So here I am, sitting in a hammock in my backyard, cool breeze caressing my bare feet as I take in the last bit of summer beauty tinged with the first crisp hints of fall. 

Excuse me, I meant to say - FOOTBAWWWWW IS BACK!!! 

The season is upon us. If you are anything like me, you probably spent last night watching the first quarter of Wisconsin’s beat-down of UNLV before switching to Western Kentucky take on Kentucky in a game that I can only compare to watching a car crash. It’s horrible and ghastly to behold, but you simply can’t turn away. I watched the whole second half in a sort of drunken haze, laying defeatedly on my couch. Given the off-season we’ve been through, I suppose a stinker like that is bound to be the way that the season starts off. It can only get better from here on out.

Speaking of getting better from here on out, there is another game tonight- TCU vs. Baylor -that deserves some attention. That’s the main reason I’m writing this up right now instead of in a few hours when I have a cold beer nestled next to my hip. 

So, on that note, let’s get on to the picks!

No. 14 TCU at Baylor - Baylor, let’s face it, revolves around all-everything talent Robert Griffin III. But they do have some decent receivers on the outside and TCU is not returning a lot of their starters, especially on offense. So this one could be close for many reasons. A couple big RG III plays and Baylor might be forced away from their ground game, which leaves them in the untested hands of the QB, whoever that might end up being. This game feels like a trap to me, and it might just be the kind of trap a Horned Frog can’t get itself out of.

Baylor wins, 35-31

South Florida at No. 16 Notre Dame - I have a very hard time bing objective about Notre Dame when they’re mediocre that I almost don’t know what to do with myself when they have legitimate talent and the depth to back it up. One year into Brian Kelly’s tenure and the Irish front seven is massive, fast and tough. The secondary returns a bunch of seasoned Seniors, though if someone gets hurt, the ranks are thin. Meanwhile, on offense, Michael Floyd returns along with nine other starters from last year. On top of that, the second year in Kelly’s offense is usually when the teams start to click. This has the potential to be a very good year for the Irish.

South Florida brings a stout defense and a one-way-or-the-other offense into South Bend on Saturday. The defense returns a good amount of starters from last years Top 20 squad that was particularly good against the run. Will the light finally turn on for B.J. Daniels this year? Who, aside from A.J. Love, will step up at WR? If things go right for the Bulls, they can keep this game close, but if the offense is as turnover prone as they were last year, it could spell trouble. 

Irish win, 27-13

East Carolina vs. No. 12 South Carolina - This is another game that feels like, if the pendulum swings just right, South Carolina could find itself in a heap of trouble. Like Baylor, East Carolina can score and score quickly. South Carolina may return a top of talent on offense, but Spurrier pulled a classic Spurrier move earlier this week in picking Connor Shaw to start over Stephen Garcia. If Shaw has a few poor series and the decision blows up in his face, it might give East Carolina just enough of an opening to make this one close…for awhile. South Carolina is simply too talented to lose this game, or at least they should be.

Gamecocks win, 38-24

No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 4 LSU - Here we get to our meat and potatoes games for this paltry opening week and potentially one of the best games of the year. The Ducks will come in with a ton of speed on both sides of the ball, but LSU, for the most part, can counter it, especially on defense. I think this will be a lower-scoring game than most think, with Oregon pulling their patented “score 2-3 quick TDs to start off the second half” routine to pull away.

Oregon wins, 30-24

No. 5 Boise State at No. 19 Georgia - This should be another very good matchup. But honestly, Georgia lost a lot of offensive weapons in the offseason. Aaron Murray is a very good QB, but he’s not going to have a lot of options and Boise State returns a strong defense. Kellen Moore may have lost his top two receivers, but he has Tyler Shoemaker coming back and his brother Kirby, who was a dependable target two years ago. Plus, Doug Martin can run the football. 

Boise State wins, 21-17