PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 5

BENched is back to its winning ways after an 11-2 week. There's another exciting weekend on tap with three top 10 games and a new feature on PTF - the GAME OF THE WEEK will be highlighted in this weekly post. This week it involves Clemson, so yours truly hasn't slept a wink. On to the picks!

2016 BENched PTF Record

Last Week: 11-2

Overall: 37-14 (.725 win %)

*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Friday

No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington (Line: Washington -3.5)
Stanford pulled out a win at UCLA by the skin of its teeth. This may be Chris Peterson's best chance to bring Washington back to prominence. The Huskies gotta go through the reigning conference champs and All-World All-Purpose King Christian McCaffrey. Huskies 26-23

Saturday

No. 14 Miami at Georgia Tech (Line: Miami -7)
BENched wonders if anyone in Atlanta cares to tell Paul Johnson that it is 2016 and only the service academies still run the triple-option offense. No? Suits me - and Brent Venables - just fine. Former Georgia coach and current head Cane Mark Richt is something like 78-2 against Georgia Tech. Canes 41-17

No. 22 Texas at Oklahoma State (Line: Oklahoma State -2.5)
The road team has won seven straight in this series. Yet somehow Oklahoma State, the home team, is favored to win. C'mon, Vegas. You're better than that! Horns 34-30

North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State (Line: Florida State -11)
Wonder if UNC's receivers will show up wearing robes again - and nothing underneath! No one would want to sleep on them anymore ... HA! Sometimes I make myself laugh. You know who doesn't? Future LSU head coach Jimbo Fisher. Noles 49-34

No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia (Line: Tennessee -3)
How is Georgia still ranked? I mean, are the voters even watching the Dawgs? If not for a 35-point second half last week, we'd be talking about Tennessee being the most overrated team ... again. Also, how did UT give up 28 points to Florida? Mind-boggling. Vols 27-13

No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan (Line: Michigan -11)
Big one at the Big House. Wisconsin has already beaten LSU on a not-so-neutral field and manhandled Sparty in East Lansing. A second straight trip to the mitten state might not be so kind. The Speight kid's alright. Jabrill Peppers - better than alright. Big Blue 35-24

Wake Forest at NC State (Line: NC State -11)
Undefeated Wake Forest. I'll let that sink in because it probably won't last long. Although, NC State did lose to East Carolina who got beat by offensively-challenged South Carolina and had its pirate ship blown apart at Virginia Tech. Devil Pastors 24-17

Kansas State at West Virginia (Line: West Virginia -3)
"Country roads take me home to the place I belong..." Any excuse to sing that song is a good one. Also, there's this: How do you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? Because if it had been invented anywhere else it'd be called the TEETHbrush! I'll be here all week. I really wanna pick the SnyderCats in this one, but... One-toothers 31-27

Oklahoma at No. 21 TCU (Line: Oklahoma -3.5)
September was rough for the Sooners, but hey, they've had the best week of practice ever, according to sources. TCU led SMU 6-3 at halftime last week and for much of the year hasn't looked like a contender. Of course, neither has OU. Ponies and Wagons 52-44

Memphis at Ole Miss (Line: Ole Miss -14.5)
Revenge of the ner ... umm, Mississippians are not nerds. I'll need to come up with a different angle for that. Memphis laid it on the Rebels last year. No chance that happens again. Not nerds 47-20

Missouri at LSU (Line: LSU -13)
The turf at Tiger Stadium gets to live its life without fear! No more grass-eating Les Miles on the sidelines. Ed Orgeron takes over and has vowed to change up the offense. There's talent on the LSU sidelines including that Leonard Fournette guy. Bayou Bengals 35-17

GAME OF THE WEEK
No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson (Line: Louisville -2)
I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. Am I really gonna do this? Cards 37-33 **BENCHED ENTERS WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM**

Clemson needs to figure out how to stop this guy from attending the volleyball match Friday night.
Oh, and how to stop the guy in the football uniform on the field Saturday night.
(Photo courtesy Charleston Gazette-Mail)

Arizona State at USC (Line: USC -10)
Before I go off the grid, one more pick. Arizona State is 4-0. USC is 1-3. Vegas has USC by 10. DID THEY TURN OFF THE OXYGEN IN THOSE CASINOS? Pitchforks 41-30

The Morning After... A Wild, Winning Weekend!

Dabo Swinney celebrates Clemson's first win at Georgia Tech since 2003.
(Photo courtesy Clemson Football)

1) When you haven't won at Historic Grant Field at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 2003, and you leave the 2016 game with a 19-point victory, you feel extremely great about yourself. Only, Clemson fans felt only half great. While the first half looked like what Tiger fans have come to expect - leading 23-0 at the break - the second half was ho-hum. Clemson struggled to finish. Clemson went vanilla at least on offense. Could the Tigers have been holding back with Louisville coming up next?

2) Clemson's defense looks better than I can remember, even the past two years where over 15 players have been drafted to the NFL. The Tigers have played 240 minutes of football so far this season and have had arguably 8-10 "bad" defensive minutes - the last three at Auburn, the last five vs. Troy, and the one scoring drive against Georgia Tech. Clemson has allowed five touchdowns in four games and is giving up 11 points per game.

3) Brent Venables is the second greatest thing at Clemson. Maybe the first. But the first is Deshaun Watson.

3B) Ray-Ray McCloud is emerging as a star. McCloud has been the most consistent receiver outside of Mike Williams through four games for the Tigers. He had a career-high eight catches for 101 yards at GT. He is tied with Williams to lead Clemson with 21 receptions and is 51 yards behind him in total yards.

3C) It was great to see tight end Jordan Leggett get involved. Leggett had one catch coming into Thursday, but produced four receptions and a TD. He has been a missing piece to the Tiger offense and will be needed the rest of the season.

4) How 'bout the little ole ACC? Outside of the conference games - Clemson-GT, Pitt-UNC - the conference went undefeated (8-0) on the weekend. The surprising wins were Duke knocking off Notre Dame in South Bend 38-35, Virginia beating Central Michigan 49-35, Syracuse won at UConn 31-24 and Wake Forest remaining unbeaten with a 33-28 win at Indiana. All four schools were 3-point underdogs or bigger, with Duke a 20.5-point dog to the Irish, and three of the games were on the road (UVa was home). Combined with big wins by Louisville, FSU and Virginia Tech, this was a great weekend for a conference on the rise.

5) Speaking of Louisville, the Cards romped past Marshall 59-28 in a game that wasn't that close. However, for the first time this season Lamar Jackson looked a little less like Superman. He still finished with seven touchdowns (5 passing, 2 rushing), but was 24-of-44 passing and threw an ill-advised interception. The Thundering Herd kept him in check on the ground, allowing him just 62 yards. Louisville only led 7-0 after one quarter. It was one of those games where the Cardinals dominated, but didn't necessarily look perfect doing so. The guess here is they had one eye looking toward Clemson.

