*** NCAA Football Week 5 ***

Don't be hating on the powerhouse that is Central Michigan! 

I'm a huge Michigan fan and this could be biased but Notre Dame is far from being "back".  They get SIX turnovers and win by 6 points?  Michigan had more yards, first downs, 3rd down conversions and dominated TOP.  If ND was truly elite they would have won by 20+.  Their defense is stout, that much I can give them credit.

Always a close follower Boom, and typically use a couple of your picks each week that I like (ie: Rice over - FSU last week).  That said, I would have to respectively disagree with a couple points.  1.  I don't think Notre Dame is a very good team.  They have no explosive players offensively, and there back 4 are very inexperienced.  UM had guys running around open everywhere that entire game.  If #16 doesn't keep throwing to the dark colored jerseys, making head scratching reads (or fumbling on the 10) that game is completely different.  IMO, UM beat them defensively and offensively, but only two numbers matter, the scoreboard.  I do agree that Kelly is a good coach, but personally feel, ND is an average team at best.  They have a "good" front 7, but I heard the talking heads saying that front 7 is an "SEC" type.  What?  I watched the South Carolina game, and it's not even comparable, not too mention 'Bama or LSU (or FSU for that matter).  I'm not a ND hater at all, I just wasn't impressed with a defense that I heard so much about, and watched a Michigan offense do pretty damn well.  Hell, ND at 3 plays of offense in the thid quarter b/c their D couldn't get off th field.  IMO (and I stress, just my opinion) Michigan lost that game, ND didn't win it (vice/versa of last years UM/ND game).

As for Oregon, the same can be said.  Dropped passes (alot of dropped passed), dumb penalties, missed FG's by 'Zona.  5 trips into the redzone and 0 points? (much like MIchigan).  IMO, Zona was much more physical and Oregon should have been down in the first half.  Yes.  They obviously have a couple of VERY explosive players, but both their QB's are very suspect, and if you get them in passing downs (which obviously can be hard to do) they have some issues.  I'm not saying Oregon is horrible by any stretch, I just think you & I watched the same game, but came away with two completely different opinions.  If not for about 4 dropped passes, that game is by no means a "shut out".  I wasn't as impressed with Oregon's D as you were, much the opposite actually.  I think USC will expose what 'Zona couldn't.

btw.  I hear you on Leach (& agree).  But I would also say, as a Big Ten Fan (which is very hard to say right now) - I think that same can be said about Brady Hoke & Urban Meyer.  It's gonna take a couple years, but I think both of those guys are going to have some very strong teams in the near future.  It's just gonna take some time.  They are both plucking recruits away from SEC teams, which if (and a big if) thos recruits pan out (always a crap shoot) - things could get interesting in the future.

Good read as always, contiuned success this year.  Always look forward to your picks.

As someone who is close to the OU team, I saw this coming dating back to this past spring. Lots of internal issues with this team that are even worse that the public perceives. And apparently even the sharps who were on OU all last week and keeping that line up even though most of the public was on KSU. Which in itself is pretty amazing given that the sharps are supposed to know more than us. Ha! I've seen these betting syndicates make mistake after mistake this year. It's either that or we're getting a lot of false positives with the line. All I know is when the spread got up to +16 I jumped all over it.

Great run on your totals Boom. That's one thing that I'm having trouble with this season. But now that the first month is in the books, I'll probably be leaning more towards the overs.

As for TCU, what you saw at home has been their motus operandi for years. Patterson will not let up until the game is over. But with the start of Big 12 play we won't have to worrry about it. With his young team he's going to be struggling to win, much less cover.

Georgia is probably the real deal. But I still don't trust Richt.

Well they didn't play last night. Hypotheticals aren't going to win you anything.  I would argue that LSU has been known to play down to their competition occassionally.  They had no reason to respect Auburn based on their play thus far.  They felt Auburn punch back and almost choked it away. They are kids still, unlike NFL players. They are easier to rattle, more likely to choke, and more easily swayed by the home crowd.  That's why home field advantage means a lot more in college than in the NFL.