1.  Steve Janus: Steve has been earning himself quite the following after winning numerous football handicapping awards over the past decade.  He netted the most units overall in both 2006 and 2009 and is consistently near the top of our college football leaderboards every single season.  Join him for another championship caliber season today!

2.  Steve Merril: Here’s a handicapper that has grown a reputation for his success in every sport, but his college football picks might be the best of the bunch.  Steve has been making his clients money year after year.  You’ll always want to know which side of the big game he’s on! Get on board for a long-term package with Steve Merril and we know you’ll keep coming back for more!

3.  Mike Lineback: Lineback takes a more low-risk approach to college football betting, which is probably why he consistently wins at a higher percentage than our other handicappers.  Mike will never force a play just to have action and he often times waits until just a few hours before game time to put out his picks.  If you are able to stay disciplined and you have the free time to get your bets in a few hours before games start, buy Mike Lineback’s college football season pass, period!

4.  Pure Lock: Pure Lock is another NCAA football handicapper that professes quality over quantity.  These guys normally find one play per week in college football and this play will be one of the strongest picks you’ll find on our site.

That should give you some great ideas about which handicapper you are going to choose this football season.  Don’t forget to check this week’s college football lines to see which sportsbook is giving the best edge for your bets.

He has a large staff who works hard every week to make sure that his college football predictions hit. There are a lot of big name clients and a lot of cash put forth on each one of his games, and he works hard to make sure that his clients come out on top. It doesn’t matter if you are interested in placing futures wagers, since we put out tons of articles covering all the major conferences and even our thoughs on the BCS, or if you are just interested in football picks to help you beat the point spread every week, we have you covered all the same. There isn’t another site that will bring your college football betting to the next level like ours will, so get signed up today with one of our handicappers and feel what winning is all about.

If you are looking for some college football picks this year that will help you come out on top, our team of handicappers is hear to help you beat the college football spreads.

10. Georgia: The quiet football factory at Georgia continues to impress under Head Coach Mark Richt. The defense allowed 16 ppg last season and will lead the way again, led by All-America candidate DE Quentin Moses, a fierce pass rusher. The linebacking corps is also deep behind senior Jarvis Jackson.

The offensive line has new pieces and QB D.J. Shockley is gone. But senior QB Joe Tereshinski (371 yards) stepped in when Shockley was hurt last season and played well. Richt likes a balanced offense and has a powerful ground game behind junior RB Thomas Brown and junior Danny Ware. Georgia is 21-6 SU/17-10 ATS on the road under Richt! Six of their first eight games are at home, with only tough road games at South Carolina and Auburn.

9. Miami: Head Coach Larry Coker revamped his coaching staff, bringing in Rich Olson to run the offense and John Palermo will run the defensive line (from Wisconsin). Olson ran the Miami offense during some of their glory years in the 1990s. Junior QB Kyle Wright (18 TDs, 10 INTs) returns, along with junior WR Lance Leggett and 6-foot-6 junior TE Greg Olsen.

The running game provides balance because of senior tailback Tyrone Moss (701 yards, 5.1 ypc) and the tough defense allowed just 14 points per game and 3 yards per rush! Run stuffers like DE Bryan Pata and senior DT Baraka Atkins return and there are several revenge games, including Florida State and Georgia Tech (the latter upset Miami at home). Is this still a great football program? Miami just had a first-round NFL draft choice for a record 12th consecutive year.

8. L.S.U: LSU impressed under first-year Head Coach Les Miles, going 11-2. They played a lot of road games, too, because of Hurricane Katrina. The Tigers averaged 29.5 points, 150 yards rushing and 224 passing. Junior Quarterback JaMarcus Russell returns despite a serious shoulder injury late last season.

The ground game features senior RB Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent, while there is good depth at wideout. One thing Nick Saban left Miles was a talented defense, which has five starters back to a unit that ranked among the top five in the nation in three categories. The line is solid behind senior DT Glenn Dorsey and junior DE Carnell Stewart. This year’s schedule is challenging, with road games at Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas. But LSU was 5-0 SU, 4-0 ATS on the road last season!

7. Notre Dame: Hats off to Charlie Weis, who electrified the Irish attack in his first year as head coach. Under his imaginative spread offense Notre Dame averaged 36.7 points, 147 yards rushing and 330 passing per game! 7 starters return on offense, so watch out. Senior QB Brady Quinn is back after passing for 32 TDs, just 7 INTs and 3,919 yards.

Three starters return to the offensive line. Junior RB Darius Walker (1,196 yards, 9 TDs) led the Irish in rushing and caught 43 passes for 351 yards. Quinn has quality targets in 6-foot-5 senior WR Jeff Samardzija (1,274 yards, 15 TDs), senior WR Rhema McKnight and 6-foot-6 junior TE John Carlson. The defense is average, though 9 starters return, so the offense may have to carry the load. The schedule isn’t that bad, outside of a revenge trip to USC.

