2017 Week 1 College Football Final Thoughts, Predictions & Investment Advice: Sunday and Monday
The final thoughts, a few predictions, and some investment advice to make your life a heck of a lot better than it currently is.
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Week 1 Final Thoughts & Investment Advice: Sunday & Monday
Week 1 Final Thoughts & Investment Advice
Saturday | Friday | Thursday | August 26
It’s okay to admit it. This first giant, large, super-duper, all-time greatest weekend of college football ever was sort of a dud.
At least it’s been so far.
Alabama and Florida State wasn’t just boring, it was disastrous after Deondre Francois was hurt.
Florida’s offense was just sad against Michigan, BYU was an embarrassment against LSU, and overall, the games were just … blah.
So to make up for it, the gods are about to repay us with fun, exciting college football, because we need it in our lives. We deserve it.
What’s going to happen tonight with West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech and Texas A&M vs. UCLA, and then Monday night when Tennessee deals with Georgia Tech?
This is all just for spits, giggles, and entertainment purposes only, however, just in case you dabble …
Okay, so that didn’t work.
After the overs were rolling in on Thursday and Friday, it seemed like the lines were a bit askew going into Saturday. But instead of a slew of high-powered shootouts, a few teams that’ll finish with huge stats – Middle Tennessee, Georgia Southern, Southern Miss – totally fizzled, and the lines held.
Overall, it was an unders weekend – they went a +3. However …
NOW the overs should come through. I’m not quite sure why I’m so hot on the idea of shootouts kicking in, especially when that obviously wasn’t the case on Saturday.
UCLA and Texas A&M aren’t going to combine for more than 58 points? Maybe I’m just hoping for a firefight, but this feels like 37-31.
Really? West Virginia’s attack with Will Grier now at the helm isn’t going to find an early groove against Virginia Tech? And since when did the Mountaineers get the Alabama D? You’re going to sell the idea of a these two combining for just 52 points – with the over/under going down? Again, I might have to recalibrate the senses, but that feel way, way low with the offensive talent on the field.
And then there’s Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech. Now there’s a problem.
The 56 seems about right, because 1) we have no idea which Tennessee defense will show up, 2) for the most part, the SEC defenses not named Missouri have been terrific so far this weekend – Vanderbilt, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Alabama all dropped hammers.
Army and Navy rolled at will with their option offenses, but Georgia Southern went absolutely nowhere – but covered – against Auburn. There are way too many variables to deal with.
This is Josh Rosen’s moment. Sam Darnold was just okay. Lamar Jackson was great, but Louisville struggled against Purdue. Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph rocked, but Josh Allen couldn’t do anything against Iowa.
Rosen has the national stage tonight with a chance to go from semi-controversial figurehead to the we-need-THAT-guy-on-the-Jets franchise type of quarterback.
Don’t think the hard-screwed NFL types don’t get swayed by big performances with everyone watching.
Rosen is about to light up Texas A&M like a Christmas tree. Okay, bad example, but he’s about to throw for a whole lot of yards as he leads UCLA to a strong win by more than four points. | Texas A&M vs. UCLA
I’m not sold that Will Grier is some be-all-end all superstar. I’ve always thought his start at Florida was ridiculously overblown – so he made a few key plays against Tennessee – but from all indications, he’s going to be massive in the Dana Holgorsen attack.
But here’s the problem. The Virginia Tech defense might be magnificent again, hence the relatively low over/under.
The dudes over at BlueGoldSports.com aren’t wavering on the idea of West Virginia winning this – but I’m not sold. Then again, my mind is melting from my fifth cup of coffee in the last three hours – it took me 96 seconds to write all this so far. Screw you all, I’m going by feel. Virginia Tech wins this and covers.
Supermarkets, Lululemon, crowded buses … nothing good ever happens when I feel things. I went against the advice given to me that Colorado was the real deal against Colorado State, and I went with the Rams anyway. My feelings matter. I’m still taking Virginia Tech. | West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech
Florida has been the one SEC dud so far this weekend, but Michigan is just that good. From North Carolina to Florida State, from Louisville sputtering against a mediocre Purdue to Boston College surviving against a MAC team, to Pitt needing overtime to beat Youngstown State, to NC State’s failure against South Carolina, the ACC hasn’t exactly come to the party.
I’m generalizing here, but you’re going to take the ACC team over the SEC after what you’ve seen this weekend?
I’m generalizing, because all that matters is what Georgia Tech is going to do against Tennessee. Even so, the Vols have had all offseason to prepare for the triple-option that’s about to come their way, and they’re going to be fresh enough to handle it. Give it a half, and then Tennessee takes over. | Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee
Oh no. I’m taking all three favorites. How imaginative. So let’s go another way. Out of the three final games, if I had to rank the upset potential, Texas A&M has the best chance, then West Virginia, then Georgia Tech.
And Finally … the Pac-12 went 10-0 straight up this weekend, and 11-0 if you want to count the Stanford blasting of Rice. This is the league’s shot to be the big story to come out of Week 1, or else it’ll be all about the SEC’s dominance over the world again if Texas A&M wins.
It’s probably a good thing for college football on a national scale if UCLA looks great, but after Saturday, it would be a better thing if this game was really good.
After what these two did last year, I’m demanding brilliance.
Week 1 Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | Ind | MAC | Mountain West | Sun Belt