Shane O Mac's Games of the Week (Week 4)

Shane O Mac’s Games of the Week (Week 4)

Well, it is time for Week 4 and this should be the last week of cupcake games for most teams. But in college football every game is important. This week is no different and these are games to watch in Week 4 and we start at 3:30 in the SEC.

(1) Alabama (3-0 1-0 SEC) at (10) Arkansas (3-0 1-0 SEC) (3:30, CBS)

CBS gets their 2nd SEC game of the week and this could be the toughest game of the year for the Crimson Tide. Quarterback Greg McElroy and running backs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson lead the Tide into this game. What makes this game a challenge for the Tide is that it’s in Fayetteville and the environment will be hostile. Also, if you forgot the quarterback for the Razorbacks is Ryan Mallett. Oh, yes that Ryan Mallett who used to play for Michigan. He already has over 1,000 yards passing with 9 TD’s compared to only 2 INT’S. For people to say that Arkansas has no chance in this game is very foolish. They beat a very talented Georgia team, without A.J. Green, but it was in Athens. This is obviously isn’t easy. But their facing the number one team in the country who has made every team they have faced looked bad with a very balanced attack. Arkansas is tough on defense by only allowing 11.5 points per game (5th in the country). This game is obviously the game of the week and I can’t wait for this one. I want to see if Richardson and Ingram can run on this defense, and if the Razorbacks can get something done against the top team in the nation. Watch for this game to be closer than the experts think.

(12) South Carolina (3-0 1-0 SEC) at (17) Auburn (3-0 1-0 SEC) (7:45 ESPN)

Ok, you must be asking yourself why is there two SEC games in here, well that answer is easy. The rankings don’t lie and neither do the records. The SEC is obviously the strongest conference from top to bottom every year, but this year there are some conferences knocking on the door. This is another battle of undefeated teams and one team is good at rushing and one is good on defense. Something has got to give and I like Auburn at home. 259 yards rushing per game is no joke and with a explosive quarterback like Cameron Newton at the helm for the Tigers this game might not be close. But not if the ole’ ball coach has something to say about it. Their 9th in the nation in points against with 12.7 and it helps to have running back Marcus Lattimore in the backfield. Anything could happen. Also, if or when the Gamecocks get through this game they will take their (4-0) record back home in Columbia against the Tide. Oh, jeez what a game that would be!

(16) Stanford (3-0 1-0 Pac-10) at Notre Dame (1-2) (3:30, NBC)

I don’t know if South Bend is ready for this one. The Legends Trophy is on the line and Andrew Luck comes into this one with one of the most explosive and talented offenses of the country. Last week they put up 68 points last week against Wake Forest and that pushed them all way up to 3rd in the country in points per game (51). None of the Cardinal’s games have been even close, but this could be their first real test. Notre Dame has a good defense, but it didn’t seem like it against Michigan or Michigan State. The special teams defense got embarrassed in front of the nation last week in their primetime debacle in East Lansing with that last play of Overtime. This week the Fighting Irish are trying to save face and this might be the team to do it against. Their at home, they average over 300 passing yards per game and 2 out of their 3 games have been within one score. They could be easily 2-1, but they keep the opposing team in the game. This game used to be dominated by Notre Dame, but on this Saturday in South Bend, karma could be a….well, you can finish that one.


(22) West Virginia (3-0 0-0 Big East) at (15) LSU (3-0 2-0 SEC) (9pm, ESPN)

Death Valley is the site of this interesting game between powers of the Big East and SEC. Both teams are undefeated and this game has the talent to make it game of the year. Two out of the three LSU games have been conference games and they dominated both with their offense and 5th ranked defense. West Virginia has a running attack with Noel Devine (354 yards, 2TD), but the stout LSU defense will look to stop that. The noise in this place will be tremendous because not only is this game in Death Valley….it's a night game in Death Valley. West Virginia’s defense isn’t that bad either. Their 9th in the nation with allowing 12.7 points per game. Their game against Marshall was memorable with them coming back from 15 points down in the 4th quarter and eventually winning in overtime. LSU had that tough game against North Carolina way back in the opening week of the season. That game was overshadowed by the toughness of North Carolina playing without most of their starters, but people forgot what really happened, LSU won. This game will be no different. I think West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith will have all that he can handle and not be ready for this raucous primetime SEC game. LSU will have their hands full with Devine, but their defense will be able to take care of him. Look for this game to be out of reach for the Mountaineers by the 2nd quarter.