6. U.S.C: 2006 hasn’t been kind to the Trojans, with the shocking loss to USC in January for the national title, the loss of its best offensive players to the NFL, and some embarrassing off-field problems. The offense won’t be as devastating, but will be potent. New quarterback junior John David Booty steps in (327 yards, 64.3% completions, 3 TDs, 2 INTs in 2005).

The best news of all is that the best wide receiving duo in the nation is back in senior Steve Smith and junior WR Dwayne Jarrett (1,274 yards, 16 TDs). Pete Carroll has some teaching to do with the defense, especially with a young secondary. USC is 20-0 SU, 14-6 ATS at home the last three seasons! Road trips to Arkansas and UCLA could be challenging, along with home dates with Nebraska, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame.

5. Iowa: Kirk Ferentz has a talented team and a sensational home field advantage at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has won 22 of 23 home games and is 28-3 SU, 24-5-2 ATS at home the last four years! 7 starters return on offense and 7 on defense. The offense is loaded after averaging 30 points, 174 yards rushing and 258 passing. Senior QB Drew Tate (22 TDs, 7 picks) leads the way, a three-year starter, with senior TE Scott Chandler and RB Albert Young (1,334 yards).

Linebackers Mike Linkenborg, Edmond Miles and Mike Humpal step in for departed ace Chad Greenway. They have 7 home games with the only tough road game at Michigan, October 21st. There are only four teams that have made four straight appearances in a January Bowl: Iowa, USC, Florida State and Georgia.

4. Auburn: Some thought 2004 was a fluke, when Tommy Tuberville’s team went 13-0. All they did was follow that with a 9-3 SU, 8-2 ATS campaign in 2005. Auburn will again be a power running team with everyone returning in the backfield. Junior QB Brandon Cox (15 TDs, 8 INTs, 2,324 yards) will run the attack and their three top rushers are back in senior Kenny Irons (1,293 yards, 5.1 ypc, 13 TDs), senior Tre Smith and junior RB Brad Lester.

One key is the offensive line, which loses some top players to the NFL, but has 6-foot-8 King Dunlap and 6-5 Leon Hart to replace them, along with returning guards Tim Duckworth and Ben Grubbs. The defense has 6 starters back on a unit that allowed just 15.5 points, 3.5 yards per carry and yards 198 passing per game! A new defensive coordinator comes aboard in Will Muschamp, who was with the Dolphins last season and was LSU’s defensive coordinator when they won the title under Nick Saban in 2003. The schedule is manageable with SEC road games at Mississippi State, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Alabama.

3. Oklahoma: It’s easy to forget that the Sooners played for the national title less than two years ago. Easy to forget, that is, unless you are a Sooners’ fan after USC plugged them 55-19 in the 2005 Orange Bowl. But Head Coach Bob Stoops has a fine group of talent returning to a team that was 8-4. A young defense returns much of its key players, including senior DE Larry Birdine and senior LB Rufus Alexander.

The offense has good balance, averaging 177 yards rushing and 177 passing. Sophomore QB Rhett Bomar made good strides and the running game has an ace in junior RB Adrian Peterson, who looks to bounce back after an injury-plagued campaign. He has run for 1,108 yards and 1,925 yards the last two seasons. We will know early about this team, as Oklahoma plays at Oregon in September (the same team they upset in the bowl game) and the October 7 showdown with Texas (sans Vince Young).

2. Ohio State: The Buckeyes will be in the running for the national title again. Remember that they finished 10-2 SU, 9-3 ATS last season, losing only to one-loss Penn State and unbeaten eventual national champion Texas (a 25-22 loss at home). The 2006 offense is loaded with 8 starters back. Senior QB Troy Smith ran for 611 yards and passed for 2,282 yards, with 16 TDs, 4 INTs. This offense averaged 32 points, 197 yards rushing and 227 passing.

Junior RB Antonio Pittman (1,331 yards, 5.5 ypc) provides balance, while speedy WR Ted Ginn is explosive. This is an offense that put up over 400 yards on Michigan and 617 against Notre Dame. The defense loses some of its best players, though, including linebackers A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter. September 9th is the rematch at Texas, and road games at Iowa and Michigan State are the only tough Big 10 road games.

1. Florida: While the Gators were expected to be strong offensively under first-year coach Urban Meyer, the defense was outstanding in 2005 while the offense suffered a ton of key injuries. Still, this team went 9-3 while learning the triple-option attack. The defense has six starters back to a group that allowed just 94 rush yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry. They return DE Joe Cohen, DT Marcus Thomas, DT Steven Harris and junior LB Brandon Slier.

The offense returns 6 starters, looks for better health and is going to be fascinating to watch. Senior QB Chris Leak (20 TDs, 6) has been starting as a freshman. He’s not an ideal triple-option QB, but is a fine all around quarterback. There is a lot of speed and depth at wideout with senior WR Dallas Baker, senior WR Jemalle Cornelius and senior WR Andre Caldwell. Senior RB DeShawn Wynn led the Gators in rushing and also caught 12 passes for 161 yards. Meyer has yet to lose in the Swamp (8-0) and this is the 100th year of Florida football. Road games at Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State will be their biggest challenges.