6) Some of the wildness began Friday with Utah scoring with 55 seconds left to beat USC 31-27 and continued into Saturday. ... Tennessee finally got the monkey of its back by beating Florida after trailing 21-0. ... North Carolina trailed Pitt by 13 with under 10 minutes to go, but scored twice including the game-winner with two seconds on the clock. ... Les Miles' poor clock management skills bit him and LSU again. The Tigers needed a TD with no timeouts left. They failed to get out of bounds, were penalized and had a 10-second runoff, then did not have enough time to get a snap off - even though the refs initially allowed it and LSU scored the would-be go-ahead touchdown. After review, the clock was triple-zeroes and Auburn won 18-13. ... In the nightcaps, Stanford scored with under 30 seconds to go to take a three-point lead over UCLA. Keep in mind, Stanford was a 3.5-point favorite. UCLA QB Josh Rosen was sacked on the last play of the game and fumbled. Stanford ran it back for a TD to make the final score 22-13. A humongous play for Vegas betting. ... Arizona and Washington traded blows late in the fourth quarter for some amazing #Pac12AfterDark action. Zona scored with 4:50 to go to tie it at 21; Washington re-took the lead 40 seconds later; Zona scored with 27 seconds to go to send it to overtime; And the Huskies eventually won in OT, 35-28.

A wild weekend indeed.

7) There were skeptics about West Virginia and Baylor. Both undefeated, but both unproven. Until Saturday. The Mountaineers knocked off BYU in another entertaining game, 35-32. Baylor took down Oklahoma State to earn its first conference win, 35-24. The Bears and Mountaineers remain unbeaten and atop the Big 12 standings. Baylor should have little trouble next week at Iowa State. West Virginia hosts Kansas State in a tricky game, as the Wildcats are still coached by Bill Snyder which means they are vastly underrated and prime for an upset.

8) Quick hitters: Texas A&M served noticed to the rest of the SEC West that it will contend. The Aggies knocked off Arkansas 45-24. A&M goes to South Carolina before a big two-game stretch at home against Tennessee Oct. 8, then a bye week before going to Alabama Oct. 22. ... Wisconsin also served notice that it will not be overlooked in the Big Ten. Everyone thought the Big Three in the Big Ten were Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. The Badgers had none of that, demolishing the Spartans on their home field 30-6. With Iowa struggling, it looks like Wisconsin may be the best team in the West division. Nebraska may have something to say about that, though. And the Badgers head to the Big House this weekend.

9) Top 10 on tap: Next week will produce three top-10 matchups including No. 7 Stanford at No. 10 Washington (Friday), No. 8 Wisconsin at No. 4 Michigan, and No. 3 Louisville at No. 5 Clemson. Other big games include Oklahoma at TCU, North Carolina at No. 12 Florida State and No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia. (Note: Rankings reflect current AP Poll)

10) All eyes, though, will be on Tiger Town next weekend. ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand to kickoff the morning live from Bowman Field. The game will be broadcast in primetime on ABC with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Sam Ponder on the call. It was one year ago when Notre Dame visited Clemson on the exact same weekend (Oct. 3, 2015). Get up. Get ready. Get loud. Get CLEMSON LOUD. Beat Louisville.

-BtW

PTT: Prediction Time Thursday - Week 4

First Thursday picks of the year, courtesy of a Clemson road game at rival Georgia Tech. BENched had an abysmal week last week. Time to get back to the winning ways.

2016 BENched PTF Record

Last Week: 7-6

Overall: 26-12 (.684 win %)

*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Thursday

No. 5 Clemson at Georgia Tech (Line: Clemson -9.5)
Jackets and Paul Johnson's option offense are one of just two ACC teams to have a winning record against Dabo Swinney. Clemson is looking to get on a roll, but it won't be easy in ATL. The Tigers have won 40 straight against unranked opponents, but haven't won at Bobby Dodd Stadium since 2003. Tigers 34-24

Friday

USC at No. 24 Utah (Line: Utah -3)
USC has problems. One of them is trying to win in Rice-Eccles Stadium against an underrated Utah team. Don't we say that about the Utes every year? Utes 37-17

Saturday

No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State (Line: Michigan State -5.5)
Sparty proved its worth with a strong road win at Notre Dame. The Badgers already have an SEC skin on the wall. Power versus power in a Big Ten clash. Sparty 24-20

No. 13 Florida State at South Florida (Line: Florida State -5.5)
Lamar Jackson just scored on Florida State again. How will the Noles rebound against a fiery South Florida squad? They better be awake for this nooner, or look out. Noles 41-34

No. 12 Georgia at No. 23 Ole Miss (Line: Ole Miss -7)
Uga has been on life support the past two weeks, escaping Nicholls by two points at home and needing a last-minute TD to knock off Mizzou. The Rebs' two losses are to FSU and Bama when they had 21+ point leads in each. Now, they're in a spot where 1-3 is a real possibility. Rebs 30-17

Pittsburgh at North Carolina (Line: North Carolina -7)
Underrated matchup of the week. This early-season ACC Coastal battle will go a long with for the division race. The Carolina offense is on a roll, but the Panthers have proven they can score too. Heels 47-38

BYU vs. West Virginia - at FedEx Field in Landover, Mary. (Line: West Virginia -7)
Future Big 12 conference game? Maybe. But what a difference in the fan bases! The Mountaineers look to remain unbeaten and are playing closer to home. The Cougs are struggling on offense, averaging 17 points per game. Not gonna fly in the Big 12. 'Eers 45-17

Penn State at No. 4 Michigan (Line: Michigan -19)
Harbaugh's boys got a scare from Colorado. Penn State ain't no Colorado. The Nittany Lions are too worried about restoring JoePa's statue - which is ridiculous. Wolverines 42-10

No. 19 Florida at No. 14 Tennessee (Line: Tennessee - 6.5)
Gone are the days when this was must-watch football. Florida has won 11 in a row against the Vols. Good news for Tennessee is this isn't Florida Tech or something. Vols 20-13

No. 18 LSU at Auburn (Line: LSU -3.5)
Another week for Auburn, another "hot seat" game. As in, both coaches are on the hot seat with the temperature getting warmer for the loser. Gus Malzahn is 0-1 so far this season. He's also 0-1 against opponents also named Tigers. Mostly because the offensive genius has an offense that isn't very, umm, offensive. Gold Tigers 23-17

Oklahoma State at No. 16 Baylor (Line: Baylor -7.5)
Baylor finally plays someone actually IN the Big 12, not someone lobbying to get in (SMU, Rice, etc.). Jim Grobe will probably just stand there and look like he's talking on the headset. Bears 45-35

No. 7 Stanford at UCLA (Line: Stanford -3)
The Rosen One or the #WildCaff? Oh please, why is this even a question. Trees 31-17

No. 17 Arkansas vs. No. 10 Texas A&M - at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Line: Texas A&M -5.5)
Game of the day finally arrives. Kevin Sumlin and A&M have no problem winning in September. It's the rest of the season when the Aggies fall apart. It's been said before, but "this year looks different." We'll see. For now, can't pick against 'em in September. Ags 33-30

Trevor Knight (8) leads undefeated Texas A&M into the Southwest Classic with Arkansas.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

The Morning After... The Much-Needed Win

1) As stated in last week's TMA, Clemson's lopsided win over SC State was fully expected. And the result didn't matter. Clemson may as well have been playing a high school team. The Tigers were superior at every position, led 31-0 after just one quarter, and held SC State to 102 total yards, most of which came in garbage time at the end of the game.

