WAC
Not ready yet - Nevada
I absolutely love this team, especially the backfield of Colin Kaepernick and Luke Lippincott and that pistol offense. But the defense is not there yet, and the schedule is brutal. Texas Tech and Mizzou the first two weeks? Thanks, AD. Ouch. Look for a strong late season finish and a push into next season.
Close but no cigar - Fresno State
Fresno is the real deal this year, and some experts think they may be this year's BCS buster. I think they are great, but I don't think they are undefeated. The schedule is rough right from the start with a trip to Piscataway to play Rutgers and then a home date with Wisconsin. If they start 2-0, keep watching close. But here's guessing they lose one or both and then drop one conference road game to...
Conference champ - Boise State
In a league called the WAC, the choice for champ is anything but that. Boise State is the class of the conference once again. A new QB won't matter, though the losses on the offensive line will at least cause these guys to stumble a time or two. Early rodies against Oregon and Southern Miss will make this team strong as they run through the WAC yet again.

Sun Belt
Not ready yet - North Texas
A lot of people here know the name Todd Dodge, and now the head coach has his freshman son Riley on the way to stabilize the QB position before long. This offense will be scoring 30 and 40 points most games yet again... but the defense will continue to give up 40 or 50 in most of those. Expect a solid upset or two, but this is not a bowl team for one more year.
Close but no cigar - Troy
The Trojans will certainly be battle tested. They have road games early on against both LSU and Ohio State, and they'll both be closer matches than you'd think. Bottom line, the schedule is just not in Troy's favor this year. Once they get in conference, the toughest games are on the road as well. This is a tough bowl team who are better than their final record should show.
Conference champ - Florida Atlantic
If you want a look at these Owls, see what you think this weekend when they put a real scare into Texas... for a half. Rusty Smith leads this offense and a team that has everything in its favor to win the Sun Belt for the second straight year.

Mountain West
Not ready yet - TCU
The Horned Toads turned in a very disappointing campaign last season in a year where many (including myself) picked them as potential BCS busters. This is not exactly a rebuilding squad, but they are no longer at the top of the MWC for now and have a tough slate ahead of them this year.
Close but no cigar - Utah
The Utes are always good, it seems, and now QB Brian Johnson is healthy and ready to run this offense again. It's a very well balanced team, and they should give Michigan all they can handle if they overlook an opponent again to start off the year.
Conference champ - BYU
BYU is one of two teams that I give a real shot of busting the BCS bubble this year, and I think they've got the best shot. This team has everything on both sides of the ball and also has a very winnable schedule. If they don't stumble in Washington next week, they should be favorites in every game until the Holy War to end the season, and this year is in Provo where the Cougars will come up just short in their BCS dreams.

MAC
Not ready yet - Buffalo
Buffalo's football program has come a long ways in recent years. It wasn't half a decade ago when this was just about a free win on the schedule, but now they are in the MAC and winning big games. Expect this team to turn the corner this year behind workhorse RB James Starks and make a bowl game at last.
Close but no cigar - Central Michigan
If you don't know this team yet, you probably will soon. This offense is awfully fun to watch. They spread the field out and QB Dan LeFevour works his magic... to the tune of better stats than a man they call Tebow. Receivers Bryan Anderson and Antonio Brown are legit, and this team will be bowling again and scoring plenty of points.
Conference champ - Ball State
The Cardinals are the other team I give a real shot at crashing the BCS this year. The offense is not quite CMU's status, but Dante Love is the best receiver you've never heard of and QB Nate Davis is an excellent all around threat as well. And this team has a great defense as well, a bunch of ball hawks who will be all over the field. Ball State has a great chance to go to Indiana on Sept 20 and pulling the win... but the dream ends with just one loss at Central Michigan late in the year.

Conference USA
Not ready yet - SMU
June Jones is there, and that means that the nation will be keeping their eyes on this team. But the schedule is tough and, while it should leave for some pretty entertaining high scoring battles, SMU is not ready for the big stage yet. Expect to see a few big upsets down the stretch though and a good shot at a bowl game.
Close but no cigar - Houston
The Cougars will probably miss Anthony Aldridge a bit more than Denver will enjoy him, but you never know. Either way Houston has an excellent shot at winning the C-USA and they have the schedule to do it. Expect 9 or 10 wins and a ticket to a good bowl game.
Conference champs - Tulsa
If you don't know the name Gus Malzahn yet, you should learn it soon... the guy literally wrote the book on the spread offense. As long as he is still behind the scenes here, Tulsa will be my pick in the C-USA, with or without star QB Paul Smith. Look for double digit wins and a conference championship.