(24) Oregon State (1-1 0-0 Pac-10) at (3) Boise State (2-0 1-0 WAC) (8pm, ABC)

This game is for real. Oregon State seemed to buy into the “blue turf” hype and literally painted their practice field blue. The Rodgers brothers have combined for over 300 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns. Will it be enough for the 15th ranked defense of Boise State? College Gameday is in Boise for this one and I never thought I would ever see the day. It will be 5am in Boise when Gameday kicks off at 9am EST. The fans will be out of control all game long and look for that to rattle Beaver quarterback Ryan Katz a little bit. I am excited about this one. I’m excited to see how Boise State reacts not only to the primetime game but how they perform at home in plain, little Idaho. Austin Pettis and Titus Young lead a group of senior receivers. Kellen Moore is getting more hype after his performances in the first two games, especially against Virginia Tech. It seems the coaches aren’t impressed by the Broncos schedule but I believe if they do beat Oregon State soundly they will be up there with the huge teams. But after this game they really don’t have a challenge until November 26th when they travel to Nevada who are playing great as well. Oregon State seems to be stuggling on both sides of the ball. When you look at their rankings: 98th in passing (162 yds), 89th in rushing (125 yds), 64th in offensive points (28) and 88th in points against (29) it seems like the Broncos will pass all over the Beavers defense. This will be a shootout offensively…..for 1 half. The Broncos throw and rush a lot. A very balanced attack…15th passing and 22nd in rushing. The stats say that the Broncos will lay the smackdown on the Beavers…BUT…the Rodgers brothers will make things interesting because Ryan Katz doesn’t throw the ball much. He only has 301 yards passing all season through two games. Overall, this game doesn’t seem to be close when you look at the stats, but we will see how it ends on the blue turf in Boise in primetime on ABC.

Other games to keep an eye on:

Kentucky (3-0 0-0 SEC) at Florida (3-0 0-0 SEC) (7pm, ESPNU) - John Brantley plays his first conference game in the Swamp and he hasn’t looked good in his first three games. Both teams are undefeated and need to prove themselves.

Ohio (1-2 0-1 MAC) at Marshall (0-3 0-0 C-USA) (7:00pm) - Well, you might be asking yourself why this game is on here? It might be because I have a big heart for the Thundering Herd. After that heartbreaking (and that’s putting it lightly) loss to West Virginia two weeks ago I just have felt bad for them. They had the game won, but blew it at the end and to put more salt in the wound…they were at home. They lost to Bowling Green last week and are winless so far. Let’s see if they can get the ball rolling against Ohio in Huntington…the scene of the crime against the Mountaineers.

(5) Oregon (3-0 0-0 Pac-10) at Arizona State (2-1 0-0 Pac-10) (10:30pm) - 1st Conference game for both of these teams. The Sun Devils are coming off a tough loss to Wisconsin just a week ago and they are coming out swinging against the Ducks. The Ducks are 2nd in rushing yards (380.7), 1st in offensive points (63) and points against (4.3). Are you serious 4.3 points per game!! I’m looking for this game to be a shootout…and the Sun Devils will put up a little more than 4.3 points.

That concludes week 4 in my games of the week. Enjoy it everybody!!

Sorry for the Delay...

Posting from me will resume this week. I have been moving in to my new place and getting settled, so no time to post. Just some things to look forward to this week:

NFL resume play (right now)

Pretty weak slate as far as college football is concerned, but some games to look forward to include:

Notre Dame-Michigan State

Iowa-Arizona

Texas-Texas Tech

Look for more game day stuff this week.

Shane O Mac's Games of the Week (Week 2)

Well, it seems we have made it to Week 2 of College Football with a few questions. Is Boise State really for real? Is Michigan really that good with Denard Robinson and is there any chance for Penn State to upset the defending National Champion Alabama. Well, Tuscaloosa is where we will start.

(19) Penn State at (1) Alabama (7pm, ESPN)
College Gameday is there so that means something. Penn State starts a true freshman Rob Bolden once again after his impressive performance against Youngstown state. The only weak point for the Crimson Tide is their young secondary. Will Bolden be able to exploit that? Also, how good will the Nittany Lions react to the elements? Its going to be hot, humid, and sticky and the crowd will be very hostile at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram will be out for this one, but Trent Richardson is just a good maybe even a bit better. Penn State will be in for a battle in the trenches and they will have to pressure Greg McElroy because if they do happen to stop the Tide will go to the air. Also, Julio Jones will have to be stopped if the pass happens. The Vegas line for this game is 12…I’ll take Penn State because in the words of Lee Corso, “This one will be closer than the experts think.”

Michigan at Notre Dame (3:30, ABC)
Well, the Wolverines are in the Shane O Mac Games of the Week again. Last week Denard Robinson blew up against Connecticut and nobody thought game them a chance. Well the Fighting Irish welcome Michigan and this will be a tough test for Robinson. Notre Dame has good receivers and Dayne Chirst is leading the offense. Purdue had a lot trouble scoring points against the tout Notre Dame defense so it’s going to be interesting to see how Robinson reacts in this game away from home.

