Week 2 - Picks are in - TCF Opens

An eventful week in Gopher history is almost coming to it's dramatic climax - but to bridge the gap until 6pm on Saturday here are our Football Challenge picks:

NCAA PICKS
JR: GT, NC, NW, SMU, NTEX, MN, TT, UTEP, USC, ORE
JG: FRES, ISU, ND, OKST, UCLA, ALA, MN, LSU, PUR, OREST
MR: GT, NW, WF, FLA, TEX, SC, AF, TT, USC, UTAH
MK: GT, COL, IND, MICH, OKST, MIZZ, MN, RICE, OHIOST, ORE
AW: GT, WF, WIS, ARMY, MICH, IDAHO, HAW, MN, USC, PUR
GR: CLEM, PSU, PITT, NEB, MICH, OKST, TN, MN, USC, ORE
MH: CLEM, ISU, ND, NAVY, GEO, MN, LSU, MIAOH, USC, ORE
MC: FLA, OKST, IDAHO, TEX, KST, AF, TT, MIAOH, USC, ORE

NFL PICKS
JR: ATL, BAL, MIN, JAC, DAL
JG: ATL, BAL, DEN, MIN, SD
MR: ATL, PHI, MIN, JAC, NE
MK: MIN, HOU, DAL, NE, SD
AW: MIN, ARI, NYG, CHI, BUF
GR: BAL, MIN, NO, DAL, NE
MH: MIN, NYG, SEA, NE, SD
MC: BAL, PHI, CIN, MIN, SD

So there you go - week 2 picks are locked and loaded.

CLEM-GT
This was the easiest pick of the week for me. GTECH at home on Thursday, short week to prepare for the option, and the fact that GT is just a better team. GR and MH disagree, but lots of folks on board with GT tonight. Oddly - no body decided to wager on the TEN-PIT NFL opener this evening. I'll take TEN and GT in my 2 game parlay.

MK sent in his picks with the comment that he hates his college picks. Well, it could be ugly, in my opinion, for MK this week. COL at TOL - what did you see out of COL that would make you pick them on the road? IND over WMU - I know it's a pick 'em, but IND might finish last in the MAC this year...WMU wins this one. RICE?!? They are terrible this year and they are playing at TTECH and only getting 25 pts! TT scores 1/2 a hundred here in a route and cover. Then maybe the biggest question...Mr. Anti-OHIOST picks them over USC! I know you probably hate USC more, but seriously I don't think this one will be close...7 people bet it - 6 for USC..you are on an island MK.

Other locks (popular picks) ORE by 5 of us with 2 on PUR, 4 on OKST nobody for HOU, 3 on MICH and 2 on ND, 4 on GT and 2 on CLEM. GOPHERS also getting the love for another week with 6 on board and 2 against us...MR and MC.

JG held true to form and bet against Becky and the Hogeyes for the 45th week in a row...thanks for that. I actually like both FRESNO and ISU this week to cover, but I didn't have enough faith to include them.

Who else is on an island this week?
MK with COL - ick, did Hawkins get fired yet?
JR with NC - how do you not pick this one! UCONN is still terrible!!!
MK with IND - see above
GR with PSU - this just in, SYR really isn't that good. PSU might double this spread...nice pick.
AW with WIS - come on Bomb, this is an unwritten rule...if you can't bet against WIS/IA then find another game! You are really going to be pulling for them on Saturday?!? How can you live with yourself...at least it isn't Iowa I guess.
JG with FRES - nice!
AW with ARMY - anytime you can bet a pick'em game against DUKE on the road it's a good bet
GR with PITT - I always knew you were a closet Wannsteadt fan - I think the Bulls scare them a bit and cover this week.
GR with NEB - after hanging with Pete a couple of times he's brought you on board - Go Big Re...no, I can't do it. I still hate NEB. ARKST can be tricky, but NEB will roll and cover.
MH with NAVY - liked last week so much that he thinks they win by more than 7.5 hosting LT...they should.
JR with SMU - UAB won for me LW, but they really are bad...they only played RICE. SMU can score and will cover.
JG on UCLA/GR on TN - numbers tell me UCLA here, but TN scares me. The talent is still there and now the swagger is coming back...this is a very tough call for me but I took points and UCLA.
MR with SC / MH with GEO - tough line at the 7.5 teaser number - my gut is to go SC because more than a TD in an SEC game is probably too much...but GEO will not play 2 clunkers in a row, espeically at home. I still take SC.
MK with MIZZ - impressive last week, due for a letdown...I like BGSU.
JR with NTEX - wanted to pick them LW, didn't and they covered. I did pick OHIO, and they didn't cover...I'm picking this out of spite.
AW with HAW - more of us should have probably jumped on the Rainbows this week...WASU sucks.
MC with KST - don't like this one - I think ULL might win outright, but for sure covers.
JG with ALA - Lots of points...but they'll take care of it.
JR with UTEP - KAN on the road is scary bad, UTEP coming off a stinker in week 1...upset??!??!??
MR with UTAH - not the team they were last year, but SJST might still be in shell shock from the crushing last week.
JG with OREST - don't like it. UNLV might win this one outright, but I for sure like a cover.

