A new season and new conference I know very little about. So there will be no nicknames, (yet), meaning Spawn of Satan for ASU is being retired. Anyway, the same format will be used. Odds are for the home team. My picks are in italics.

Florida State @ Georgia Tech +11.5: This game is being played in Dublin, Ireland. It's a guarantee that the FSU team that was discombobulated by Georgia in the Orange Bowl won't show up. The Rambling Wreck is wrecked before it rambles. (I seriously doubt I'm the first to use that line). FSU covers.

Southern Methodist @ Nevada -27.5: Nevada is bad. Very bad. SMU is very good. But with the large point spread and this being the home opener for a team with a new coach, I'm taking the Wolfpack to barely beat the spread.

UrsusTexicanus said:

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A new season and new conference I know very little about. So there will be no nicknames, (yet), meaning Spawn of Satan for ASU is being retired. Anyway, the same format will be used. Odds are for the home team. My picks are in italics.

Florida State @ Georgia Tech +11.5: This game is being played in Dublin, Ireland. It's a guarantee that the FSU team that was discombobulated by Georgia in the Orange Bowl won't show up. The Rambling Wreck is wrecked before it rambles. (I seriously doubt I'm the first to use that line). FSU covers.

Southern Methodist @ Nevada -27.5: Nevada is bad. Very bad. SMU is very good. But with the large point spread and this being the home opener for a team with a new coach, I'm taking the Wolfpack to barely beat the spread.

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I'm taking the points on Georgia Tech. I think they have enough depth and experience on both sides of the ball to keep it inside of 10 but probably not enough to win it.
As for SMU (sigh). SMU obviously has tons of skill position talent but they have a brand new line on both sides with the exception of 1 of 9 dudes. Nevada obviously has a new coach again and don't return more than 30 percent of their entire team. But what they do return are alot of seniors on defense and in particular the front 4. I'm hesitant to call a major upset but I'm going to call a major upset anyways. I think SMU is weak at oline and dline. And they were the worst tackling team in the country last year.
Basically it boils down to the fact that strange things happen in Reno, Jeff Choate has an axe to grind, Savion Red and the rest of that running back room are talented and deep (Ashtyn is buried at #4 I think) and Nevada has a decent defense with a strong front 4 that imho will make SMU look one dimensional.
SMU 17 Nevada 28

FSU covers. SMU wins but does not cover.

UrsusTexicanus, do you plan on including Big 10/12 games involving former Pac schools for your weekly threads this season? It will be interesting to see how our former brethren fare in their new conferences, at least in these first couple of seasons.

bear2034 said:

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UrsusTexicanus, do you plan on including Big 10/12 games involving former Pac schools for your weekly threads this season? It will be interesting to see how our former brethren fare in their new conferences, at least in these first couple of seasons.

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I am not interested in following the teams that caused the Pac 12 to collapse. That would be the teams that went to the Big 10 and Colorado. I do not plan on reading about them or watching them. I will follow the ACC and the teams Cal plays.

Go Bears!

bear2034 said:

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UrsusTexicanus, do you plan on including Big 10/12 games involving former Pac schools for your weekly threads this season? It will be interesting to see how our former brethren fare in their new conferences, at least in these first couple of seasons.

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I'm keeping it the ACC. With 17 teams, I'm going to be pretty busy.

I forgot there was game already, this Saturday. What a pleasant reminder. And a conference game, to boot! It's been so long!

FSU to beat spread. BTW, this might be a good game to take the over on points
Neveda beats spread. Candidly, I have no real sense how good either team really is at this point between realignment, massive Portal transfer roster shifts, etc.

Oh yea, thanks for keeping this going Tex.

I agree that SMU's weaker lines will be exposed at some point, but I kind of doubt that Nevada is the team to do it.

Two ACC wins, two covers.

Florida State 35 Georgia Tech 21
SMU 42 Nevada 13

So, two covers for the ACC teams

First game of the season, schools with high numbers of transfers are going to have a slow start and score less. Haven't looked into the FSU/GT rosters but that is an important factor in the prognosis of August games.

FSU wins, but doesn't cover
SMU wins and covers

sycasey said:

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I agree that SMU's weaker lines will be exposed at some point, but I kind of doubt that Nevada is the team to do it.

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Good thing we get them at the end of the year, they will be worn out and we can run Ott 50 times no problem.

I'll take the two dogs to cover.

Georgia Tech +11.5
Nevada +27.5

OneKeg said:

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I'll take the two dogs to cover.

Georgia Tech +11.5
Nevada +27.5

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Likewise plus Dublin where everyone is drunk before noon

OneKeg said:

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I'll take the two dogs to cover.

Georgia Tech +11.5
Nevada +27.5

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Woo, 2-0 start.

I'm sure it's all downhill from here, so I'll celebrate my high point of the season.

Whoa, just like the last several years breakeven. Might as well just flip a coin. Despite all the commentary about how fans don't like the recent changes in college sports, these were fun football games to watch.

Love that FSU lost to GT.

F FSU.

Way to go rambling wreck of Georgia Tech!!