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Fresno State -11'
Utah +3'
Arkansas +8
Huge opening game for both schools as each has designs on a big year. But I believe Fresno State is the clearly superior squad and will show it here. The Bulldogs were on their way to an incredible season a year ago, but came out on the short end in one of the best games I've ever seen when they lost to USC. There just wasn't anything left for the Nevada game the next week and they fell way behind before making a comeback and getting within three late. The fact that this team could rally despite being -5 net turnovers in the game and spent from the prior game tells me that Fresno was the substantially better team. Plus, that was THE game on the sked last year for Nevada. Ault has done a great job with the Wolfpack and his innovative Pistol offense was a real headache last season. But I believe the team overachieved and won't be as strong this year. Nevada has gotten their lunch handed to them when traveling to face a superior opponent, and without any focus edge here, they should get drilled. FRESNO STATE minus the points.
I can't imagine Utah will be getting as much as they're getting right now at UCLA as we move closer to game time. I expect the Utes to be steamed, so that the present number still offers some value, even though it was actually higher when it opened. Simply stated, Utah looks like the better team here. I thought the Utes underachieved last season, but came together right at the end of the season, defeating BYU on the road in a real thriller and then taking apart a disinterested Georgia Tech squad in their bowl game. But the Utes look like a potential dynamo this year, and they're my pick to win the MWC. They're also a team that will have a legit shot to run the table if they can win here, so there's no doubt they'll be really focused. UCLA is not even close to being the same team as they were a year ago, and it took several second half miracles for the Bruins to get their ten wins (including the bowl victory). I see them as a potential .500 team in what is clearly a rebuilding season. In addition to having to replace a lot of key personnel, they also lost their two coordinators and I feel they'll especially miss departed OC Tom Cable, who made some phenomenal in-game adjustments last season. I never really thought the Bruins were that sensational last year and when they were 8-0 I remarked that they were one of the most flawed unbeaten teams I'd ever seen. I suspect they start this year 0-1 and I'm taking the points with UTAH.
I used Arkansas on the Sunday night radio show and see no reason to get off them. The number is still about the same (I'm using +8 here as that is the consensus line, but better is available) and in fact I like the game a little more now than I did Sunday night. There's now a chance that RB McFadden might be able to contribute here, although that's a bonus I'm not counting on. But the Hogs are one of my underrated teams heading into the season in any event. They were a very misleading 4-7 last season, as they were actually a very solid team by the end of the year. This team just missed winning at both Georgia and LSU and they have almost everyone back from last year while adding some talented newcomers. I don't think USC was as strong last year as they were the year before and take another step down this season. There's a great deal of inexperience on offense and while I do see the defense improving, particularly along the front seven, I don't rate it as a dominant group. This is being treated as an incredibly important game for the Arkansas program, and I can tell you that one of the strongest early season angles is taking underdogs with revenge when they return 75% or more of their starters. I don't know if the Hogs can pull off the outright upset, and it's important that they don't give anything away early here. But the fact they played so tough down the stretch last year makes me believe they're ready to turn the corner and getting more than the TD gets me on them here. ARKANSAS plus the points.
Utah +3'
Arkansas +8
Huge opening game for both schools as each has designs on a big year. But I believe Fresno State is the clearly superior squad and will show it here. The Bulldogs were on their way to an incredible season a year ago, but came out on the short end in one of the best games I've ever seen when they lost to USC. There just wasn't anything left for the Nevada game the next week and they fell way behind before making a comeback and getting within three late. The fact that this team could rally despite being -5 net turnovers in the game and spent from the prior game tells me that Fresno was the substantially better team. Plus, that was THE game on the sked last year for Nevada. Ault has done a great job with the Wolfpack and his innovative Pistol offense was a real headache last season. But I believe the team overachieved and won't be as strong this year. Nevada has gotten their lunch handed to them when traveling to face a superior opponent, and without any focus edge here, they should get drilled. FRESNO STATE minus the points.
I can't imagine Utah will be getting as much as they're getting right now at UCLA as we move closer to game time. I expect the Utes to be steamed, so that the present number still offers some value, even though it was actually higher when it opened. Simply stated, Utah looks like the better team here. I thought the Utes underachieved last season, but came together right at the end of the season, defeating BYU on the road in a real thriller and then taking apart a disinterested Georgia Tech squad in their bowl game. But the Utes look like a potential dynamo this year, and they're my pick to win the MWC. They're also a team that will have a legit shot to run the table if they can win here, so there's no doubt they'll be really focused. UCLA is not even close to being the same team as they were a year ago, and it took several second half miracles for the Bruins to get their ten wins (including the bowl victory). I see them as a potential .500 team in what is clearly a rebuilding season. In addition to having to replace a lot of key personnel, they also lost their two coordinators and I feel they'll especially miss departed OC Tom Cable, who made some phenomenal in-game adjustments last season. I never really thought the Bruins were that sensational last year and when they were 8-0 I remarked that they were one of the most flawed unbeaten teams I'd ever seen. I suspect they start this year 0-1 and I'm taking the points with UTAH.
I used Arkansas on the Sunday night radio show and see no reason to get off them. The number is still about the same (I'm using +8 here as that is the consensus line, but better is available) and in fact I like the game a little more now than I did Sunday night. There's now a chance that RB McFadden might be able to contribute here, although that's a bonus I'm not counting on. But the Hogs are one of my underrated teams heading into the season in any event. They were a very misleading 4-7 last season, as they were actually a very solid team by the end of the year. This team just missed winning at both Georgia and LSU and they have almost everyone back from last year while adding some talented newcomers. I don't think USC was as strong last year as they were the year before and take another step down this season. There's a great deal of inexperience on offense and while I do see the defense improving, particularly along the front seven, I don't rate it as a dominant group. This is being treated as an incredibly important game for the Arkansas program, and I can tell you that one of the strongest early season angles is taking underdogs with revenge when they return 75% or more of their starters. I don't know if the Hogs can pull off the outright upset, and it's important that they don't give anything away early here. But the fact they played so tough down the stretch last year makes me believe they're ready to turn the corner and getting more than the TD gets me on them here. ARKANSAS plus the points.
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