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I’ve been talking it over with some football experts here in Las Vegas and we can’t remember ever confronting a college football season like this.

- Every legitimate national championship threat has to replace significant skill position talent, or high impact players on defense.

- There are at least 15 teams who can make reasonable cases that they’ve got a shot to play in the BCS championship game if they can win their big games.

- The addition of a 12th game to everyone’s schedule this year has taken away many bye weeks. If you’ve already scanned through the schedules, you know that many teams will be eight or nine games deep into the schedule before they get a week off. Some go straight through until getting a break around Thanksgiving. That means injuries and depth will play a bigger role in college football this year than ever.

So, you may be asking how anyone could project a national championship favorite or even a reasonable top ten. Or, how could anyone even trust their power ratings in the opening week? Remember how bad those early polls were last year? Tennessee was a consensus #2 in the country in the preseason even though they wouldn’t make it to a bowl. A lot of popular dark horse picks ended up with four losses or more.

How do you handicap college football games in this kind of environment? Here’s what I suggest:

- First, remember that the oddsmakers are in the same boat you are. They’re in one of their biggest positions of weakness in quite some time. That should boost your confidence right off the bat.

- Be conservative if you have yet to gain a strong feel. You’ve probably heard that a sports bettor’s biggest advantage is that he can pass any game while the oddsmakers have to put up a number in all of them. The oddsmakers will be putting up a few guesses. If you’ve got insights about a certain coach or a certain team, you’ll be able to cherry pick some great winning situations.

- Consider playing second half lines. The best way to get a read on two teams going head-to-head is to watch them play each other. In the old days, this was of no benefit to bettors because only full game lines were available. Now, you can watch the first half and bet on the second half. The oddsmakers will be floundering here as well with so many games going on simultaneously. You can cherry-pick the ones you watch and look for soft spots.

- Give extra weight to experienced quarterbacks. They’re more valuable than normal this year because so many big name teams will be breaking in newcomers. This is going to be a big deal in the first few weeks of the season. This should affect your thinking on both sides and totals.

- Remember to look for climate advantages. The Southeast and Southwest have had brutally hot summers (and are still having them). It’s very likely that any teams from mild weather will fade badly in the second halves of games played in very hot weather. This is something that often trumps differences in experience, so you can still play this edge with confidence.

- To set the tone for your late season college football handicapping, start paying very close attention now to which teams have depth and which don’t. Every year, many of the smaller programs fade badly in the final month of the season. They may get up for their rivalry game, but otherwise, they’re blowout fodder for the powers. Without the bye weeks this year this will happen to more programs and it will happen earlier than ever before. I think this particular angle will offer up several big play opportunities in the second half of the season.

I know you’ll be watching a zillion games on TV in the coming days. We all will! Make notes of any depth-related comments you hear from the announcers, and eyeball for yourself how well the backups do when they get a chance to perform. It will pay off time and time again down the road.

We’re coming up on what could prove to be a very unique season. The oddsmakers are talking tough. But I know they’re scared to death about these early games. They know in their hearts that they’re just guessing with the early numbers. Analysts like you and me who use the right approach will be able to teach them a lesson about making college football picks!

Remember that you can get free NCAA football picks all season long so you can see how each handicapper examines each game before you ever purchase a premium football picks package.

Miami Hurricanes 2005 record: 9-3
Returning starters offense: 5 defense: 6

The Offense: In 2005, Miami’s offense was under much scrutiny as the Hurricanes turned in their lowest point production since 1997. Larry Coker is looking for new offensive coordinator Rich Olson to revitalize Miami’s attack. This will be quite the daunting task in the opener with their starting tailback out against last season’s 14th ranked defense, but the Seminoles lost 6 of their top 7 tacklers and although they’ll be a solid defensive unit, they won’t be at their best in game 1. QB Kyle Wright, who led the ACC in touchdown passes last season, should improve along with his talented but underachieving receiving core of Lance Leggett, Darnell Jenkins, and Ryan Moore. Miami also has one of the best tight ends in the country again this year in Greg Olsen. Despite the suspensions, the Hurricanes will be able to put more than 7 points on the board against the Seminoles defense.

The Defense: It was Miami’s defense which made most of the big plays last season and it will be the defense again in 2006 with far fewer worries than the offense. Just how good were the ‘canes’ defense last season? They had the 4th best total “D” in the nation and they were number 1 against the pass. The secondary should be strong once again with the return of safeties Brandon Meriweather and Kenny Phillips. Miami’s secondary will be a major test early on for the young Drew Weatherford who has created plenty of hype for himself by breaking Phillip Rivers’ ACC Freshman record for TD’s and yards. With the problems the Seminoles had on the ground last season, you should expect to see plenty of Miami’s strength, the secondary, against Florida State’s, the passing attack, on Monday night. I’ll give the edge to the Miami defense initially, but if Miami’s offense has trouble moving the football, a tired defense could give up some late game strikes to Weatherford.