2) On the plus side, Clemson did look extremely loose and as close to what it was a season ago on offense as it has through three games this year. Deshaun Watson started 6-for-6 and finished with three touchdown passes. The receivers had a tremendous game, including Ray-Ray McCloud who scored twice and is looking like a dynamic threat to go alongside Mike Williams and Artavis Scott. And defensively, the Tigers' front seven harassed Bulldog QBs early and often.

3) The other positive was all the playing time young players received. Freshman sensation Tavien Feaster led Clemson with 12 carries for 83 yards and scored his first career touchdown. A total of 15 Tigers caught passes - sophomore Trevion Thompson and freshman Diondre Overton collected the first TD receptions of their careers. Clemson had 30 defensive players record a statistic. It was everything Dabo Swinney could have hoped for.

4) There's trouble brewing in Norman, Oklahoma. The preseason No. 3-ranked Sooners are now 1-2 with a bye week ahead of a road game at TCU and the Red River Showdown with Texas. I won't win over many of my OU friends with this statement, but the Sooners have become soft. In the past season plus three games when Oklahoma has faced a team that smacked it in the mouth, OU has rolled over. Texas did it. Clemson did it. Houston and now Ohio State. In fact, Oklahoma is 8-4 in its last 12 games. From my point of view, Oklahoma isn't throwing the first punch and asserting its dominance like the big boys in college football do. Nor is it responding to a few blows - like Alabama did yesterday with Ole Miss. Once the other team gets in a few shots, consider the Sooners done.

5) Over the course of the game with Ohio State, the Buckeyes showed a clear talent gap. OU at times looked lost defensively, which has led to many Sooner fans calling for the firing on defensive coordinator Mike Stoops. That's going to make it pretty awkward for brother Bob to make that call. Speaking of Bob, you have to wonder if his moniker "Big Game Bob" will ever return. Aside from stomping a weak Big 12 schedule, there have been few times when Oklahoma walked onto a big stage and walked away with a victory. Somethings gotta change, or we can continue to put OU in the top five during the preseason only to see the Sooners falter.

6) Can someone check Lamar Jackson for a birth certificate? Because he just doesn't even seem human. Or as my father-in-law put it, he has "Alien skills." With road games at Clemson and Houston remaining, the Cards have only a few hurdles to jump through before stating their case for a Playoff spot. Expect Oct. 1 at Death Valley to be a monster matchup.

6B) Speaking of "Alien skills," check out the photo below for not only the catch of the year, but arguably one of the top three catches in college football. Ever. How Ohio State's Noah Brown - who is barely seen here - caught this for a touchdown is beyond me.

(Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports)

7) The Gus Bus is getting lighter by the day. Gus Malzahn's time at Auburn may soon be up. The War Eagles looked pathetic on offense again, falling to Texas A&M 29-16 at home. Auburn (1-2) still has games against LSU (this weekend) and a home date with Arkansas, but has to travel to Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama. Chalk up at least four more losses for a 6-6 finish. People on The Plains won't be thrilled with playing in the Birmingham two years in a row.

8) Conference watch: The Big Ten has depth. Michigan State opened a big lead at Notre Dame before holding on late. Michigan is where we thought it'd be at this point. Wisconsin already has a win over LSU. Nebraska beat Pac-12 power Oregon and is finding its rhythm on offense. And there's aforementioned Ohio State. ... On the flip side, the Big 12 is treading water. Only two teams are undefeated - Baylor (3-0) and West Virginia (2-0). The Bears have beaten Northwestern State, SMU, and Rice. The conference slate begins with Oklahoma State Saturday, and there's a three-game stretch at Texas, vs. TCU, and at OU. The Mountaineers had a bye, but so far have defeated a now 1-2 Missouri team and Youngstown State. In the way-too-early, but probably true department, it looks like the Big 12 will be out of the Playoff for the second time in three years. ... Elsewhere, the ACC looks to come down to the Clemson-Louisville game on Oct. 1. It's Alabama in the SEC, and then everyone else. And Stanford looks to be the class of the Pac-12 once again, but a Friday night date with Washington to close out September could change things there. ... Houston has the clear shot to lead the Group of 5 teams if it can finish undefeated with that win against Louisville in November.

9) Quick hitters: Don't schedule North Dakota State. Iowa found out the hard way, losing the game 23-21 to the Bison and losing $500,000 in the process. ... Arkansas meets Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas, this weekend. The winner will assert itself as next-in-line behind Alabama in the SEC West. In the SEC East, Florida takes an 11-game winning streak over Tennessee to Rocky Top. The winner there has the upperhand to take that division. ... It might be time to recognize that Bobby Petrino is one of the best coaches currently in college football. Aside from his legal issues, Petrino has taken Louisville to new heights two different times, and don't forget what he did at Arkansas pre-motorcycle accident. It'll be interesting to see if Petrino bolts Louisville a second time if say Auburn, LSU, or someone of the like calls.

10) Clemson enters conference play and goes on the road to a place it hasn't won since 2003 - Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are primed for an upset on a Thursday night Whiteout game. The Tigers have won three of the last four in the series and seemingly have the upperhand in the talent area. Won't matter come Thursday in ATL. Beat Georgia Tech.

-BtW

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 3

New format, same idea. No need to delve into too many details on every team. Hey, I never claimed to be an expert. 

Big week on tap as the top three teams in the rankings are all on the road at a ranked opponent. Will we find out a lot on this "Shakeup Saturday?"

2016 BENched PTF Record

Last Week: 10-3

Overall: 19-6 (.760 win %)

*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Saturday

No. 25 Miami at Appalachian State (Line: Miami -3.5)
What a fun atmosphere it will be in Boone, N.C. I'm reluctant to do this, but give me Miami. Canes 26-20

No. 2 Florida State at No. 10 Louisville (Line: Florida State - 1)
FSU's defense took a hit and will miss Derwin James. That Lamar Jackson kid is something special. Call me a Bird-liever. Cards 31-27

Louisville QB Lamar Jackson is a can't miss act right now.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

South Carolina State at No. 5 Clemson (No Line)
Deshaun Watson and Clemson's offense has to get on a roll soon, right? RIGHT?! Tigers 56-10

No. 22 Oregon at Nebraska (Line: Nebraska -3.5)
Interesting B1G-Pac-12 battle in Lincoln. Oregon looks fast (again) and Nebraska looks improved. The difference in this one? Rolls Royce Freeman. Ducks 41-28

Pittsburgh at Oklahoma State (Line: Oklahoma State -4.5)
OSU got #MACtioned last week. How will they respond? Meanwhile, one of the best stories in the land is the return of James Conner. Pitt looked solid last week against Penn State. Can they take their show on the road? Panthers 34-27

No. 1 Alabama at No. 19 Ole Miss (Line: Alabama -11)
Surely, Bama won't lose for a third time to the Rebs. Jalen Hurts brings a new dynamic to Lane Kiffin's offense. Chad Kelly won't be the best QB on the field. Tide 49-24

