HEAD GAME: Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson (concussion) is optimistic he’ll play Saturday. (Getty Images)
HEAD GAME: Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson (concussion) is optimistic he’ll play Saturday. (CSM/Landov)
When last season ended a lot of college football experts — coaches, analysts, reporters — circled Sept. 22, 2012, on their calendars. It figured to be one of the great coaching chess matches of the year.
Rutgers, under defensive guru Greg Schiano, would take a veteran defense to Fayetteville, Ark., where offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino would be waiting with an astonishing array of talent.
Guess we’ll have to wait for that South Carolina-LSU game on Oct. 13 for a matchup of coaches raised on different sides of the ball. Steve Spurrier and Les Miles can play mind games that week in Baton Rouge.
Sadly, the Rutgers-Arkansas game this Saturday lost a lot of its luster when Schiano decided to try his style in the NFL with the Bucs. He’s 1-1-1 after two games: one win, one loss, one ticked-off Tom Coughlin.
Petrino decided to hire his much younger concubine for a cushy job, crash his motorcycle with her on it, lie about the affair and get fired. That’s worth an entire season on “Desperate Housewives.”
Two of the college game’s best play-callers are gone. Arkansas, a preseason pick to challenge Alabama and LSU for SEC dominance, is 1-2. Interim coach John L. Smith has the perfect name to enter witness protection, which he might have to do if the Hogs lose to those damn Yankees from New Jersey.
Arkansas is coming off one of the most embarrassing losses in school history, a 52-0 beatdown by the Tide. That came one week after a stunning loss to Louisiana-Monroe in which star quarterback Tyler Wilson suffered a concussion, forcing him to sit out the Bama blitz.
Wilson, however, wasn’t too foggy to acknowledge what many who watched the Alabama loss were thinking — some of the Arkansas players quit. Oooh, Pig Scrooge Me! Rutgers has kept up its end of the bargain without Schiano. The Scarlet Knights are fifth in scoring defense, but they haven’t faced an offense with the weapons Arkansas possesses. Wilson said he is extremely optimistic he will play.
This game will be decided by the other matchup: Arkansas’s defense vs. Rutgers’ offense.
Most teams outside of the SEC simply don’t have the depth, talent and ferocity of SEC defensive lines. The Rutgers offensive line, a big question mark coming in, has been good. This week, good isn’t good enough.
Smith stays out of witness protection. But he shouldn’t unpack.
The pick: ARKANSAS (-7) over Rutgers
BOISE ST (-7 1/2) over Byu
Want to see Boise State’s next great NFL player, check out defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. He might ruin BYU QB Riley Nelson’s possible career as a Ralph Lauren model.
W. VIRGINIA (-27) over Maryland
The Mountaineers have their first Heisman Trophy candidate since Major Harris in QB Geno Smith.
FLORIDA (-24) over Kentucky
The Gators, off wins at Texas A&M and Tennessee, return home to the cheers of their fans. Kentucky lost at home to Western Kentucky last week.
S. CAROLINA (-10) over Missouri
Never bet the Tigers on the road. It’s like betting on Matthew McConaughey keeping his shirt on. Can’t happen.
UCLA (-8 1/2) over Oregon St.
The Bruins are one of the most surprising teams in the country, led by Johnathan Franklin, the nation’s leading rusher. If he played for USC, everyone would know that.
PENN ST. (-7 1/2) over Temple
Penn State had “White Out” games during the Joe Paterno era. Saturday is the first “Blue Out.” Perhaps it will bring the first rushing TD of the season for Penn State against Temple’s weak run defense.
USC (-16) over California
Their 75 players weren’t better than Stanford’s 85 but will be better than Cal’s 85, which is less physical than many 63-scholarship FCS teams.
AUBURN (+20 1/2) over Lsu
Gene Chizik is 17-12 in games without Cam Newton. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries had a longer honeymoon and Chizik won a title!
NOTRE DAME (-6) over Michigan
The Irish left at least 14 points on the field at Michigan State, and the Wolverines defense can’t tie its own Shoelaces.
GEORGIA (-16) over Vanderbilt
There’s a QB controversy in Nashville. In Aaron Murray, there’s a QB star in Athens.
OKLAHOMA (-14) over Kansas St.
Just as Stanford has USC’s number, Oklahoma has K-State’s.
Clemson (+14) over FSU
Flimsy Schedule U gets its first real test.
Syracuse (+1) over MINNESOTA
Ryan Nassib is a quality college quarterback. Any speculation about his future is irrelevant at this point.
OREGON (-23 1/2) over Arizona
In the time it took you to read this, the Ducks just scored.
BEST BETS: W. Virginia, Oklahoma, Oregon
Last week: 7-8 (20-25 season)
Best Bets: 1-2 (3-6)