College Football Week 2 Preview and Predictions

Missouri quarterback James Frankiin is set to for his first real battle against an SEC defense Saturday. (Getty Images)

Since I have had a super busy week, I am only giving a short preview before my predictions. Additionally, this is about as weak of a slate of games as I can remember in a long time. Therefore, they do not merit as thorough of an anylsis as my other ones.

5. #24 Florida @ Texas A&M - 3:30 PM EST, ESPN/WatchESPN

Texas A&M's debut against Louisiana Tech this season was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Isaac. Now instead, their opening game will be against new conference rival Florida. The Aggies will look to get the season off on the right foot in their first game as a SEC member. Meanwhile, the Gators will look to continue their success from their 27-14 win over Bowling Green last weekend. They will be looking for continued growth out of newly named starting quarterback Jeff Driskel.

Prediction: Florida 24 Texas A&M 20                                              

4. Air Force @ #19 Michigan - 3:30 PM EST, ABC/ESPN2

The Michigan Wolverines must look to bounce back quickly from their disappointing 41-14 loss to Alabama. They can't afford to be hungover going into their home opener against a dangerous Air Force team. The Falcons rushed for an amazing 484 yards last week in a win over Idaho State. They will look to use their option offense to control the tempo against Michigan. The Wolverines will look for a bounce back game from quarterback Denard Robinson. They will also be the beneficiaries of getting starting running back Fitzgerald Toussaint back from suspension.

Prediction: Michigan 38 Air Force 24

3. #16 Nebraska @ UCLA - 7:30 PM EST, FOX

Nebraska travels across the country to take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl. The Cornhuskers hope that this is the first of two trips this season. If that is going to be the case, they must win games such as this one. Nebraska star quarterback Taylor Martinez had a huge game last week. The one potential blow to the Cornhuskers offense is that star running back Rex Burkhead is questionable for the game. UCLA kicked off the Jim Mora era with a solid win over Rice. They look to keep their momentum going this weekend.

Prediction: Nebraska 30 UCLA 24

2. Purdue @ #22 Notre Dame - 3:30 PM EST, NBC

Notre Dame's dominance of Navy in Ireland was one of the big stories from last week. This Saturday should show the affect that jet lag has on their ability to play football. For the Fighting Irish, the man at the center of it all is sophomore quarterback Everett Golson. Golson shined last week against the Midshipmen. Purdue will undoubtedly be excited to travel and play their in-state rivals this weekend. Their three-quarterback attack should cause the Irish defense to stay on their toes.

Prediction: Notre Dame 34 Purdue 20

1. #7 Georgia @ Missouri - 7:45 PM EST, ESPN2/WatchESPN

This is Missouri's first SEC game since joining the conference. With it being at home, the home crowd will certainly be stoked for this one. One clear advantage that the Tigers have is that they have the element of surprise. Their spread offense led by quarterback James Franklin is something that Georgia will not be as familiar with. Georgia is the heavy favorite in the game. However, I have some concerns. On defense, the Bulldogs have six starters suspended for the game. Additionally, they looked suspect at times against Buffalo last week.

Prediction: Missouri 34 Georgia 31

Are Your Brackets Busted?

It would come as no surprise to me if they were after a day like today. After all entering today, #2 seeds were 105-4 all time again #15 seeds. That all changed when #15 Norfolk State upset #2 Missouri and #15 Lehigh upset #2 Duke. Out of 6.5 million brackets on ESPN.com, only 31,183 correctly picked these games. Additionally, only 24,492 brackets correctly chose #15 Norfolk State, #15 Lehigh, and #13 Ohio. #12 seed South Florida and #11 seed N.C. State both pulled significant upsets as well.

Wow. I mean what else can you say after a day like today. Your bracket is probably destroyed, but you probably loved the basketball you watched. Picking a perfect bracket is next to impossible. So don't feel bad. In fact, the odds of picking a perfect bracket are 1-in-100 million trillion (Weimerskirch). One teenage fan correctly picked every game of the first two rounds last year. The odds of that happening was estimated at 13.46 million to one (bookofodds.com).

So don't feel bad if your bracket is busted. I know that mine is. But that is okay. Now, you can root for all the underdogs and enjoy the madness of March basketball.