No. 17 Texas A&M at Auburn (Line: Auburn -3.5)
The only answer we'll get out of this one is which coach has the seat warmer turned up another notch afterward. Tigers 33-24

Mississippi State at No. 20 LSU (Line: LSU -14)
Looks like LSU has something that resembles a quarterback in the Etling kid. Mississippi State won't have enough cowbell for Leonard Fournette. Tigers 23-7

No. 12 Michigan State at No. 18 Notre Dame (Line: Notre Dame -7.5)
Sparty has played one game and per usual, looked simplistic in it. DeShone Kizer is the real deal for Notre Dame. Irish 37-20

No. 3 Ohio State at No. 14 Oklahoma (Line: Ohio State -1)
Should be a Top 4 match-up and could be a high-scoring affair on the plains. This is the first test of the season for JT Barrett and company. Typically, Big Game Bob shows up in September against the big boys. Sooners 38-35

USC at No. 7 Stanford (Line: Stanford -9)
David Shaw is perhaps the most underrated coach in America. Oh, and Stanford has that McCaffrey guy. Trees 44-17

UCLA at BYU (Line: UCLA -3)
BYU suffered a tough loss to Utah last week, so their psyche will be tested. Josh Rosen probably should just keep his mouth shut and play football. He's pretty good when he does. Bruins 28-24

No. 11 Texas at Cal (Line: Texas -7)
"Texas is back, folks!" All due respect to Joe Tessitore, I would've only believed it if he said, "Texas is back, y'all!" But Texas does look like it is back. Or at least on the way back. Shane Buechele is purdy darn good. Let's just see him perform on the road. Horns 45-31

-BtW

The Morning After... That? What was that?

Hunter Renfrow's acrobatic touchdown catch was one of the
few bright spots for the Clemson offense Saturday.
(Photo courtesy TigerNet.com)

1) There will be no sugar-coating in this blog - this Clemson team has not looked like a Top 10 team so far this season, much less the No. 2-ranked team. I fully expect the Tigers to drop a couple spots in the polls in a few hours. No offensive rhythm, dropped passes, nine carries for 34 yards by a running back who had over 1,500 yards last season, lack of QB protection, questionable play-calling, unfathomable mistakes, terrible third down conversion rate ... and that's just the offense. Luckily, Clemson's defense has looked somewhat the part of the past two seasons, but even they gave up two late scores that turned a 27-10 ballgame into an onside kick recovery away from a major scare.

2) About that third down conversion rate. Against Auburn and Troy, Clemson converted 14-of-37 tries on the money down. The Tigers were 8-of-20 against Troy. The 38 percent conversion rate is nearly 10 percent less than that of the 2015 team, when it finished the season with an over 47 percent conversion rate. Staying on the field and running more plays does a few things. One, it allows your offense to get into rhythm. Two, it deflates a defense trying desperately to get off the field on third down. Three, it allows your own defense to rest a few more plays instead of sending them out there after another three-and-out. This area needs to get better ASAP.

3) We've all seen it one too many times, and I've made it a point before to say this when it happens: Run the ball through the back of the end zone if you can and hand it to a referee after you score.

3B) Seriously, how hard is that? Run the ball past the goal line 10 more yards to the back of the end zone and give it to the ref. That way, you KNOW you scored.

4) Not everything that has happened offensively this season is Deshaun Watson's fault, but he simply does not look like the same guy from a season ago. I don't know if it was all the travel for awards and camps and appearances at ESPN or the 300 hours of courses he took between the end of last season and now or what. But this is not the same guy who had aspirations of winning a Heisman and getting a national championship before he left Clemson. If you read between the lines of all the quotes from Watson, Dabo Swinney, and co-offensive coordinators Jeff Scott and Tony Elliott, they are all searching for answers.

Deshaun Watson: "Everybody, especially you guys, the media, wants to see us score 50-60 points." Yes, fans have been so rational about this.

— Aaron Brenner (@Aaron_Brenner) September 10, 2016

Well, this was Deshaun Watson in May: "We have a chance to be one of the best offenses ever in college football." https://t.co/AZndibNF2B

— Jon Solomon (@JonSolomonCBS) September 10, 2016

Swinney on offense: 414 yards of offense and i don't know if we can play worse. we are rythmn offense and we are not making routine plays.

— TigerNet.com (@ClemsonTigerNet) September 10, 2016

Swinney on offense: We put a DLineman in there to see if he could make a play.

— TigerNet.com (@ClemsonTigerNet) September 10, 2016

#Clemson co-OC Jeff Scott acknowledges right off the bat that offense did not play up to its potential and is capable of being much better.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) September 10, 2016

Among others, Scott said, "We're just not clicking the way that we know we can. We know what we have in that room and for whatever reason we're just not on the same page right now."

Elliott noted, "We've got to find rhythm on offense. ... We tried to establish an early rhythm in the running game, but they came out with some different structure where they were going to take some chances. They were geared up to stop our bread and butter, so we had to find some complimentary schemes we had to get to. ... We felt like we could make some plays in the passing game until we could figure out what were our best schemes."

You mean the opposing team game-planned to stop what you do, and you weren't prepared for that and had to spend time figuring out what would work? Yikes.

5) I'm moving on. I could spend all morning writing about how bad this team has looked. Luckily, Clemson is 2-0 and that is ultimately what matters. If they put it together over the next 10 games and the offense clicks, this will be a minor blip on the radar. For now, it appears there are myriad problems needing fixing.

6) The Sooners bounced back to the tune of 459 yards in the first half in a dominant win over UL-Monroe. This was expected, as the Warhawks were no match for Oklahoma. The air raid offense was wide open and OU pretty much was able to do whatever it wanted. Backups played the entire second half, which prevented any injuries as the Sooners get set to host a big one next weekend in Norman. Ohio State (I refuse to call them "The") comes calling in what should be a fantastic heavy-weight matchup.

7) So much for a ho-hum Saturday with zero games involving two ranked teams. Non-Power 5 teams pulled off more upsets of Power 5 teams for the second straight week. ACC - NC State lost to East Carolina. Big Ten - Cincinnati beat Purdue and FCS Illinois State knocked off Northwestern. Big 12 - Central Michigan stunned Oklahoma State (albeit, the last play should have never happened, thought it did and thus, as a Top 25 team, you don't put yourself in that position to begin with) and Ohio beat Kansas ... well, that's not an upset. Pac-12 - San Diego State defeated Cal and Boise State held on against Washington State, although that, like Ohio-Kansas, wasn't so much an upset, but still a non-Power 5 taking down a Power 5. SEC - Well, there were no upsets in the SEC this week, but Nicholls gave Georgia a close call.

8) Texas might be the Big 12's saving grace. Oklahoma fell to Houston last week, then Oklahoma State was upset by Central Michigan and TCU lost a heartbreaker to Arkansas Saturday. That means the top three Big 12 teams heading into the season all have a loss. None are technically out of the Playoff hunt, but the Longhorns have looked sharp early on. With momentum in their favor, the Horns may be the best shot for the Big 12 to get a team into the Top 4 of the initial Playoff rankings.