Florida State Seminoles 2005 record: 8-5
Retruning starters offense: 5 defense: 5

The Offense: If Miami’s defense does have a weakness, it’s against the run as they return just 2 defensive lineman starters and an undersized linebacker core. However, if the Seminoles have a weakness, it’s running the football. Florida State ranked 109th out of 117 Division I-A programs last year with just 94 yards per game on the ground. If the ‘noles can’t do a better job on the ground in this one the ‘canes will be able to sit back and make it difficult for Weatherford to find any open targets. The running game was a huge emphasis all spring and I expect it to be improved with senior Lorenzo Booker and sophomore Antoine Smith’s 2-back attack. Any improvement at all will free up Weatherford for an even bigger year in 2006.

The Defense: The Seminoles produce NFL talent on the defensive side of the ball year after year as their players always make up one of the fastest defenses in the country. Replacing All-ACC players and All-Americans normally hasn’t been too difficult of a task for defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews, but he’s had to replace 6 of FSU’s top 7 tacklers from last season including the best linebackers in the conference in Sims and Nicholson. The ‘noles will build around senior linebacker Buster Davis who was the second leading tackler last season with 91 stops. The Seminoles defense will be young, but they will be talented and lightning fast. I anticipate them sticking with a Hurricanes offense, which won’t be a well-oiled machine with missing players and a new offensive coordinator.

Inexperience could overshadow the talent of Florida State’s youngsters on the defensive side of the ball allowing Miami to capitalize with crossing patterns and motion sets on offense. On the other side of the coin, if Miami isn’t prepared for an improved running attack out of Florida State, the Hurricanes could lose their projected ACC title in week 1.

Ultimately, Jimmy Boyd knows which team will be more prepared in the season’s first big matchup and you’ll be able to cash in big by picking up his college football picks on Monday Night’s game.

Don’t forget that you can pick up winning NCAA football picks from any one of our top-rated handicappers all season long!

#117 – Buffalo Bulls 1-10 SU; 5-5-1 ATS

Fargo’s Take The Turner Gill era begins in Buffalo this season and it looks like it’s going to be a very rough beginning. The Bulls had only one victory in 2005 and there simply is not enough talent to turn this team around in a short time frame. Buffalo had one of the most anemic offenses in the nation last year, averaging only 10 ppg and 279.5 ypg, 118th and 114th in the country respectively. The start to the season was one of the worst ever as the Bulls managed three points in its first three games combined before “exploding” for 21 points against Western Michigan. The cupboard isn’t bare but it certainly isn’t stocked and if the Bulls want to improve on that one victory, more points on the scoreboard is priority one. Gill, unlike former coach Jim Hofher, is offensive minded and should be able to make improvements right away. Defensively, the Bulls were respectable, finishing 60th in total defense but good efforts went unnoticed due to the offensive inefficiencies. Expect more of the same in 2006 and not many money line college football picks from us on Buffalo..

Returning Starters on Offense – 8 The offense returns a majority of the starters from 2005 but that isn’t something the Bulls faithful should be getting excited about. Buffalo is sure to be better on that side of the ball with Gill in the mix but he will certainly have his work cut out for him. The offense got into the redzone only 26 times last season and making matters even worse, it managed to score points in only 14 of those drives. Sophomore Drew Willy took over at quarterback last season after the first three games when the team averaged only one ppg so there is experience behind center. The running game will be decent but the offensive line is the concern as three long time starters are gone.

Returning Starters on Defense – 5 The unit performed well at times but it was a sitting duck a lot of the time. The horrendous offense and poor special teams put the defense is a hole most of the time, allowing a lot of points and a horrendous 90.9% redzone success rate. The Bulls will have a new look this season, going for the traditional 4-3 alignment which will certainly put the pressure on the defensive line that does not return one starter from last season. The linebackers and safeties will be the core of the group. An extremely misleading stat from last season is that Buffalo finished the season 10th in the country in passing defense but that was because it was always behind and teams simply didn’t have the need to throw.

Schedule A MAC schedule can be good or bad depending on the draw and Buffalo’s is not good. The Bulls face three of the four powerhouse teams, missing only Toledo, with two of those games coming on the road. Unlike most early season schedules, Buffalo starts out with three straight conference games so a lot will be known right away on how much offseason progress the Bulls have made. Non-conference games at Auburn, at Boston College and at Wisconsin promises a 0-3 record but they are spread out enough that they aren’t going to do much damage to the confidence as each is followed by a conference home game which are all winnable to a point.