(17) Florida State at (10) Oklahoma (3:30, ABC or ESPN)
The last time these two met was in the 2001 Orange Bowl and it was for the National Championship. It was a sloppy game but the Sooners came out on top and won (13-2). Now we fast forward nine years and these teams are different in many ways. Florida State has a new head coach in Jimbo Fisher and last week he got off to a good starts against creampuff opponent Samford. The last time the Seminoles were in Norman was 1976, the first year of Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Oklahoma struggled late last week against Utah State but won 31-24. Christina Ponder will go to the air and abuse the Sooner defense while Landry Jones tries to keep his mistakes to a minimum. This one will be a barnburner.

(7) Oregon at Tennessee (7pm, ESPN2)
In this game something has got to give. Oregon put up 72 unanswered points last week against New Mexico State while the Volunteers but up 52 against Tennessee-Martin. Well, these two teams are obviously facing tougher tests that last week so that’s what makes this game interesting. We know the offenses can score a lot of points but what about the defenses. Oregon is in the Pac-10 which always gets criticism for having bad defenses. Tennessee is coming off an offsesason where Lane Kiffin bolted and went to Los Angeles. So there was a huge cut that is steal healing in Knoxville but last week’s game cured it a little bit. Oregon is in the top 10 for a reason so we will see if they can uphold their ranking this week, but it won’t be easy because this game is at Neyland Stadium in front a hostile orange and white crowd. Oregon set a school record with 720 total yards, but this week I don’t think it will happen. Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas might have his hands full today.

(12) Miami (FL) at (2) Ohio State (3:30, ABC)
Well, this is the other big game of the day. It is in Columbus and this game just feels like its going to be good. Two young quarterbacks take the national stage. Jacory Harris goes up against his toughest test maybe in his career. The Buckeye defensive line is very talented and will pressure Harris all game. We do know what to expect out of Terelle Pryor after his impressive Rose Bowl game last year against Oregon. Its just the simple question of who will make the first mistake? This game will have a huge impact in college football and it is only Week 2…

So strap up your chinstraps folks, Week 2 College Football is about to get underway in about an hour. Another sleeper game to watch for is (22) Georgia at (24) South Carolina. The ole’ ball coach tries to get the ball rolling for the Gamecocks in this early-season SEC game. If South Carolina wants any respect from the voters and the SEC they need to win this game against Georgia. Well that’s Shane O Mac’s Games of the Week for Week 2. Enjoy the games everybody!

Week 1 Reaction

Ok, so my reaction from Week 1 of the College Football season was mixed. One reason because there are some teams that made a big leap in my mind and some teams that need help. Obviously, teams that took the leap of faith were Michigan. Yes, as a Penn State alumnus it pains me to say but Denard Robinson really shined against Connecticut. His stats were out of control (186 passing and 197 rushing) are you kidding me? This Sophomore QB looks to be for real and most people thought that the Wolverines were supposed to lose to the Huskies. Another team that looked impressive was Boise State. This comes from their come from behind victory in D.C. on Labor Day night against Virginia Tech. In my opinion, that game cements them for at least a top 3 ranking if they do end the season undefeated. The reason why I think they won’t be in the BCS National Championship game is because of their weak schedule. They have Oregon State on September 25th and that seems to be it. The game that I am looking forward to in their schedule is the Wolfpack of Nevada the day after Thanksgiving. Colin Kaepernick is a very dangerous quarterback and might exploit that weak secondary of the Broncos. Boise State gave up a 17-point lead to the Hokies but won off the arm of Kellen Moore with seconds remaining. Against the Wolf Pack or the Beavers they might not be so lucky.

Teams that took a step back is Oklahoma and Ole Miss. For the Rebels it’s easy, they lost to FCS opponent Jacksonville State. They were up 34-13 going into the 4th and allowed 21 points to the Gamecocks and went to overtime. After that it was history from there. 355 total yards allowed and 3 turnovers later the game was lost. The biggest upset since Appalachian State beat Michigan in 2007. You might be wondering to yourself why I picked Oklahoma and there’s good reason. Utah State gave them a game and Diondre Borel seemed to make the Sooner secondary look silly at times. The Sooner defense gave up 421 yards with 341 of that on passing plays. If Oklahoma plays like that against Utah State they might have a hard time against Christian Ponder and Florida State this Saturday.

Also, I just have one more statement to close Week 1: The North Carolina Tar Heels seem to be the gutsiest in college football after the opening week. Going into the game against strong SEC opponent LSU and being 6 yards and one touchdown pass away from upsetting the Tigers is very impressive pending the circumstances. Through all of the suspensions to many key starters and having the 2nd string players almost coming out on top was amazing. One of best games of the weekend by far because when everybody thought the Tar Heels were down in the 1st half they made into a hell of a game. Only thing to think past this part was if North Carolina had their starters in, how would they have performed?

