The first week brought a 7-3 worksheet. I'll take 70 percent the rest of the season.
The biggest miss came in the Carolina-Carolina match up. I had a feeling the Heels would play better with Mack Brown at the helm, but I still thought South Carolina would survive. Now, the Gamecocks are 0-1 and missing their No. 1 quarterback with Alabama coming to Columbia a week from Saturday. Good luck with that.
Clemson was sloppy but effective against a Georgia Tech team that is going to be lost for a while because the triple option is gone. I expect Clemson to get past Page 5 of the playbook this week against mouthy Texas A&M.
Next to Oklahoma, I thought Georgia had the best opening week. The Dawgs have an extremely powerful running game and a defense that looks real. Maybe this is the year Georgia finally gets past Alabama.
As always, the weekly selections are against the spread and for entertainment purposes only.
Friday
Wake Forest at Rice +18.0 -- Wake Forest can score. With a just a pinch of defense, they will cover the spread against the mighty Owls. Pick -- Wake Forest
Saturday
Texas A&M at Clemson -18.5 -- The spread is massive. The talking heads have talked about how Clemson survived A&M at College Station last season. What they haven't talked about is the lack of holding calls against Clemson's defensive front and A&M's abundance of dumb luck. The Tigers were flying blind against the Aggies last season. Don't give Brent Venables a full season of tape to watch. Add to defensive preparation the fact A&M has not seen Trevor Lawrence and his tidal wave of wide receivers for an entire game. One Aggie has predicted an upset, which tells me the Aggies don't have a clue what they are about to face in Death Valley. Dabo opens up a can on Jimbo. Pick -- Clemson
South Florida at Georgia Tech -6.0 -- Two teams that got the hell beat out of them in their openers meet in Atlanta. This is the home opener for Georgia Tech head coach Jeff Collins. South Florida is on real slide. I think Tech's enthusiasm will make a difference. Pick -- Georgia Tech
West Virginia at Missouri -14.0 -- Transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant passed for 424 yards and two touchdowns in an opening loss at Wyoming. The Tigers open at home against a rebuilding West Virginia squad. Pick -- Missouri
Syracuse at Maryland -2.0 -- With Clemson on the horizon, this is a serious trap game for Syracuse. This spread has moved during the week. Apparently, Maryland's domination of Howard impressed the bettors. Pick -- Maryland
Nebraska at Colorado +4.5 -- A renewal of one of the great rivalries of the old Big 8. I think home field is the difference for the Buffs. Pick -- Colorado
BYU at Tennessee -3.5 -- All you need to know about last week in Knoxville is a boat on the Tennessee River outside the stadium caught fire and sank. The Vols are in serious trouble. BYU is a mess too. Pick -- BYU
Arkansas at Ole Miss -7.0 -- Two downtrodden members of the SEC meet in Oxford. Arkansas barely survived something called Portland State last week, while Ole Miss stumbled at Memphis. The Rebels/Black Bears/Sharks get it done. Pick -- Ole Miss
LSU at Texas +4.5 -- I said last week's line for the Virginia Tech at Boston College was a gift. I think this line is gift No. 2. Pick -- Texas
Miami (Fla.) at North Carolina +6.0 -- No program spews "We're Back!" more than Miami. My question is when are the Hurricanes coming back? We always hear about the talent, but the results are lacking. The Heels pulled off a surprise in Charlotte with a rebuilt defense and a freshman quarterback. It pains me, but I'm picking the Heels. Pick -- North Carolina
Last Week -- 7-3
Overall -- 7-3
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