You can bet on… Similar to its opening opponent Temple, game one of the Gill era is a huge one for Buffalo. A win at home would put the team in first place in the MAC for a couple weeks at least and would provide some great momentum heading out on the road. A loss could be detrimental since Temple doesn’t beat anyone and if the Bulls are a victim, it could be lights out early. Buffalo covered half of its games last season and went 3-2 against the number when getting more than three touchdowns including a 2-0 mark at home. We will certainly see some big numbers again this season and with an offense that has the ability to be better, the Bulls could get over the hump and become a profitable team.

Give yourself a great chance to beat the NCAA football lines this season with the free college football picks that our cappers provide every week.  When you are ready to take it up a notch, they also offer expert football picks on many games throughout the season!

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Ranging in altitudes from 7 feet to 7,220 feet, the Mountain West Conference appears to be growing to new heights. In TCU they possess the team with the nation’s 2nd longest winning streak. They also own only one turnover in the head coaching ranks. Heck, who needs the WAC when you’re scaling to new levels.

Here is my take on the MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE for 2006. Coming up next: the PAC 10 CONFERENCE. Enjoy…

AIR FORCE
“The other team had a lot more Afro-American players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did.” Those were the infamous words uttered by Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry when explaining his team’s 48-10 loss last year against TCU, the 2nd worst conference defeat in school history. It ultimately put his team under an unfair media microscope that eventually led to the Falcons’ first back-to- back losing seasons since 1980-81. Under our own microprocessor, we found four of UFA’s seven losses occurred by 12 combined points. Behind the winningest – and classiest – coach in school history, look for the Force to strike back fast ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Wyoming – *KEY off win – (9/23)

BYU
Bronco Mendenhall got this program back to the level it had lacked the previous three seasons when the Cougars won six games and a bowl bid while finishing in 2nd place in the MWC. It’s just a start, however, according to Mendenhall. “We’re not just satisfied with going to a bowl game. It was a nice step for our program, but we’re not satisfied to finish second. That wasn’t our goal,” the coach stated. Three all-MWC 1st team performers return in QB John Beck, RB Curtis Brown and TE Jonny Harline. The defense will need to step up, though, as they declined 49 YPG last season and return zero linemen. Still, we won’t buck Bronco.
PLAY ON: vs. Utah – *KEY as dog – (11/25)

COLORADO STATE
After winning seven or more games 10 straight years, the Rams have failed to hit that plateau each of the past two seasons. Could it be the luster is wearing off Sonny Lubick’s act? We tend to think it’s more a matter of fixing a running game that has slipped dramatically each of the last two years. After averaging more than 170 RYPG in his career, Lubick’s boobs have managed to muster 116 RYPG the past two seasons. You know the axiom – you run the ball, you stop the run, you win the game. A schedule filled with eight opponents that were bowl-eligible last season will be tricky.
Still, our money’s on Sonny.
PLAY ON: vs. Fresno State (9/30)

NEW MEXICO
The Lobos’ three-year bowl run ended last year when a stunning season ending loss against Air Force denied them a 4th consecutive 7-win season. Prior the defeat New Mexico had been rock-solid down the stretch, having gone 20-4 SU in their final five games of the season the last five years. Not one for excuses, Rocky Long reached out and reeled in Bob Toledo (his former boss at UCLA) as his new offensive coordinator. Hence, the Lobos will be installing a new system in 2006, once that brought two conference titles to the Bruins during Toledo’s reign. A hungry wolf, with seven home games, should find its way back to the bowl scene in ’06.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Colorado State (10/28)

SAN DIEGO ST
Former Iowa quarterback and Oklahoma assistant coach Chuck Long has landed his first Division 1-A head coaching opportunity and he’s landed in San Diego. “I’m excited to be an Aztec. This program is ready to break out and we are going to make it happen this year,” exclaims Long. If experience is a factor it won’t hurt knowing that Long’s former team owned no less then five Top 6 finishes. Spring camp featured low scoring games as defense ruled the day. Eight starters return from last year’s stop-unit knowing they’ll be counted on heavily to turn this ship around. Especially knowing they take on seven bowlers from last season.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Wyoming (11/4)

TCU
Averaging more than 8.5 wins per season, and on the heels of an 11- win effort last year, TCU opted to extend the contract of head coach Gary Patterson through 2012. Rightfully so, we may add, as the Frogs enter the 2006 season on a 10-game win streak, 2nd only to Texas’ 20- game skein. The Froggies are loaded with returning starters, welcoming back their top two running backs, four of their top five wide receivers and quarterback Jeff Ballard (8-0 as a starter). In addition, the Frogs look to benefit tremendously from having played no less than 21 tadpoles (freshmen) last season. These days the name of their web site says it all – GoFrogs.
PLAY ON: as dog vs.Texas Tech (9/16)