9) Quick thoughts - In case your thumb wasn't fast enough to change channels, or you fell asleep early, you missed some wild ones last night. Arkansas-TCU had a crazy finish including two blown leads, a blocked game-winning field goal and double overtime, ending in a Hog victory. Boise State almost blew a 17-point lead, but held on to knock off Washington State 31-28. Utah thwarted a BYU comeback by stuffing a would-be game-winning two-point conversion. San Diego State held on against Cal on the West Coast. And some guy name Kalen Ballage scored a FBS record-tying eight touchdowns to help Arizona State win a shootout against Texas Tech 68-55. ... On Friday, Louisville blew the doors of Syracuse and the Carrier Dome, 62-28. Cards quarterback Lamar Jackson is the immediate front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. Against the Orange, Jackson had 411 passing yards and 199 rushing yards to become the first QB in college history to pass for over 400 and rush for over 175. He's accounted for 13 touchdowns in the Cards' two games, despite only playing half a game in the first one. Look out, Florida State. The Noles go to Louisville this weekend in what should be a gargantuan matchup.

10) I don't care if the offense scores a touchdown on every possession and puts up 100 points this week. That does not mean they have it all figured out. Clemson is playing a MEAC school and should do that. Just a two years ago, the Tigers beat SC State 73-7. It'd be nice to see that again, but I won't be convinced that all is right in TigerTown. I'll need to see it again the following Thursday in Atlanta. That said, one game at a time. Beat SC State.

-BtW

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 2

After what was billed as the greatest opening weekend ever, college football enters cupcake week. Opening weekend produced some real exciting games, lots of upset, and left us wanting more. Unfortunately, the second week of the season will be a bit of a let down.

There are no Top 25 showdowns. Some decent games are on tap, including a few rivalries, but don't expect to be tied to your La-Z-Boy all day Saturday. Let's get to the picks!

2016 BENched PTF Record: 9-3 (.750 win %)

*Rankings below reflect the AP Top 25

Saturday

Penn State at Pittsburgh (Line: Pittsburgh -4.5)
Pitt-Penn State Rivalry (Penn State leads 50-42-4)
This rivalry is finally renewed after a 16-year hiatus. Neither team is coming off impressive wins in the first week, as the Nittany Lions beat Kent State 33-13 and the Panthers knocked off Villanova 28-7. James Conner's return was heart-warming. He scored two touchdowns in his first action since taking on and defeating cancer. Should be a dandy to kickoff the day. Despite the game being played in Pittsburgh and in an NFL stadium, the crowd should be pro-Penn State and the atmosphere tremendous.
Pittsburgh 23, Penn State 17

Troy at No. 2 Clemson (Line: Clemson -36)
For the third straight game, Clemson takes on an opponent from the state of Alabama. For the second straight week, the Tigers face off against a former Clemson defensive coordinator. Returning to the friendly confines of Death Valley for the first time in five games, Clemson aims to get its offense rolling against a scrappy, but overwhelmed bunch from Troy. This may be closer than the 36-point spread, but it won't be close enough to be worrisome for Tiger fans.
Clemson 38, Troy 17

Kentucky at Florida (Line: Florida -16.5)
The Gators led UMass 10-7 in the fourth quarter before pulling away 24-7, while the Wildcats blew a 35-10 halftime lead and lost to Southern Miss 44-35. Florida has a 29-game win streak over Kentucky, a streak that likely won't be broken this season in The Swamp.
Florida 28, Kentucky 10

South Carolina at Mississippi State (Line: Mississippi State -7)
The Gamecocks opened the Will Muschamp era with a 13-10 win over Vanderbilt. South Carolina trailed 10-0 at halftime, but Perry Orth found some rhythm in the second half, enough to pick up the road win. Meanwhile, Mississippi State was left searching for answers after blowing a 20-7 lead against South Alabama, then missing a short field goal late that led to a 21-20 win for the Jaguars. The Bulldogs being a seven-point favorite is either telling that Vegas still believes in the Bulldogs, or what they think of the Gamecocks.
Mississippi State 27, South Carolina 17

Arkansas at No. 15 TCU (Line: TCU -7.5)
This one will have eyes all over it. TCU was slow out of the gate against South Dakota State, ultimately winning 59-41. Kenny Hill seemed to grasp the Horned Frog offense, passing for 439 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for three more scores. Arkansas struggled to put away Louisiana Tech, needing a fourth quarter TD to win 21-20. Expect the Hogs to stick with their ground and pound approach. If they get too far behind early on, it could be tough trying to play catch-up with the high-flying Frogs.
TCU 44, Arkansas 27

Iowa State at No. 16 Iowa (Line: Iowa -15)
Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy (Iowa leads 41-22)
Iowa returned a lot from the 2015 squad that went undefeated in the regular season, but faltered in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Rose Bowl. The Hawkeyes have another easy schedule that should allow them to win double-digit games again. Iowa State on the other hand is breaking in a new coach, as Matt Campbell made his way to Ames from Toledo. His debut was forgettable, though. The Cyclones fell to Northern Iowa in Week 1. A rivalry game can always produce an interesting result, but the only thing interesting about this one will be seeing the trophy on the field.
Iowa 40, Iowa State 17

BYU quarterback Taysom Hill is back for one more season.
Hill looks to lead his Cougars to a big win at Utah in the Holy War.
(Photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

BYU at Utah (Line: Utah -3.5)
Holy War (Utah leads 58-34-4)
It's not on the level of Alabama-Auburn, Ohio State-Michigan or Oklahoma-Texas, but there is no love lost between BYU and Utah. The Utes rolled out to a 35-0 lead on BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl in December before holding on for a 35-28 win. Fresh off a shutout of Southern Utah, the Utes aim for their second win over BYU in three games. BYU opened the season with an 18-16 win over Arizona at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale to kick off the Kalani Sitake era. Taysom Hill is back for the Cougars and that's a good thing for college football fans. Hill's mobility and toughness could lead BYU to an upset here. In fact, I'll pick it.
BYU 23, Utah 20

North Carolina at Illinois (Line: North Carolina -7.5)
The Tar Heels fell flat after holding a 10-point lead on Georgia in Atlanta, ultimately being run over by Nick Chubb. Good news, UNC fans, Illinois does not have a Chubb on the roster, or anything like him for that matter. Lovie Smith led the Fighting Illini to a 52-3 whooping over Murray State. North Carolina presents a different challenge with offensive weapons all over the field including running back Elijah Hood. Last year, Hood had 129 yards and a TD run in a 48-14 Tar Heel win over Illinois in Chapel Hill. Something tells me he has a big day in Champaign.
North Carolina 37, Illinois 24

Virginia Tech vs. No. 17 Tennessee (Line: Tennessee -11) - at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.
Over 150,000 folks will pack Bristol Motor Speedway for the most anticipated, but too far away to see from the stands game in college football history. Bristol, Tenn., splits the two campuses and this game has been in the works for years. Tennessee looked ugly in its season opener against Appalachian State, earning a come-from-behind 20-13 win in overtime. The Hokies struggled early in their opener against Liberty, but topped the Flames 36-13. Tennessee, on paper, has more talent. There could be many storylines out of this one, including the amount of fans, the noise level or lack of, the sight lines, the depth perception of the players, etc. Still, the Vols probably get it done.
Tennessee 24, Virginia Tech 13

