from both the defense and special teams, so I’m looking for the offense to only need to score 4 touchdowns to cover this spread.  Easy peasy.  Boomer Sooner laying the 32.

Illinois should have won...both teams have good defenses.

Rutgers looking sloppy

Oklahoma pushes....UTEP somehow makes a meaningless 54 yd FG...go figure.

This UTSA game is entertaining even though it’s likely I don’t cover. 

James Mad 

Houston wins but does not cover.  Give Frank Harris credit.  The dude can ball.    0-1 so far this week.  

Nevada easily covers.   1-1 on the week.   

USC and JMU both cover in colossal belly laughers.   3-1 on the week.  

Nice job especially with USC 

BYU easily covers.   4-1 on the week.  A guaranteed winning week to start the season!   Waiting on Kentucky and South Carolina to finish 

Kentucky plays a great second half and runs away for the cover.  5-1 on the week. 

Spencer Rattler has a meh outing but South Carolina defense steps up as the gamecocks cover.   That’s a wrap for the week.   6-1 for the week.  6-1 YTD 86%.   

best of luck to all 

nice job iamhuge

great week, looking forward to next week 

great start huge

You pegged USC.