Notre Dame
No point making a category for the independents, since the Irish are the only team here worth noticing. But worth noticing, they certainly are this year. Don't count them out on the basis of last year's abysmal effort. This team was not as bad as they looked, and now they catch a lot of teams in rebuilding efforts with a very nice looking schedule for ND. Jimmy Clausen this season will blossom into the golden boy he was supposed to be, and Uber-Weis will rise again. The key stretch will be a pair of back to back roadies against up and coming UNC and Washington midseason and a pair of tough coaching matchups. If the Irish get at least one of those, they'll not only be bowling this season, but it will be in the big time again. Don't forget, this team goes 9-3 and likely makes the BCS, and that's exactly what I expect to happen this year even with a blowout finale loss at USC.

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Week 2 games worth watching...

Navy @ Ball State (Friday night)
This one is fun to watch on many levels. Ball State has two of the best receivers you've never heard of. Dante Love is a dynamic little dude who returns kicks and catches a ton of yards, and TE Darius Hill will play (well) at the next level. As for Navy, Shun White just put up about 350 rushing yards last week so that's all you need to know there. Plus it's Friday night footbal on ESPN.

Southern Miss @ Auburn
Southern Miss brings superstud RB Damion Fletcher to this game, and he alone is enough reason to watch, along with freshman superstar WR DeAndre Brown, one of the top recruits in the country. This team is every bit as talented as Auburn, and this one could go to the wire.

BYU @ Washington
This is the first of two huge early games for the Cougars, with a home visit up next from UCLA. This game may be the biggest hurdle en route to a possible undefeated and a BCS berth, so you better keep an eye on it!

Central Michigan @ Georgia
It has to be listed since CMU is one of the better non-BCS teams and has a fun spread offense and a star QB in Dan LeFevour. But this is going to be a slaughterhouse.

West Virginia @ East Carolina
ECU shocked Va Tech last week, and don't count them out from doing it again. WVa was less than impressive last week and Pat White will have to be very good to pull this one off. 30 some yards from Noel Devine is not going to cut it this time around. If they don't take this game seriously, ECU will be 2-0 with wins against a pair of teams many thought were headed to the BCS.

Buffalo @ Pittsburgh
Everyone was disappointed with Pitt's week one loss, but it was no surprise to Bowling Green fans. Buffalo is not quite as good, but they have a good 1-2 punch on offense and will hang tighter than you might think. This is not the cakewalk it once was in the MAC. Pitt will have all it can handle.

Tulsa @ North Texas
When you get Gus Malzahn and Todd Dodge together for a game, you can probably just go ahead and count on some offense. Upwards in the triple digit range even.

South Florida @ Central Florida
This could present some problems, but it probably shouldn't. Worth noting though.

Houston @ Oklahoma State
Look for plenty of offense in this game of pretty evenly matched teams. Zac Robinson vs Case Keenum should be a fun battle, and I think the Cougars should win this game in what would not be much of an upset to me. We'll see if OK State is ready for the spread thanks to prep against Mizzou and Tech every year.

Minnesota @ Bowling Green
I'm sure you don't care, but it's not often that MAC teams go 2-0 against BCS teams to start out a season.

Texas Tech @ Nevada
I know Sarge thinks this one is an upset. I am not sure I agree, but it should certainly be entertaining. I love me some Colin Kaepernick and Luke Lippincott for the Wolfpack, and this will certainly be a shootout. Nevada defintely has a shot, and this one too could threaten to burn out the scoreboard.

Northwestern @ Duke
Oh. Wait...

A spot on assessment. I think I had wrote up something on Fresno St. I like Nevada too, and I like the upset they are going to pull this weekend.


Id say two. Riley is going to be fantastic in that offense, and since hes been running it for years already, I think you will be amazed at what DodgeBall is going to do in Denton.

Not that long ago these guys were the laughing stock of football. Now they aren't a gimme game anymore. Starks impresses me.

Great article Brandon.

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Brother man it just smells like one. Nevada has the tools, and they have the talent to outscore Texas Tech. Your assessment of the scoreboard issue is right on the money. Hope they are able to get a big 1 to paste on the scoreboard.

pretty well on with most of those games, except i still have no idea what happened in the tech-nevada game. was there a monsoon or something? is harrell human afterall?

They played defense.


Riley Dodge appeared as a RB/WR for North Texas. Did not do too bad. Had like 5 catches for 25 yards.

not much to see this week, but a few to point out...

north dakota state @ wyoming - my hometown team, gotta point them out here as they look to knock off a second consecutive I-A team

ucla @ byu - byu is favored easily here and should win by even more. if they do, theyre on the fast track to a bcs berth.

michigan @ notre dame - not quite the same as tradition and history would have you believe, but you get the sense one of these teams is going to turn the corner in this game. i think it will be the irish.

new mexico state @ nebraska - no upset potential in this one, but should be plenty of passing offense on each side of the ball.

rice @ vandy - looks like time for rice to snap back to reality. vandy at home will show why theyre in the bcs and rice is not.

smu @ texas tech - june jones and mike leach.... mmmm offense. get ready for plenty of it. no upsets here, just a lot of passing.

bowling green @ boise - a fun bcs matchup, the mac is coming around but not quite ready to win in boise just yet.

wisconsin @ fresno - this is the marquee non-bcs game for this week, two top 25 teams and a chance for fresno to really show it belongs. fresno can really get itself on the path to the bcs if they get this one against a tough smashmouth big 10 squad.