Shane O Mac Games of the Week...Week 2 edition...upcoming!

Shane O Mac's Games of the Week (Week 1 - September 2nd-6th)

Its time for the 1st Installment of Shane O Mac’s Game’s of the Week. Basically I pick out 5 games of each weekend that you should be keeping a close eye on. These are games that are obviously ones to watch, but I throw in one sleeper pick every now and again. What I love about College Football is that in most cases Week 1 of the season means that cupcake games will be played(19)Penn St/Youngstown St., (2) Ohio State/Marshall, San Jose State at (1)Alabama, Presbyterian vs. Wake Forest etc… just to name a few. But this season schools want to make a name for themselves early and get some respect from the BCS voters and this first week of the season doesn’t waste any time.

(15)Pittsburgh at Utah –(8:30 Thursday, Versus)– Well the Panthers have their work cut out for them in this Thursday night battle, which is surprisingly on Versus nonetheless. Pitt comes into this game with one of the best running backs in the country in Dion Lewis, maybe the two best receivers in the country in the 6’5” giants in Jon Baldwin and Mike Shanahan, but they do have a weak spot. His name is Tino Sunseri and he is an unproved Sophomore and will get challenged by the Utes tough defense early in this game. Watch for Utah to rattle this young quarterback early with their talented secondary corps. Junior CB Brandon Burton will lead the secondary while former quarterback Chad Mannis will lead the linebackers. And oh yeah this game is in Salt Lake City so maybe jetlag will take its effect.

Uconn at Michigan (3:30 Saturday, ABC) – Well, a game at the “Big House” has lost it’s importance over the years but this game is still big for both teams. Rich Rod tried to get his team out of the gutter and improve on his 8-16 record he has established over the past 2 seasons. So not only is Michigan’s dream of being relevant in the Big Ten on the line but Rich Rod’s job is hanging by a thread and he would like nothing more than to beat a talented team like the Huskies in Ann Arbor.

(14)USC at Hawaii (11pm Thursday, ESPN) – Ok, you might be asking yourself why the heck is this game on here and I will tell you why. Number one I am a huge college football fan and I love games like these. Nothing is better than watching a west coast game because when you think all the games are over, one just pops out of nowhere. It just makes me feel like a little kid on Christmas Day opening all of the gifts under the tree and then having your parents pull one out from behind the couch and it happens to be the gift that you “really” wanted. Might be over the line, but that’s how I feel.
Ok to the game…USC lost a ton of scholarship players and are only playing with 70. Lane Kiffin is the new head coach and I want to see how he deals with the situation that Pete Carroll left him tonight. I know that USC has talented players because c’mon it’s USC, but something has to give and it might be tonight. Either one of two things could happen…number one – USC will buckle under pressure and will get upset tonight and ESPN will make a huge deal out of it and you will see the highlights over and over OR USC takes the critics like myself, tell them to shove it and play USC football and win big. I am looking forward to this “gift” of a game tonight.

(5)Boise St vs. (6)Virginia Tech (8pm Monday, ESPN) – HERE WE GO…this is what college football is all about. A team out of the state of Idaho that has been absolutely dominant the past five years is ranked in the top 5 heading into their first game of the season. I love it! Head Coach Chris Petersen has gone an astonishing (49-4) in the time he has been there and they have won HUGE games against TCU last year in the Fiesta Bowl and obviously the “State of Liberty” game against powerhouse Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Since then they only thing that has kept them out of the National Championship game is a tough schedule. Well, if the Broncos didn’t do it this year then I don’t know what they can do…they have this game against Virginia Tech in Landover, MD and a home game against Oregon State.
I am looking forward to see the battle of the quarterbacks, Kellen Moore vs. Tyrod Taylor. Both men are excellent athletes and can get the ball where ever they want to on the field. It’s just a matter of who gets the ball last and THAT’S why this game will be a dandy.

(24) Oregon State vs. (6) TCU (7:45 Saturday, ESPN)– So two teams from conferences that don’t get an automatic bye into the BCS Championship game are in the top 10. That just goes to show you how up in the air this season will be and expect ANYTHING to happen. In this game it’s no different. You have the Rodgers brothers on one side, who can blow it up and score some points and you have a tough defense that was 6th in points against last season (12.5). Senior quarterback Andy Dalton continues his leadership role on the Horned Frogs offense while sophomore Ryan Katz takes over Sean Canfield’s spot as quarterback for the Beavers. IT’S THE Horned Frogs vs. Beavers in this game and it will be interesting to see if Oregon State can cause the upset and rock the top 25 in the first week.

So that’s SHANE O MAC’S GAMES OF WEEK for Week 1…check out more from me on here. You will get reactions and previews from me about anything College Football, NFL and even a little WWE wrestling because I am a huge wrestling. So keep reading and I’ll keep writing.