Rematches Highlight a Busy Saturday in College Basketball

5. Drake @ #19 Wichita State - 1:30 PM EST

Wichita State has already clinched the #1 seed for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. However, that does not mean they won't be pumped for this one. The Shockers only loss in 2012 came in triple overtime at Drake. This one has thriller potential written all over it yet again.

4. #7 North Carolina @ Virginia - 4:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

North Carolina and Duke are both tied for the ACC lead for best record. Both teams are looking forward to the big regular season finale. However, both need to be careful to not overlook their games before that. On Saturday, UNC plays Virginia. The Tar Heels beat the Cavaliers by 18 in the previous matchup. The Cavaliers are still looking for that signature win to help their resume. A win in this one would provide just that.

3. #2 Syracuse @ Connecticut - 9:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN3

Syracuse has dominated Big East play like no other team has. Connecticut, on the other hand, has disappointed all season. They have simply struggled to win conference games. Syracuse just keeps rolling along. In order to have even a remote chance of advancing, UConn will need Shabazz Napier to have another great game. The crowd should be pumped up for this one.

2. Vanderbilt @ #1 Kentucky - 12:00 PM EST, CBS

When these two teams met earlier this year, Kentucky escaped with a six point win. Vanderbilt made a push late, but it was to little to late. Little has seemed to change since then. Both teams are undefeated since their first matchup. Vanderbilt would have to play amazingly well in order to pull the improbable upset.

1. #3 Missouri @ #5 Kansas - 4:00 PM EST, CBS

This is the last regular season matchup of these two historic rivals for the foreseeable future. Big 12 supremacy and bragging rights are on the line. Additionally, it is likely that the winner of the Big 12 will get a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Missouri won by three in these teams' first matchup. This game should be just as excellent as the first.

Missouri Showing Off That They Know How to Win

The Missouri Tigers' starting lineup features four guards and one forward. Before the season began, they lost one of their best players, Laurence Bowers, to an ACL tear. Needless to say, the experts and media have critiqued this Missouri squad all season. They will say how they aren't big enough, or that they won't be able to defend the post or rebound well enough. The Tigers have focused on letting their play do the talking for them.

#4 Missouri convincingly beat #6 Baylor 72-57 tonight. It is the second time they have beaten the Bears this season. They also beat conference rival Kansas. They are currently 5-1 against the Top 25. The Tigers' overall record now stands at 23-2. They are 10-2 in Big 12 play. Their only losses came to Kansas State and Oklahoma State. Those nights they simply didn't shoot the ball as well as they usually do and didn't step up on defense enough to compensate. The bottomline though is this team has been consistently good most of this season.

The state of Missouri is nicknamed the Show Me State. The Missouri Tigers have been showing off their winning talent all season. Experts might still criticize them for what they are not, but the Tigers will be content doing what they are. Yes, they are not big, but that also creates matchup problems for the teams they play. The Tigers shoot the ball extremely well, are quick, play great team defense, and rebound the ball well. This creates many matchup problems for opposing squads. Missouri might not fit the traditional college basketball mold, but that does not mean they don't know how to win. These Tigers have without a doubt shown that to us.

Noles and Tide Roll on National Signing Day

Top 5 Class of 2012 Recruiting Classes

1. Alabama - The freshly crowned national champions look to be loaded up for more runs at the title for years to come. The incoming class features 28 commits. 13 of those are ESPNU Top 150 recruits. The Crimson Tide's top recruits include Landon Collins (#1 safety), Eddie Williams (#2 athlete), Cyrus Jones (#4 athlete), and Chris Black (#2 wide receiver).

2. Florida State - No team had a better National Signing Day then Florida State. Their 2012 class currently has 18 commits, 9 of which are ESPNU Top 150 recruits. The Seminoles' defense looks to be beefing up in a big way. Not only did they get the #1 overall ranked recruit in defensive end Mario Edwards, but they made headlines when Eddie Goldman (#1 defensive tackle) committed to come to Tallahassee as well. With more top recruits verbally committed, things seem to be headed in the right direction for Florida State.

3. Texas - Coming off a disappointing season, Texas still managed to bring in a solid recruiting class. They signed 27 commits. 11 of them are ESPNU Top 150 Recruits. The Longhorns' class is headlined by the #2 overall player, Jonathan Gray (#1 running back), and Malcom Brown (#2 defensive tackle). Texas will look to get back to winning form behind some of these young players.

