Bub's World

I'm going to go off topic for a paragraph or two here, please bear with me. My wife Sarah and I lost a dear friend on Sunday. Elizabeth Wiggin(5th one down), was a remarkable woman with a heart of gold and sense of beauty that was extremly deep. She died at the much too young age of 37 after spinal surgery. We are both deeply shocked and saddened by her untimely passing. With my time helping her family through this, I will not be on the podcast this week, but that doesn't mean I can't discuss this weeks games. UAB-Oklahoma This should be a no brainer, even with all the trouble during Oklahoma's training camp. Oklahoma is a top ten team and if things go their way, a darkhorse for the National Championship. This is a game they must win, and win handily. Oklahoma now depends on Adrian Peterson to carry that offense. The defense is fine, but will need to over compensate this week until the revamped offense can get on the same page. UAB is an improving team, but not in Oklahoma's wheelhouse. Sooners easy. Nevada-Fresno State Two very good mid-major teams facing off to start the season. Fresno State is coming off a wonderful year, culminating with a near upset of Southern Cal. Nevada, on the other hand, is a rising team that will put fear into their opposition. I think that this week, the established Bulldogs will prevail. If Nevada prevails, watch out. They will be the people's choice for crashing the BCS. Notre Dame-Georgia Tech The Irish are high on everyones list for BCS glory this season and they have an offense that can score on command. But, and we maybe talking J-Lo size here, they could not stop th pass last year and it burned them. Now, with an offense that will be under the Weis system for a second year, Notre Dame opens on the road in Atlanta facing an above averge Georgia Tech team. ND has a brutal schedule, with Penn State, Michigan, and Southern Cal on it. If the Irish want the game in Los Angeles to mean anything, then they must win this. Too close to call here, ND in a squeaker. The ACC as a whole is deeper this year. Cal-Tennessee There are a ton of things for these two teams to prove as 2006 opens up. First, if Cal is a serious contender for the Pac-10 or even the national title, then it must win here. Second, the Vols spent 2005 looking like a mediocre team. If they want to return to the center of the national spotlight, they must send the Bears back to Berkley as losers. There is a lot of personal pride on the line in this game as losses by either team will send a lot of doubt about how well either team can compete, moreso for Tenessee. The SEC promises to be even more brutal as a whole this year as suposed to last. If it were a golf course, the SEC is the US Open at Winged Foot. Par an extraordinary score. The Vols are not getting a ton of respect, win and by a healthy margin and the SEC gets even tighter. For Cal, a loss really does not hurt their BCS chances. The Pac-10 is like the PGA was at Medinah this year. You play patient, you score. Cal can lose two games and make the BCS, provided they beat a team that USC loses too. This is about establishing a presense in Berkley, not rekindling an era gone by, like in Knoxville. I don't like betting against the Vols at home, but if the Bears win then watch how much attention the Pac-10 gets. Cal, by a hair. Florida State-Miami I don't like rivalry games to start the season. This, along with Sunday's Louisville-Kentucky game, is a rivalry game. Miami has a lot of dirty laundry being made publuc as a wave of players have been suspended. FSU brings back Drew Weatherford to play quarterback. Those two things tip the scale heavily towards FSU, and they win by double digits. My Top Ten(with a day to think of it): 1. Texas 2. Ohio State 3. LSU 4. Southern Cal(USC plays in South Carolina, Southern Cal plays in Los Angeles) 5. Notre Dame 6. Florida 7. West Virginia 8. Auburn (They really won't run the table. Sorry, Brian.) 9. Oklahoma 10. Army (They are the first team to get a bowl bid.) 11. Penn State Enjoy the games.