UNLV
If experience is a good teacher then Mike Sanford should be promoted to a professorship. His rookie season on the sidelines with the Rebels was wrought with injuries. This year’s squad opens healthy with 20 seniors dotting the roster. In addition, invaluable experience was learned after adapting to Sanford’s new shotgun spread offense last season. “I’m excited about this schedule. There are a lot of positives. We had a tough hurdle to overcome with only one home game out of the first five (last season),” exclaimed Sanford. Meanwhile, a three-way battle for quarterbacking honors was underway in spring camp. Experience has taught us many a good lesson. It’s also taught us to pass on teams like these.
PASS

UTAH
Understand this… no team in college football is as deep at quarterback than the Utes. JR. QB Brian Johnson, 2nd team all-MAC in ’05, will likely battle Brett Ratliff for starting honors. Ratliff relieved Johnson when he went down with a knee-injury, guiding the team to a 2-0 finish with huge underdog wins to conclude the season. Waiting in the wings is 6’7” JR Tommy Grady, a transfer fro Oklahoma (Jason White’s backup). Last year Utah lost celebrated coach Urban Meyer and five players from the 2004 team to the NFL draft. Kyle Whittingham guided them through troubled waters with 4-1 finish to complete a winning year. They ain’t broke and we’re not fixing ‘em.
PLAY ON: vs. San Diego State (9/23)

WYOMING
A win over UCLA in the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl, followed by a 4-1 start to the 2005 season, found the Cowboys kicking their spurs early on last season. Then, before you could say Mamma don’t let you babies grow up to be Cowboys, Wyoming was rode hard and put away wet en route to an 0-6 season ending collapse. Head coach Joe Glenn hopes the rash of injuries that infected his team last year will be held in check in 2006. “There is a lot of potential on this team. But that scares me…” said Glenn. There’s nothing worse than a Cowboy shaking in his boots.
PLAY ON: vs. Utah – *KEY as dog – (10/14)

Get more winning football predictions right here at College Football Free Picks.  You won’t find more expert college football picks anywhere online.

Ranging in altitudes from 7 feet to 7,220 feet, the Mountain West Conference appears to be growing to new heights. In TCU they possess the team with the nation’s 2nd longest winning streak. They also own only one turnover in the head coaching ranks. Heck, who needs the WAC when you’re scaling to new levels.

Here is my take on the MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE for 2006. Coming up next: the PAC 10 CONFERENCE. Enjoy…

AIR FORCE
“The other team had a lot more Afro-American players than we did and they ran a lot faster than we did.” Those were the infamous words uttered by Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry when explaining his team’s 48-10 loss last year against TCU, the 2nd worst conference defeat in school history. It ultimately put his team under an unfair media microscope that eventually led to the Falcons’ first back-to- back losing seasons since 1980-81. Under our own microprocessor, we found four of UFA’s seven losses occurred by 12 combined points. Behind the winningest – and classiest – coach in school history, look for the Force to strike back fast ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Wyoming – *KEY off win – (9/23)

BYU
Bronco Mendenhall got this program back to the level it had lacked the previous three seasons when the Cougars won six games and a bowl bid while finishing in 2nd place in the MWC. It’s just a start, however, according to Mendenhall. “We’re not just satisfied with going to a bowl game. It was a nice step for our program, but we’re not satisfied to finish second. That wasn’t our goal,” the coach stated. Three all-MWC 1st team performers return in QB John Beck, RB Curtis Brown and TE Jonny Harline. The defense will need to step up, though, as they declined 49 YPG last season and return zero linemen. Still, we won’t buck Bronco.
PLAY ON: vs. Utah – *KEY as dog – (11/25)

COLORADO STATE
After winning seven or more games 10 straight years, the Rams have failed to hit that plateau each of the past two seasons. Could it be the luster is wearing off Sonny Lubick’s act? We tend to think it’s more a matter of fixing a running game that has slipped dramatically each of the last two years. After averaging more than 170 RYPG in his career, Lubick’s boobs have managed to muster 116 RYPG the past two seasons. You know the axiom – you run the ball, you stop the run, you win the game. A schedule filled with eight opponents that were bowl-eligible last season will be tricky.
Still, our money’s on Sonny.
PLAY ON: vs. Fresno State (9/30)

NEW MEXICO
The Lobos’ three-year bowl run ended last year when a stunning season ending loss against Air Force denied them a 4th consecutive 7-win season. Prior the defeat New Mexico had been rock-solid down the stretch, having gone 20-4 SU in their final five games of the season the last five years. Not one for excuses, Rocky Long reached out and reeled in Bob Toledo (his former boss at UCLA) as his new offensive coordinator. Hence, the Lobos will be installing a new system in 2006, once that brought two conference titles to the Bruins during Toledo’s reign. A hungry wolf, with seven home games, should find its way back to the bowl scene in ’06.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Colorado State (10/28)