Texas Tech at Arizona State (Line: Arizona State -2.5)
The first of many late night starts that are actually pretty good games comes to us from Tempe, Ariz. Patrick Mahomes might be the best under-the-radar quarterback in college football. Most people expect the Red Raiders QBs to have huge stats because of the system. Mahomes, however, possesses a power arm, accuracy and mobility that sets him apart from previous Texas Tech signal callers. Arizona State also has a high-flying offense, so expect a lot of points in this one.
Texas Tech 45, Arizona State 38

Washington State at Boise State (Line: Boise State -10.5)
Mike Leach and his band of pirates, er, Cougars head to The Blue" for the home opener for Boise State. Luke Falk, like Mahomes an unheralded but very good quarterback, will try to duplicate the 2015 season in which he threw for over 4500 yards and 38 TDs to just eight interceptions. The Cougars also lost to an FCS school to open that season, but went on to win nine games and defeated Miami in the Sun Bowl. Boise State has a force at running back, though. Jeremy McNichols leads the Broncos offense and could be trouble for Washington State, which gave up 45 points to Eastern Washington.
Boise State 52, Washington State 31

Cal at San Diego State (Line: San Diego State -7)
San Diego State is a sleeper pick for the top Group of 5 team to emerge unscathed. A touchdown favorite, the Aztecs are hoping to upend a Cal team who have already had an interesting start to the season. The Bears scored 51 points to beat Hawai'i in the opener two weeks ago in Australia, but spent the last week overcoming jet-lag. Now, they head south to take on a team looking for a season-defining win.
San Diego State 41, Cal 31

Virginia at No. 24 Oregon (Line: Oregon -24.5)
This late-nighter won't be pretty. FCS Richmond took down Virginia last week and Oregon looks to be as potent on offense as ever. The Ducks don't have a Marcus Mariota, but they do have Royce Freeman, the best running back you haven't heard of yet. You can head to bed at halftime of this one, if the game isn't already out of hand by then.
Oregon 63, Virginia 10

-BtW

How hot is the hot seat?

I was surprised to hear this statistic while listening to sports radio Wednesday afternoon in Oklahoma City. Think about this for a moment: There are only five current college football head coaches who have a national championship on their résumé. Five!

Out of 128 FBS head coaches, five have a national title as a head coach. Let it sink in.

The radio hosts went through the list of champions since 1999, when Bob Stoops took over the reigns at Oklahoma. Stoops is currently the longest tenured coach at his current school in college football by one day (Iowa's Kirk Ferentz was hired one day after Stoops. The Hawkeyes took their time with Stoops and the impatient coach jumped when Oklahoma offered first). There are others who have coached longer, like Bill Snyder at Kansas State, but no coach who won a championship prior to 2000 is currently still coaching.

Here are the national champions, their head coaches at the time, and where they are now:

1999 - Florida State, Bobby Bowden, retired
2000 - Oklahoma, Bob Stoops, current HC
2001 - Miami, Larry Coker, retired
2002 - Ohio State, Jim Tressel, Youngstown State University president
2003 - LSU, Nick Saban, current Alabama HC
2004 - USC, Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks HC
2005 - Texas, Mack Brown, retired
2006 - Florida, Urban Meyer, current Ohio State HC
2007 - LSU, Les Miles, current HC
2008 - Florida, Urban Meyer, current Ohio State HC
2009 - Alabama, Nick Saban current HC
2010 - Auburn, Gene Chizik, current North Carolina defensive coordinator
2011 - Alabama, Nick Saban current HC
2012 - Alabama, Nick Saban current HC
2013 - Florida State, Jimbo Fisher, current HC
2014 - Ohio State, Urban Meyer, current HC
2015 - Alabama, Nick Saban current HC

*Currently head coach at same school
**Currently head coach at different school

As you can see, the current college football head coaches who have national championships are: Bob Stoops, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Les Miles, and Jimbo Fisher.

To me, this is astonishing. There are head coaching changes ad nauseam year after year. Entering the 2016 season, there were 29 FBS schools with new head coaches, the most notable changes occurring at Georgia, Miami, Virginia Tech and USC. Nearly half the FBS head coaches (62 of 128) began coaching at their current school since 2014.

So why all the changes if only a few coaches win it every year? For one, we live in a "what have you done for me lately?" world. Coaches are viewed through a magnifying glass daily. Every decision on and off the field, every win and loss, every recruit, every detail is critiqued.

Gus Malzahn was hailed as one of the top offensive minds in football just years ago. He helped Auburn win a national title in 2010 as the offensive coordinator, then took Auburn to the national championship game in 2013 as head coach.

Just over two seasons later, his name is being mentioned as on the hot seat following 8- and 7-win seasons. Auburn began the year by losing a tough home game against the No. 2 ranked team in the country by just six points with a chance to win it on two Hail Mary passes at the end of the game. All that did was turn up the heat.

Gus Malzahn (left) and Dabo Swinney have two programs headed
in different directions, but still must answer the critics daily.
(Photo courtesy Montgomery Advertiser via AP)

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is the coach who beat Malzahn. Swinney led his team to its first win at Auburn since 1950, yet had to answer questions at his press conference about how the fans were upset with the nail-biting victory.

"Sorry we disappointed them. That's all I can tell them. We went down there to win the game, and that's what we did," Swinney said.

This is a coach who has elevated a program from mediocrity to relevance, came within one possession of hoisting the championship trophy one game ago, and came into this season with a Heisman front-runner and No. 2 ranking. But because the Tigers didn't win big on the road in a tough environment, a portion of the fan base is a tad antsy. Even if it is a small fraction of the fan base, it's still out there. Now, Swinney isn't going anywhere anytime soon unless he chooses to do so. But the fact of the matter is, coaches aren't safe from criticism even one game removed from a national title appearance.

And there is the problem college coaches face today.

First, there are only a handful of teams with legitimate national championship aspirations every year. You can argue there are about 20 teams, roughly four each from the Power 5 conferences.

Second, of the remaining 45 teams in those Power 5 plus Notre Dame, about 30 of them think they can win it with the right ingredients; maybe not this year, but soon. The final 15 know they are not on a level playing field and are just trying to bring in money for the athletic department. Sad, but brutally true.

Lastly, those first 20 teams are all chasing the elite of the bunch - the Alabamas and Ohio States - to try to take down the programs who are already established. Those blue bloods have the ingredients baking in the oven. The teams chasing them just got home from the grocery store and are pulling out the recipe book.

It's a tough road these coaches follow. Nothing comes easy. Even when things look great, they deal with injuries or off the field distractions. The year that was supposed to be the year suddenly isn't.

And back on the hot seat goes the coach.

-BtW

The Morning After... A win on the Plains!

Well, that was quite the way to open the college football season. Every Power 5 conference suffered an inexplicable upset. Two preseason top five teams fell, the first time that's happened on opening weekend in 44 years. There was a kick six, a few overtime games, one that lasted until 4:30 AM EDT, and lots to discuss. Let's get to it!

