Week 1 Pick Summary

9 sets of picks are in, and we're ready to get this thing started!

First, here's a great idea I saw for a new opening song for the Gophers to run out to...love it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkAMtXTEjco

Now, on to the important stuff...here's the picks:

JR: MN, UTAH, USC, TOL, FLA, MSU, NW, LOU, KST, PUR, TROY, OKST, LSU, WIS, TULSA
JG: MARSH, MN, SC, NILL, HAW, MIAOH, VAN, MICH, UCLA, PUR, SJST, UTST, WASH, UNLV, VT
MR: OHIOST, SC, USC, AZ, FLA, GEO, MSU, NEB, MISST, CLEM, TEX, ORE, AUB, OK, WIS
AW: MARSH, MN, MIZZ, LOU, MICH, CLEM, PUR, AKR, OKST, BYU, LSU, FRES, UNLV, NAVY, BOISE
GR: OHIOST, MN, PITT, FLA, GEO, ILL, NEB, NW, COL, PUR, TEX, OK, OREST, LSU, VT
MH: MN, SC, NILL, UTAH, MIZZ, NW, UCONN, UCLA, ND, OKST, BYU, OREST, LSU, NAVY, BOISE
MC: MN, ISU, UAB, MSU, NEB, NW, KST, TEX, ARMY, TROY, OKST, LSU, FRES, TULSA, MARY
SS: OHIOST, MN, ISU, USC, FLA, NEB, MICH, CLEM, UCLA, ND, TEX, AKR, OK, LSU, VT
RO: OHIOST, MN, ISU, PITT, HAW, MIAOH, ILL, LOU, UCLA, ND, TEX, ALA, ARMY, OK, BOISE


Got it? Good.

Our consensus picks (5+ agree on one side = sure doom)
MN-8
TEX-5
LSU-6


My $$$ plays for the week (games I will actually bet $$$ on)
GOPHERS (-1.5) - more on why later.
USC (-21.5) - team looking to crush, and have the players and opportunity to do it at HAW
NW (-4.5) - VAN is starting over with a new coach and 5 new OLman...NW isn't bad and should exploit this.
KST (-2.5) - UCLA started out favored but now they have suffered 5 OL/DL injuries and suspensions and QB is ? to play
PUR (+11) - ND has new QB, new systems on both sides...11= too much. Love Kelly by the end of the year, but not now
TROY (-14) - Troy is the #1 home covering team in the world the last 10 years...this is a good trend to go with
LSU (-1.5) - NC might have as many as 16 guys on suspension, I liked the Tigers (and the SEC) before this even went down
WIS (-20.5) - UNLV is breaking in a brand new coach, who came from MT and little boy football. Becky will roll HUGE!
BOISE-VT (UNDER 50) - will be a defensive battle, no way this goes over.


UPSET ALERT (Dogs I think can/will win straight up)
NILL (+4.5) at ISU - Clones offense is supposedly ready to explode...I'll believe that when I see it. NILL might win the MAC and is a really nice looking team that will give us a hell of a game in a couple of weeks.

TOL (+16) vs. AZ - AZ on the road as a FAV in non-conference...scary proposition. TOLEDO coming in for a bounce back season, and the whole world loves AZ...do you smell it? And it's the only game in town on FRI night...oooo, I like it.

LOU (+3) vs. UK - Charlies Strong will totally turn this progrum around from the Kragthorpe years. He has brought in a buddy from the FLA staff to run the offense, and he's the former Gator DC. And he has a history against UK from his time in the SEC. BTW, UK is also replacing their coach, but this is a little more of an iffy transition, I mean the new coach is named Joker...really? 

UCONN (+3) at MICH - Can DickRod's nightmare begin in week 1...I think so, and almost included this on my picks. UCONN is a frightening team to bet against, and MICH still has no defense.


ARKST (+31) at AUB - ARKST isn't going to win this thing, but they cover. They play a slow, defensive, grinder style - and the high flying Tigers will not quite hit their number in this one.


SMU (+14) at TT - TT now has Tuberville running the show, while June Jones is just hitting his stride at SMU. Tommy, you don't have the AUB athletes to play D for TT...this could be a VERY interesting game. I think the 'Stangs might sneak up and take this one.


YOU PICKED WHO?...(peculiar picks or reasoning, according to me...I could be wrong)
MR - only guy out on the team GOPHERS pick tonight...week 1 and ROE is already against the club!
Actually, ROE's whole pick set is hilarious...no email, I just got the voicemail to pick 15 FAV's in the highest 15 spread games besides ALA...so that's what he's got for week 1. It's a theory, so we'll see what happens - good luck!

GOPHERS at MDTN
6:30 - Mufreesboro, TN
ESPNU 

Finally, it's time for the season to begin. The Golden ones got a nice break when Dwight Dasher decided to get suspended for the opener...enter Kilgore. A 6'2" 170lbs QB from a JC who is making his first ever start. Hmmm, this could be fun. The MDTN skill players are still decent and the defense forces a lot of turnovers, but the Dasher exclusion has crushed their hopes in this one. The have a new coordinators on each side of the ball that should be very familiar with us. Schultz is their OC, he held the same spot at ILL last year, and they tore up our defense in that brutal home game. McCray is the new DC, he was with WIS last year and knows quite a bit about our personnel and I'm sure he realizes we'll be running the same offense that WIS does. These are a couple of advantages that MDTN has, but that's it.

Our Gophers come in looking to make a statement after an off-season full of disrespect. We outweigh them (OL vs. DL) by about 50-75lbs/man. We will run the ball and run it A LOT tonight. Defensively, we will have 11 new starters vs. last year - that's every single spot. Royston and Theret, our 2 returning starters, will not play because of injury and suspension. Even though we technically have 11 new starters, 7 of them started at least once last year and they played significant time...so this whole "brand new defense" angle is very overrated. Plus, we are actually in year 2 of a scheme for the 1st time under Brew!! Woo-Hoo!! The new QB is much more of a pocket passer than Dasher, so we won't need to worry nearly as much about the dual-threat. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
The defense will sit back and make this green QB try to beat them. I really don't expect a lot of blitzing early on, but we'll show some wrinkles eventually. On offense, I expect 40-50 rushing plays and over 150 yards on the ground. We just have much more mass than they do, and should be able to wear them out if we can move the ball and run a ton of plays. Weber will look sharp and complete a couple of over the top TD's, Bennett will add 2 more scores. The defense creates 3 turnovers and the good guys are 1-0.

GOPHERS 31 MDTN 14

Game 1 needs a little motivation from Album #1....PORCH - PJ

Daily minefield
This could be my time
How 'bout you?
Would you hit me?
Would you hit me?

All the bills go by
And initiatives are taken up
By the middle
There ain't gonna be any middle any more

And the cross I'm bearing home
Ain't indicative of my place
Left the porch
Left the porch

Hear my name
Take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand
Walk beside me
I just need to say... 

IT'S PAST NOON, WE'RE 6 HOURS FROM KICK-OFF, GET THE GOPHER KOOL-AID FLOWING!!

GOOD LUCK!