2008 Weekend On Tap: Week 1

Click on any game to get Athlon's preview or head on over to our team pages to find a game preview for the rest of the 119 D-I teams. Also, be sure to check out this week's Goal Line Stand column and Five Burning Questions.

North Carolina State (+13) at South Carolina (Thursday night)

A very important season for Steve Spurrier opens with a very important game. Dating back to the middle of the 2006 season, the Gamecocks are a rather ordinary 9–9, including a 3–8 mark in league play. Spurrier will go with Tommy Beecher at quarterback, but it would be quite a surprise if the unheralded junior played the entire game. No matter who is taking the snaps, the Gamecocks must get better play from the offensive line — a weakness for this program since Spurrier took over. South Carolina should be solid on defense, but I’m not sure the Gamecocks can score enough points to win this game comfortably.

South Carolina 20, North Carolina State 10

Vanderbilt (+3) at Miami (Ohio) (Thursday night)

For the first time ever, Miami will play host to a team from the SEC. And surprisingly, the RedHawks find themselves as a four-point favorite over the Commodores. Last year, Vanderbilt outgained Miami 411 to 238 en route to a 24–13 win in Nashville. The Commodores’ defense dominated the second half, allowing Miami a total of 59 yards on its final four drives of the game. The RedHawks will have to do a better job protecting quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh this time around; he was sacked five times in last year’s game. The Vanderbilt offense didn’t exactly light it up, but the Commodores’ top two quarterbacks — Chris Nickson and Mackenzi Adams — were slowed by injury.

Vanderbilt 24, Miami 14

Wake Forest (-12) at Baylor (Thursday night)

Art Briles was one of the best hires in the offseason. He won immediately at Houston and should make Baylor more competitive in the very, very difficult Big 12 South. Can the Bears make a move up the standings this year? Not likely, but they should be more fun to watch, no matter which one of the three quarterback candidates is taking the snaps. Wake Forest is a solid team that should once again be a factor in the ACC. The Deacons are the more talented and more seasoned team, but Baylor, playing at home on a Thursday night, will have plenty of pep in its step.

Wake Forest 38, Baylor 31

Oklahoma State (-6) at Washington State (@Seattle)

Oklahoma State makes its first trip into Pac-10 territory since visiting Arizona State in 1993. Expect a ton of points from the explosive (and relatively balanced) Cowboy attack. Overshadowed by the superstars in the Big 12, Zac Robinson is one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the nation. And he has plenty of weapons at his disposal, from receiver Dez Bryant to tight end Brandon Pettigrew to tailbacks Kendall Hunter and Beau Johnson. Washington State, operating Paul Wulff’s spread attack with first-time starting quarterback Gary Rogers, should be able to move the ball too, but the Cougars will have trouble keeping up. The Wazzu defense gave up 40 points or more five times last year.

Oklahoma State 44, Washington State 31

Utah (+3.5) at Michigan

BYU is getting a ton of love as a potential BCS Buster — and deservingly so — but the Cougars will have to beat out a very good Utah team to win the Mountain West title. BYU has won 16 straight league games, but its two wins over Utah in that stretch have been by seven points and two points. The Utes boast an explosive senior quarterback in Brian Johnson, a returning 1,200-yard rusher in Darrell Mack and a solid defense that returns seven starters from a year ago. Will that be good enough to beat a Michigan team with questions on offense? The guess here is no. The Wolverines still have a ton of talent, especially on defense, and this team will have plenty of incentive to play well in its first game under Rich Rodriguez. Don’t expect a ton of points. Don’t expect a convincing win. But you can expect Rich Rod to begin his career in Ann Arbor with a win.

Michigan 20, Utah 16

Alabama (+5) vs. Clemson (@Atlanta)

The pressure is squarely on Clemson in this game. The Tigers are the overwhelming favorite in the not-so-great ACC, but this program has had trouble dealing with expectations in the past. Tommy Bowden’s club needs to make a statement in Week 1 and has a great opportunity to do so on national television in prime time. The Tigers are better (on paper) at every position except the offensive line, where the Tide welcome back a talented and seasoned group. But Clemson has the edge everywhere else. This is a game Clemson has to win.

Clemson 27, Alabama 17

Syracuse (+12) at Northwestern

Greg Robinson is on the hottest of hot seats to open his fourth (and final?) season at Syracuse. And the seat figures to remain warm all season. The Orange have a tricky non-conference schedule, beginning with a trip to underrated Northwestern. The Wildcats boast one of the top offenses in the Big Ten, an attack led by the explosive (but inconsistent) C.J. Bachér, a veteran receiving corps and a two-time 1,000-yard rusher in Tyrell Sutton. Pat Fitzgerald should have the Wildcats back in a bowl after a two-year hiatus, while Syracuse could end up being the worst BCS conference team in the nation.

Northwestern 34, Syracuse 17

Illinois (+8.5) vs. Missouri (@St. Louis)

This once innocuous regional rivalry that slipped under the national radar has become arguably the biggest game of the opening weekend. This season, the game means more to Missouri because the Tigers have a legitimate shot of reaching the BCS national title game. Gary Pinkel’s club has everything in place to enjoy a truly special season, but beating Illinois in St. Louis is an absolute must. Illinois figures to battle several teams (Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan and darkhorse Michigan State) for second place in the Big Ten. This game obviously has no bearing on the league race, but it is a good barometer: If Illinois is good enough to knock off Mizzou — or at least keep it close down to the wire — the Illini figure to have a very good opportunity to win a bunch of games in the Big Ten.

Missouri 30, Illinois 23

Michigan State (+5.5) at California

This game isn’t as sexy as Illinois vs. Missouri or Alabama vs. Clemson, but Michigan State’s trip to Berkeley is one of the most intriguing games of the opening weekend. Michigan State, which lost a ton of close games last year, could be poised for a breakout season under Mark Dantonio. Cal has a lot to prove after imploding in the second half of the 2007 season. The Bears should be solid at running back with Jahvid Best, but there are issues at quarterback, where Kevin Riley edged out Nate Longshore for the job, and major holes to fill at receiver. This is a statement game for both programs. Go with the Spartans in a tight battle.

Michigan State 24, Cal 21

Tennessee (-7) at UCLA (Monday Night)

UCLA opens the Rick Neuheisel era under less-than-ideal circumstances: The Bruins are down to their third quarterback (Kevin Craft), have some injury issues at tailback and have some major concerns on the offensive line. And the opponent, Tennessee, happens to be pretty good. The Vols have a new quarterback (Jonathan Crompton), but boast experience everywhere else on offense. There are some concerns with the Vols’ front seven, but the secondary, led by super sophomore Eric Berry, should be among the best in the nation. If UCLA has trouble protecting Craft (which is a very likely possibility), then it will be a tough opening act for Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow.

Tennessee 27, UCLA 13

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