GOPHERS vs. AF
As I mentioned before, I think this is eerily similar to last season's start. The change this year is TCF Bank Stadium. I think we come out with a ton of fire and some jitters early - how can you not!? AF will not throw, so it's just stopping the run, which I think we have the horses to do. I honestly don't expect D to be a problem in this one. The offense has them outmanned and should be able to move the ball. I think we need to stick with the running game more than we did last week, and I expect 100+ out of Bennett. AWEB hopefully gets over the bro-mance with ED a little earlier this time around and he finds some of the other weapons before the late 4th qtr. I also want to see some MGRAY please. I was extremely concerned about this game as early as last week, but I am really at a calm right now. All is right with the world, we're 1-0 and heading back to campus - there is no way this perfect story ends with an L. GOPHERS get a couple of turnovers and light up the scoreboard at times to win 38-17. 2-0, bring on the Bears...I hope it's 45 and raining next week!

NFL
Week 2 allows us to open up our world to the NFL as well.

Our Favorites
ATL - 3 votes
BAL - 4 votes
DAL - 3 votes
NE - 4 votes, 1 against
SD - 4 votes
But far and away the biggest favorite of the week...PURPLE - 8 in favor, 0 against. So it's automatic right?

Head Scratchers
JG: DEN over CIN - hmmmm, DEN? Did you know they traded Cutler and Marshall is suspended. I guess he's a big Kyle Orton fan. But before I say anything more it is the Bungals so I'd give the Chanhassen Storm a chance against them.

MK: HOU over NYJ - nobody else touched this one. Personally, I think Boy Wonder Sanchez wins his first game and Schaub probably gets hurt again.

GR: NO over DET - actually, I really like this pick. I think NO wins this one 38-10 and covers easily. DET is coming off an 0-16 and starting a rookie QB...do the math.

AW: NYG over WAS - I don't think anyone really knows anything about WAS, so everyone avoided it except Bombadeer. If I had to pick, I take the NYG.

AW: CHI over GB - love the pick. I had marked the Pack earlier in the week, but thought through it and realized that this is a 6-10 team that really didn't improve and is changing defensive schemes. While the Bears got a QB, have to be better on D and don't play in WIS. Nice pick Bomb.

MH: SEA over STL - STL has some sleeper potential, but SEA is the definite favorite to win the division. Probably a good pick, but there is the mystery factor with STL.

That's all I got - it starts up tonight for both leagues. But we all know the big one is on Saturday - my plan is to get close to TCF early and be primed for 6pm. I'll try and share some pics/commentary throughout the day via the blog and/or twitter. Which, BTW, can be done through your text messaging on any phone...espeically if you have unlimited texting it could be slick. I also found a new app that translates voice into text for quick tweets, which could get funny as we approach 6pm! But the best part right now is that Common is on board and giving non-stop updates of Deuce's football games. Priceless.

See some of you this weekend - have a good one and good luck!

AW: BUF over NE - this one caught me by surprise. I think BUF is looking like a disaster this year and Jauron will be out the door before the end of the year. NE is returning Mr. Brady and might score 50 this week at home. Championship!