Hunter Renforw makes a spectacular catch for a TD
in Clemson's 19-13 win at Auburn.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

1) When your offense is hyped up all offseason and sputters to produce 19 points, you blame it on the fact that you opened the season in a tough road environment and still have some kinks to work out. That's just shy of what happened with No. 2 Clemson Saturday night on the Plains at Auburn. Deshaun Watson never looked like the part of a Heisman candidate, but was able to find star receiver Mike Williams nine times for 174 yards. Watson also threw a beauty of a pass to Hunter Renfrow for his only TD toss of the night. And all criticism aside, he did notch 248 yards through the air and made a few nice plays with his feet, avoiding being sacked all game. There's much room for improvement, but you have to think this offense with all the weapons will figure it out.

2) When your defense is questioned all offseason after losing eight starters to the NFL for the second straight year, you turn to Brent Venables and go next man up. Man, what a performance on that side of the ball. Facing a carousel of Auburn quarterbacks and having the Wing-T thrown at them at last minute, the Clemson defense looked every bit the part of the top 10 defenses of the past two seasons. The line played with reckless abandon, and until Clemson went into prevent mode late, the back seven clamped down on Auburn's air attack. All-in-all, Clemson held Auburn to 87 rushing yards and 262 total. Clemson has led the country in tackles for loss each of the last two seasons and got 2016 started off with 13 TFLs. Any more questions?

Clemson DC Brent Venables says he got a tip Auburn's offense might have some shenanigans. So Thursday, he Googled, "How to Stop the Wing-T."

— Aaron Brenner (@Aaron_Brenner) September 4, 2016

3) If you had one more, Jadar Johnson answered the question of who is going to step up in the secondary. Cordrea Tankersley had a nice game, but Johnson took the game in his own hands. He climbed the ladder for an interception inside the 10-yard line early in the game. Then, he knocked away not one, but two Auburn Hail Mary attempts in the waning seconds. Big plays when the ACC Tigers needed them most.

4) In Dabo we trust, I know, but with such a veteran team, offensively speaking, how can you allow your star running back to run out of bounds on third down with 45 seconds to go? And after that, how do you not kick a field goal to put your team up by nine? I know the kicking game seems to have a big question mark after missing yet another PAT, but your kicker made two field goals - a 30- and 40-yarder - earlier in the game.

5) I believe my brother said it best last night: "Offense seems like it has too many plays to choose from and only one ball." That's often the case when there's so much returning. Tight end Jordan Leggett was MIA and Artavis Scott had three catches for 30 yards. When Watson needed a play, he made a back-shoulder throw to Williams. It felt like that was the only sure-fire play Clemson knew would work. Wayne Gallman had 123 yards on the ground on 30 carries. There just wasn't enough push up front to force Auburn into panic mode.

5B) By the way, I told a good friend of mine earlier this week that I fully expected Clemson to use some type of big boy package on the goal line and would include Dexter Lawrence a la William "The Refrigerator" Perry. Add in Christian Wilkins and you have 650 pounds of freaks of nature blocking for Wayne Gallman. Needless to say, Gallman waltzed into the end zone untouched. More of that, please!

Defense, #ReturnOf7 highlight Clemson's season opening win at Auburn. #ALLIN

MORE --> https://t.co/Bry1WNT4Yf pic.twitter.com/9kyQ3CtgC2

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 4, 2016

6) Moving on to other action, I was a bit surprised to see Oklahoma out-classed by Houston. The Sooners have talked a big offseason about getting a taste of the College Football Playoff and wanting to finish the job, but didn't appear to take their game to NRG Stadium. We saw that early from OU last season when the Sooners struggled to pull out a win at Tennessee and then were stuffed by Texas. Maybe Bob Stoops can right the ship, once again, but with Ohio State coming to Norman in two weeks, it'll have to be quick.

7) Alabama has a knack for being able to transition from one season to the next. USC is not a good team right now. The media tried to hype the Trojans as this top 20 club, but it was all smoke and mirrors. However, the Tide rolled in big fashion. A completely new backfield including a true freshman quarterback in Jalen Hurts proved once again that the title will go through T-Town. In fact, Alabama is the only team to have proven its preseason ranking worthy. There were some huge blowouts by other top 10 teams, but the level of competition gives us pause.

8) About those upsets... ACC - Virginia was routed by FCS Richmond. Big 12 - Northern Iowa rallied to take down Iowa State. Big Ten - Northwestern fell to Western Michigan. Pac-12 - Another FCS take down as Eastern Washington dropped Washington State. SEC - South Alabama stunned Mississippi State when the Bulldogs missed a 28-yard field goal in the final seconds; Kentucky was run over by Southern Miss.

9) Extra points: It's Week 1, so step back and relax. There's a lot of football to be played. In fact, there are still two HUGE games this weekend - Notre Dame at Texas tonight, FSU-Ole Miss Monday. In 2015, Stanford scored six points in a loss to Northwestern in Week 1, then reeled off 12 wins over its next 13 games, including blowing out Iowa in the Rose Bowl and producing a Heisman runner-up. Only one team ended the regular season undefeated - Clemson - so one loss now means very little come December. ... Wisconsin gave the Big Ten a chance to puff its collective chest out against the SEC by taking down LSU at Lambeau Field. The Badgers played with a lot of heart and kept Leonard Fournette out of the end zone. ... The ACC-SEC showdowns produced a win for each side - Clemson holding on at Auburn, and Georgia swarming past North Carolina. The weekend bragging rights will come down to Labor Day night when Ole Miss and Florida State battle in Orlando. ... Teams to watch other than the obvious: Louisville, Houston, Washington, Georgia. ... It is utterly ludicrous to say a conference is already out of Playoff contention after Week 1. Please don't listen to the pundits about how the Pac-12 is done or the Big 12 is done. I go back to my first Extra Point: There's a lot of football to be played.

10) A win in SEC territory to open the season (which happens to be the first time that's happened since 1903!) will only bolster this team's résumé come November and December. It'll be good to see the Tigers run down The Hill again Saturday. All In. Beat Troy.

-BtW

PTF: Prediction Time Friday - Week 1

Welcome back, College Football. It's so good to see you again!

Cal knocked off Hawai'i 51-31 in Australia to get the season started a week ago. There were more teams in action last night as Tennessee thwarted an Appalachian State upset with a come-from-behind overtime win, South Carolina stunned Vanderbilt, and Minnesota topped Oregon State in a Big Ten/Pac-12 battle, among other games Thursday.

For those new to the blog, every Friday will be my #PTF, or Prediction Time Friday. On occasion, I'll make picks a day early with some intriguing Thursday night games (i.e. - Sept. 22 when Clemson visits Georgia Tech), but the opening weekend to 2016 is all about Friday through Monday.

I had a decent record picking games in 2015, but I'm looking to build on that this season. With very little to go off of, and plenty of exciting matchups, it will be tough to get off to a good start. But I'll give it my best! Here's the run down on what's being hailed as the best opening weekend in college football ever.