SAN DIEGO ST
Former Iowa quarterback and Oklahoma assistant coach Chuck Long has landed his first Division 1-A head coaching opportunity and he’s landed in San Diego. “I’m excited to be an Aztec. This program is ready to break out and we are going to make it happen this year,” exclaims Long. If experience is a factor it won’t hurt knowing that Long’s former team owned no less then five Top 6 finishes. Spring camp featured low scoring games as defense ruled the day. Eight starters return from last year’s stop-unit knowing they’ll be counted on heavily to turn this ship around. Especially knowing they take on seven bowlers from last season.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Wyoming (11/4)

TCU
Averaging more than 8.5 wins per season, and on the heels of an 11- win effort last year, TCU opted to extend the contract of head coach Gary Patterson through 2012. Rightfully so, we may add, as the Frogs enter the 2006 season on a 10-game win streak, 2nd only to Texas’ 20- game skein. The Froggies are loaded with returning starters, welcoming back their top two running backs, four of their top five wide receivers and quarterback Jeff Ballard (8-0 as a starter). In addition, the Frogs look to benefit tremendously from having played no less than 21 tadpoles (freshmen) last season. These days the name of their web site says it all – GoFrogs.
PLAY ON: as dog vs.Texas Tech (9/16)

UNLV
If experience is a good teacher then Mike Sanford should be promoted to a professorship. His rookie season on the sidelines with the Rebels was wrought with injuries. This year’s squad opens healthy with 20 seniors dotting the roster. In addition, invaluable experience was learned after adapting to Sanford’s new shotgun spread offense last season. “I’m excited about this schedule. There are a lot of positives. We had a tough hurdle to overcome with only one home game out of the first five (last season),” exclaimed Sanford. Meanwhile, a three-way battle for quarterbacking honors was underway in spring camp. Experience has taught us many a good lesson. It’s also taught us to pass on teams like these.
PASS

UTAH
Understand this… no team in college football is as deep at quarterback than the Utes. JR. QB Brian Johnson, 2nd team all-MAC in ’05, will likely battle Brett Ratliff for starting honors. Ratliff relieved Johnson when he went down with a knee-injury, guiding the team to a 2-0 finish with huge underdog wins to conclude the season. Waiting in the wings is 6’7” JR Tommy Grady, a transfer fro Oklahoma (Jason White’s backup). Last year Utah lost celebrated coach Urban Meyer and five players from the 2004 team to the NFL draft. Kyle Whittingham guided them through troubled waters with 4-1 finish to complete a winning year. They ain’t broke and we’re not fixing ‘em.
PLAY ON: vs. San Diego State (9/23)

WYOMING
A win over UCLA in the 2004 Las Vegas Bowl, followed by a 4-1 start to the 2005 season, found the Cowboys kicking their spurs early on last season. Then, before you could say Mamma don’t let you babies grow up to be Cowboys, Wyoming was rode hard and put away wet en route to an 0-6 season ending collapse. Head coach Joe Glenn hopes the rash of injuries that infected his team last year will be held in check in 2006. “There is a lot of potential on this team. But that scares me…” said Glenn. There’s nothing worse than a Cowboy shaking in his boots.
PLAY ON: vs. Utah – *KEY as dog – (10/14)

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As it turns out a ‘Three-Peat’ wasn’t in the cards for USC but make no mistake, the Trojans will be going all-in in 2006. Opposition aplenty comes calling in the PAC 10 as programs that were down last year are back up again this season. Fasten your seat belts for a high scoring, wide-open race in the Wild West.

Here is my take on the PAC 10 CONFERENCE for 2006. Coming up next: the SEC CONFERENCE. Enjoy…

ARIZONA
Thanks to Mike Stoops, the times are changing in the desert. According to the 2006 media guide: ‘for the first time in his tenure the roster is peopled by those who believe. The 2006 Cats are a bowl team. The players believe it. The coaching staff believes it’. Seventeen returning starters, including sensational sophomore QB Willie Tuitama, are anxious to get it on. They’ve penciled a rematch against Washington as a top-priority game on this year’s itinerary. “The way the kids play says a lot about who we are. To me, we played the worst game in Arizona football history against Washington… That’s something that still lingers with me,” commented Stoops. We believe him.
PLAY ON: vs. Washington – *KEY – (9/30)

ARIZONA STATE
Scoring points has never been a problem since Dirk Koetter’s arrival to Tempe five seasons ago, averaging 31.5 PPG. Ask Koetter how he feels about his chances this season and he responds, “I’m the happiest guy in America. We have two great quarterbacks… it’s the greatest thing in the world.” The cause for enjoyment is 6’4” 240 lb SR QB Sam Keller, who tossed for 2,165 yards and 20 TD’s in only six games before closing down with a thumb injury last year. His backup, freshman Rudy Carpenter, closed out 4-1 with a QB rating of 175.0 – the highest in the nation. WR T-Rich (Terry Richardson) looks to clean up in ’06.
PLAY ON: vs. Oregon (9/30)