ND started to make things happen in the fourth quarter against SDSU. I know it was SDSU, but I just get the feeling that these players are burdened with getting the Irish to a bowl game this year and came out playing tight. The defense really scares me still but I think you can expect the offense to produce quite well for the rest of the year.

week of sept 20 games....

ecu @ nc state
i smell a trap game for the pirates. no reason for them to lose this one. i think its a toss up, and i think they could go down.

troy @ ohio state
this will be one of those heartbreaker games for osu haters like myself. troy will hang close for a long time and then the bucks will find a way like they always do.

cmu @ purdue
third time in 12 months for these two teams to play. purdue crushed them for 6 quarters and then held on for an exciting bowl win. this game should get painter going and probably lefevour too, since im playing him in so cffl. should be plenty of scoring to go around, and purdue will win easily.

notre dame @ mich state
no real idea what to do with this one. this smells like a blowout to me... but i dont know for which side. i feel like one of these teams lays a complete turd here, and i think it might be sparta.

rutgers @ navy
can the scarlet ones start out 0-3? i say yes. great call schiano (and runnik's for that matter... ).

boise @ oregon
definitely the game of the week for non-bcs teams. boise is always a shot at crashing the bcs, and they'll need this one. these teams are evenly matched. oregon has HFA, but theyre also missing both of their top QBs, and i think boise has a real shot at the upset. ian johnson vs lagarrette blount should be a lot of fun to watch! boise for the win and a top 25 spot.

utah @ air force
just an in conference mwc game, but utah has been hot early on and has a shot at the bcs, so they need this tough roadie.

ball st @ indiana
underrated game this week. this is a ball state squad that has a very real chance of going undefeated and getting a shot at the bcs if they can get this one. they might go undefeated and still not make bcs, plenty of controversy there if so. i think indiana stops them though.

rice @ texas
rice couldnt win in vandy, so it wont be close in texas.

fresno @ toledo
fun inter-non-bcs matchup, plenty of good talented players who will be playing sundays here. great late night game.

I couldn't agree more.

wow, pretty much nailed my report this week. called the nc state and boise upsets, nailed the rutgers loss, and the toledo/fresno game sure was an entertaining way to end a saturday. big miss on the indiana / ball state game though.

Ball St. looks like the real deal. If they can step up their defense just a hair they could make a splash in the bowl games.

i dont think they'll win at CMU later this year, and even if they do, i dont know that they make a bcs bowl. they'd still have to finish in the top 12 of the ranking i think and with a very weak SOS in the mac, i dont think they would.

They wont now without Dante Love :(

yeah that is rough, biggest win in school history and you lose one of the best few players in school history at the same time. that sucks.

games for the last weekend of september...

fresno @ ucla
ucla has lost 90-10 in their last two games. which is ironic because if you replaced the - with a 2, you would have the zip code for beverly hills. for whatever that's worth. this game is a mismatch at every level. fresno should maul them on both sides of the ball unless ucla plays with a ton more pride than they've shown of late.

purdue @ notre dame
i have a feeling this could turn into a bit of a shootout. painter has killed ND in recent years, but i think clausen is ready to match him this year. should be an entertaining game.

marshall @ west va
this game is going to be closer than you think. marshall is playing well, and this is a rivalry game that will be hotly contested. it wouldnt be stunning to see a 3 in the L column for the hokies after this. plus marshall has a pair of dariuses on offense that are just spectacular. their leading rusher is aptly named "marshall" and their leading receiver even more aptly "passmore." hilarious.

troy @ ok state
interestingly enough, troy's matchup against pryor last week might have prepared them some for zac robinson. still, ok state has been putting up monster rushing numbers and should probably take this one fairly easily.

**non-bcs game of the week**
tcu @ oklahoma
the mountain west has 3 ranked teams for the first time in history, and they could have 3 teams on a crash course through each other toward the bcs if lightning strikes twice for tcu against the sooners. tcu has a fantastic defense that is holding opponents to under 8 points a game through four games, including a road game last weekend against june jones and smu. the toads are real.. but OU is still by far the better squad. what matters here is how stoops prepares the team this week. if they are ready to sleepwalk through this and get to the big 12 games, they're in big trouble. but because stoops has already been snakebit by tcu before, they should be ready and handle tcu. should be a fun game to watch, hope its on tv.

TCU vs OU is a pretty good game. If they can hang in for a half...TCU might have a shot.

Problem is your dealing with Gresham, Madu, Brown, Murray, and Bradford, even if you take away the WRs, there is still too much for TCU to handle.

Watch Jeremy Kerley for TCU. Great HS QB for Hutto. Will be a good WR before he is done for TCU