2015 BENched PTF Record (includes bowl picks): 87-38 (.696 win %)

*Rankings below are the AP Top 25

Friday

Kansas State at No. 8 Stanford (Line: Stanford -14.5)
Bill Snyder's Wildcats head to NoCal to open the season. The trip sounds great minus the whole having to deal with Christian McCaffrey thing. Although the Cardinal will be breaking in a new quarterback, the all-purpose king of college football McCaffrey will lead Stanford to a big win.
Stanford 41, Kansas State 13

Colorado State vs. Colorado (Line: Colorado -8.5) - at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.
Rocky Mountain Showdown
Nothing like an in-state rivalry to get the season started. The upstart Buffaloes may be a surprise team in college football this year. The two have alternated wins for five years, with Colorado winning a 27-24 overtime thriller in 2015. CSU may be in the running for a Big 12 expansion spot, but don't think they are quite ready for Power 5 football.
Colorado 27, Colorado State 14

Saturday

Georgia Tech vs. Boston College (Line: Georgia Tech -3) - at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland
Set your alarm clocks and grab a pint of Guinness! It'll be top o' the morning stateside when the Yellow Jackets and Eagles kickoff from Ireland (7:30 am EDT). This is one of the only conference tilts on the schedule in Week 1. Georgia Tech is looking to rebound from a dismal 3-9 season and should do so as it returns dynamic quarterback Justin Thomas. BC is simply searching for an ACC win after going 0-8 in 2015. We know BC's defense will be stout, but can Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles provide a spark to the Eagles' offense?
Georgia Tech 30, Boston College 17

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Houston (Line: Oklahoma -11.5) - at NRG Stadium in Houston
Coming off a New Year's Six bowl victory in the Peach Bowl against Florida State to cap a 13-win season, the Houston Cougars are looking to solidify themselves among college football's top programs in 2016. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. returns as one of the premier playmakers to lead UH's offense. On the flip side, the Sooners return a loaded backfield with Baker Mayfield, Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. There might not be a better offensive backfield trio in the country. Oklahoma got a taste of the CFB Playoff last season and is hungry to get back.
Oklahoma 44, Houston 34

No. 5 LSU vs. Wisconsin (Line: LSU -11) - at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc.
Will Leonard Fournette do the Lambeau Leap? Not if Les Miles has anything to do with it. The Hat laid down the law on the touchdown celebration, which is sad really. LSU is going to score a lot of touchdowns.
LSU 35, Wisconsin 17

No. 16 UCLA at Texas A&M (Line: Texas A&M -3)
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen made waves earlier this week when asked about the crowd noise at Kyle Field. Rosen was asked about playing in front of 100,000 people and he simply said after 50,000 the noise is all the same. Don't expect the farmers to greet the "Rosen One" with their usual "Howdy!" This game was already interesting as UCLA is a Pac-12 South favorite and the Aggies will get their first glimpse of OU transfer Trevor Knight behind center. It will be hot, humid and extremely loud in College Station.
Texas A&M 31, UCLA 27

Mitch Trubisky leads North Carolina into the Bulldogs' backyard
for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Georgia.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)

No. 18 Georgia vs. No 22 North Carolina (Line: Georgia -2.5) - at Georgia Dome in Atlanta
Heralded junior QB Mitch Trubisky gets his first start in a Tar Heel uniform. All he did in a secondary role last season was complete 40-of-47 passes (85.1%) for 555 yards and six touchdowns with no picks. All the playmakers are back for the Heels, but it won't be the offense that is the problem. Remember the last time out for the UNC defense - Baylor rushed for 645 yards in the bowl game. Nick Chubb should be licking his chops. The Georgia Dome will be rocking as the Bulldogs make the hour trip from Athens, along with their faithful who filled up Sanford Stadium to the tune of 93,000 for the Red and Black Spring Game. New top Dawg Kirby Smart named Greyson Lambert his starting signal-caller. Buckle up for this one. It has potential to be the best game of the weekend.
Georgia 38, North Carolina 37

No. 20 USC vs. No. 1 Alabama (Line: Alabama -11.5) - at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
The history of - and between - these two schools should not be overlooked. USC thumped Alabama 42-21 in Tuscaloosa in 1970. Then-head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant had not recruited black athletes, whereas the Trojans were integrated and running back Sam Cunningham tore up the Tide defense. Bryant changed his ways the next season. A brief history lesson there, but Saturday night in Arlington won't be very historical. Nick Saban and the reigning champion Crimson Tide start an entirely new offensive backfield, but may have the best defense in football once again. This will be the fifth season Saban begins the year with a first-year starting quarterback. The previous four resulted in a combined 52-4 record with three national titles. I can't see this one being close.
Alabama 42, USC 14

No. 2 Clemson at Auburn (Line: Clemson -7.5)
Probably the nation's most talked about team this offseason was the Clemson Tigers. Offensively, it's been discussed ad nauseam that the ACC Tigers return virtually everyone including Heisman front-runner Deshaun Watson. There are some question marks on defense, but most think this team will develop quickly and make another run at the Playoff. Auburn, however, is soul searching after back-to-back sub-par seasons by SEC standards. Gus Malzahn enters on the hot seat. A big home loss to open the season could turn up the flames quickly.
Clemson 44, Auburn 24

BYU vs. Arizona (Line: BYU -1) - at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Heartbreak hit Tucson this summer when Arizona lost a senior offensive lineman who was found dead one morning. Certainly his teammates will be playing with heavy hearts, and BENched would like to send its condolences to the Wildcat Family. On the field, we know Rich Rod's offense will be fast and BYU will see what it can get out of Taysom Hill. The oft-injured, sixth-year quarterback has been brilliant in his career when he's remained healthy. Should be a nice night-cap to the full day of games, if you can stay up late for it.
BYU 34, Arizona 31

Sunday

No. 10 Notre Dame at Texas (Line: Notre Dame -3.5)
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly seemingly will implement a two-quarterback system with DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire splitting duties. The Irish hope someone steps up to provide some consistency. At Texas, Charlie Strong joins Malzahn as a coach on the hot seat to start the year. Another sub-.500 record and Strong will be searching for a new job. Will his job security lie in the hands of a true freshman quarterback in Shane Buechele? More than likely, yes. He's sort of Colt McCoy 2.0. But how much of Colt and not Case McCoy he is remains to be seen. Don't be surprised if the Horns pull off the upset.
Notre Dame 27, Texas 21

Monday

No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 4 Florida State (Line: Florida State -4.5) - at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Labor Day Night closes out the weekend with a bang. Ole Miss is in all kinds of hot water with the NCAA, something Florida State knows a little bit about. Chad Kelly proclaimed himself as the best quarterback in college football at SEC Media Days. The Rebels will need someone to step up on offense because his trusty go-to receiver Laquon Treadwell is in the NFL and Ole Miss lost the majority of its offensive line. Kelly could be running for his life against a talented FSU front. The Noles have a redshirt freshman quarterback - not unlike 2013 - as Deandre Francois has been named the starter. Luckily for Francois, he has one of the nation's best backs to hand the ball of to in Dalvin Cook. Could be wrong here, but the belief is the Rebels' time has passed.
Florida State 28, Ole Miss 24

-BtW