CALIFORNIA
Four was the operative number for the Bears last season when they went 8-4 overall, including 4-4 in the PAC 10, good for 4th place in the conference. Look for those numbers to improve dramatically in 2006 as 53 lettermen are back, including former starting QB Nate Longshore, who was injured-and-out during the first game of the season last year. Virtually every offensive skill player returns as well. “We’re a different team this season. We are a year older after being very young last season… there is a lot of potential in a lot of places,” understates head coach Jeff Tedford. With QB Joe ‘The Boob’ headed back to the bench, we’ll color this team DANGEROUS.
PLAY ON: vs. UCLA – *KEY as dog – (11/4)

OREGON
Oregon epitomized a ‘team on a mission’ last season, going 10-2 after a 5-6 effort in 2004. They’ll be put to the test again in ’06 as they lose their starting quarterback and running backs. Mike Riley only hopes that doesn’t denote the Ducks’ have been ‘gaggled’. Riley also remembers that were it not for a humiliating home loss against USC, the Ducks would have instead been undefeated and not BCS bowl snubbed at season’s end. He also knows his teams have averaged a mind-boggling 30 PPG in their 56 road games under his lead. Yes, they travel well. Look for the ‘skein’ to continue.
PLAY ON: vs. Southern Cal (11/11)

OREGON STATE
A 3-6 finish dashed any hopes the Beavers had of 4th straight bowl appearance last season. Directly attributable to their demise was a defense that collapsed nearly 100 yards from the 2005 club. Head coach Mike Riley will rely on the return of all four defensive backs in hopes of shoring up that unit. On the other side of the ball Riley welcomes back all five of his starting offensive linemen, in addition to an award winning place kicker in Alex Serna. Meanwhile Matt Moore, the incumbent, will battle Ryan Gunderson for starting honors in a well-fortified quarterback battle. OSU’s 20-0 mark at home in non-conference clashes catches our attention.
PLAY ON: vs. Idaho (9/23)

SOUTHERN CAL
Pete Carroll’s plea for three fell just short in a last second loss to Texas in the BCS title game in what was perhaps the most exciting game of the season (sans Notre Dame and USC). Gone are Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush and Matt Linehart, along with a handful of others now employed in the NFL. He does have 56 lettermen back however, half of which who were on last year’s season-ending two-deep squad. “There’s no denying we lost a lot of outstanding players from the 2005 team… but this in not an unfamiliar situation for us,” warns Carroll. Remember, the last time USC lost a game it went on to win its next 34.
PLAY ON: as dog vs. Notre Dame (11/25)

STANFORD
Walt Harris’ return to the Bay area seemed like a natural fit. His west-coast offense looked like a perfect fit in the PAC 10. With 10 starters back on offense, points-a-plenty looked to be the order of the day. Somewhere long the way something went awry. Terribly awry. An embarrassing home loss to Division 1-AA Cal Davis (first loss in 114-year history to a non-Division 1-A school) set the table. When the dust settled Stanford’s offense ranked No. 101 in the land as they were outstatted in all but one game. Like last year, 10 starters are back again on offense, this time with the entire line in tact. It’s take-two for the red-faced Cardinal.
PLAY ON: vs. Oregon (9/2)

UCLA
Disappointing finishes seem to be the order at UCLA where the Bruins have seen many a good season ruined down the stretch. Last year was no different when, after an 8-0 start, Karl Dorrell’s troops closed out 2-2 to cap off a 10-win campaign. That actually ‘improved’ their mark in games from November out to 8-18 SUATS since 2000 (note: they are 0-10 SU in these games against foes with a win percentage of .666 or greater). Meanwhile new assistant head coach Jim Colletto, former head honcho at Purdue, will be working with prized recruit, 6’5” Sophomore QB Ben Olson, the top quarterback in the 2002 class. Big Ben, you’re on the clock.
PLAY AGAINST: vs. Arizona State – *KEY as favorite – (11/18)

WASHINGTON
Who would’ve ever thunk it. Three wins the last two years from a former football factory that saw an eight-year bowl run come to a grinding halt in 2003. Tyrone Willingham’s first year at the throttle showed feint, if not moderate, improvement. “Last year we couldn’t tell you that we knew our players, nor could our players tell you that they truly knew us,” surmised Willingham. Fourteen returning starters, including QB Saiah Stanback and their top two running backs, key the attack. Improvement looms under the Ham’s honey baked approach, if for no other reason, as we said last year, there’s nowhere to go but up for this downtrodden program.
PLAY ON: vs.Oklahoma (9/9)

WASHINGTON STATE
On the heels of back-to-back losing seasons, it was a good-news/bad- news scenario for the Cougars last year. The good news came about when their offense came alive, improving 120 YPG. The bad news – you guessed it – was a 76 YPG slippage by the defense. Bill Doba, who lost his wife to cancer this spring, was the defensive coordinator at WSU before assuming the head coaching reins. He knows better than anyone the importance of needing to re-tool his defense (they allowed 589 YPG over a 4-game losing span last year) should they wish to regain their winning ways. A 0-12 log during October under Doba finds us flipping the calendar for now.
PASS

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