4. Florida - Just like Texas, Florida is coming off a disappointing season, but that didn't stop the Gators from signing a solid class either. Their class features 21 commits (8 ESPNU Top 150 recruits). The Gators' top two recruits hail from North Carolina, the top offensive lineman recruit, D.J. Humphries (#1 offensive tackle), and Jonathan Bullard (#4 defensive end). Florida is looking to bounce back next year as well.

5. Georgia - Georgia rounds out the top five classes, which are all from southern universities. The Bulldogs signed 17 commits, 5 of which are ESPNU Top 150 recruits. The top man coming to campus is Keith Marshall (#2 running back). He will likely be looking to run through holes created by another of Georgia's top recruits, John Theus. The Bulldogs are looking to stay competitive in what is a brutally tough top tier of the SEC.

Top Story of the Day

Dorial Green-Beckham - Where DGB would sign was probably the top story coming into the day. The Missouri native had almost every top school offering him a scholarship to come play. The big deal with DGB is that he was the top uncommitted prospect coming into the day and the #1 ranked high school wide receiver (#3 overall). All he did in high school was set the national career receiving record with 6,353 yards. Today, the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Green-Beckham stood at a podium in his high school gymnasium before a crowd of 1,500 people, about 20 television cameras, and a national television audience watching on ESPNU. Much to the delight of everyone in attendance, DGB announced his decision to stay home and play at the University of Missouri. As his family explained afterwards, it was always where he felt the most comfortable. The signing was huge for Mizzou, who becomes a member of the SEC on July 1. Before Wednesday, the Tigers stood on the outside of the ESPNU Top 25 classes looking in. They fully realized that eight other SEC teams were already in the Top 25, including three in the Top 5. The signing of DGB shows that Mizzou is ready to compete in the SEC. They might still have a long ways to go, but this signing was a big step in the right direction.

Seven Things: A Recap of Week 7 and a Preview of the Week to Come

1. Team of the Week: Florida State

In the span of a week, Florida State turned around their season. Okay, the week is from Saturday to Saturday, but these wins are too impressive not to put the Seminoles here. They crushed North Carolina at home and took care of business against Maryland. Then, they finished off the week by going into Cameron Indoor and ending Duke's unbeaten streak at home.

Six Runners Up: Missouri, Dayton, Murray State, Long Island, Long Beach State, & Kansas

2. Player of the Week: Kevin Jones, West Virginia

Can anybody stop this guy? All he did this week was score 25 points and have 7 rebounds against in-state rival Marshall. Then, against a red hot Cincinnati team, he helped lead the Mountaineers to the big win with 26 points and 13 boards. Look at his stats from the season so far. He is a virtual double-double machine. In my opinion, he has not only put himself in position as the favorite for Big East Player of the Year, but he should be considered in any All-American conversation.

Six Runners Up: Faisal Aden (Washington State), Jason Clark (Georgetown), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Anthony Marshall (UNLV), Aaron Broussard (Seattle), Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)

3. What do we make of the Big East Conference?

Syracuse is still the best team, but certainly looked vulnerable against Notre Dame. Connecticut is struggling badly, having lost four of their last six. Georgetown certainly didn't look dominant in a win against Rutgers. Who knows how good Marquette, West Virginia, and Cincinnati really are? Then, everyone keeps beating each other. The bottomline is this is a untypically weak year for the conference.

4. Who is the best team in the Big 12?

Kansas is undefeated in conference play after knocking off Baylor at home and surviving a road trip to Texas. The Jayhawks certainly have to be considered as winners of 13 of their past 14. Missouri stated their case as well after putting a beatdown on Texas A&M and getting by Baylor as well. The Bears will have to look to respond after dropping two. Iowa State and Kansas State look to make some ripples in conference play as well.

5. Can Florida State win the ACC?

I already mentioned the Seminoles upset wins over UNC and Duke, so they are definitely capable. Those three teams are the favorites, but they can't afford to sleep on North Carolina State and Maryland. Both teams have shown signs of potential this season. Virginia looks less impressive after getting upset by Virginia Tech today at home.

6. How great is the Mountain West Conference?

This conference has been impressive so far and has already shown their supremacy as the best conference west of the Mississippi after knocking off a handful of Pac-12 teams. San Diego State is 17-2 and 3-0 in conference play, including a last second win over conference favorite UNLV. The Rebels have looked impressive in non-conference play. Who would have believed that Wyoming would be a Top 25 team right now? The Cowboys finished 10-21 last season, but are 16-3 so far this year. Colorado State, New Mexico, Air Force, and TCU are all not easy outs either in an impressive conference this year.

7. Seven Games to Watch This Coming Week

Monday: Syracuse @ Cincinnati

Tuesday: Michigan @ Purdue; San Diego State @ Wyoming

Wednesday: St. Louis @ Xavier

Thursday: Indiana @ Wisconsin

Saturday: West Virginia @ Syracuse; Mississippi State @ Florida

Upsets a Plenty on a Busy Saturday of College Basketball

I will breakdown the Top 25 teams that were in action on Saturday.

Convincing Wins

#1 Syracuse 78 Providence 55 - The Orange showcased their supremacy once again as they routed the Friars. They host Pittsburgh on Monday.

#4 Baylor 106 Oklahoma State 65 - The Bears offense keeps getting the job done in convincing fashion. They scored 15 three pointers and nearly doubled the Cowboys on the glass.

#15 Louisville 76 Depaul 59 - The Cardinals bounced back nicely from losing two straight. The travel to Marquette next Monday.

#16 Connecticut 67 Notre Dame 53 - UConn was without Ryan Boatright (being investigated by the NCAA). The most impressive thing about the Huskies win was the play of two of their big men, Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi.

#25 Harvard 69 George Washington 48 - The Crimson looked convincing in their final non-conference game. Now, they just have to focus on taking care of business in Ivy League play.

Got the Job Done

#9 Missouri 84 Texas 73 - The Tigers just keep winning. They didn't get frazzled by their first loss of the season to Kansas State. They host Texas A&M on Monday.

#10 Kansas 82 Iowa State 73 - The Jayhawks overcame a sluggish first half to beat the Cyclones. This setups a big Top 10 showdown on Monday when they host the undefeated Baylor Bears.

#14 Murray State 82 Tennessee Tech 74 - The Racers are now off to a school-record 19-0 start. They are 6-0 in OVC play, and their next conference opponent is Morehead State on Wednesday.

#19 Florida 79 South Carolina 65 - The Gators improved to 2-1 in SEC play with a road win over the Gamecocks. Their next game isn't until next Saturday when they host LSU.

#24 Marquette 62 Pittsburgh 57 - The Golden Eagles improved to 3-2 in Big East play, while the Panthers fell to 0-5. Who would have believed Pitt would be struggling this badly right now?

Survived a Scare

#2 Kentucky 65 Tennessee 62 - The Wildcats displayed some poise in a tough road win. The Volunteers showed once again this week that they are much better than their 8-9 record would indicate.

#20 Mississippi State 56 Alabama 52 - Both of these teams want to make the NCAA tournament, so this was a big win for the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide were ranked in the preseason polls, but they need to find an answer to their struggles quickly if they are going to rebound from this loss.

#23 Gonzaga 62 Loyola Marymount 58 - Coming off a blowout loss at St. Mary's, the Zags barely survived a tough win over the Lions. They look to get back to form against San Francisco at home on Thursday.

Upset Victims

Florida State 90 #3 North Carolina 57 - This might be exactly what Florida State needed. The Tar Heels had no answer for the hot shooting Seminoles. The loss was the worst in the Roy Williams era.

Northwestern 81 #7 Michigan State 74 - The Wildcats showed they still have a shot in the Big Ten, as Michigan State's win streak of fifteen games was snapped. The Spartans look to get back on track on Tuesday when they travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.

Iowa 75 #13 Michigan 59 - The Hawkeyes are a tough team to figure out. They have upset two Top 25 teams, but they have also got blown out by two of them.

Oklahoma 82 #18 Kansas State 73 - The Wildcats might be a bit overrated as they now fell to 1-3 in Big 12 play. They will look to recover on Wednesday when they host Texas.

Thriller

#22 San Diego State 69 #12 UNLV 87 - This might be a sign of what is to come in what is a tough Mountain West Conference this year. Aztec guard Jamaal Franklin made the game winning off-balance layup with 0.3 seconds left in the game.