This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Week 1 of the process is in the books, and if Week 1 was the discovery part of the process, Week 2 is the beginning of the "flushing-out" portion of the process.
What exactly are we flushing out? Well, we are flushing out what we think we learned from the Week 1 results. Why are we flushing this data? Well, let me specify exactly what we are flushing first, then it will become clear.
What we need to get out of our system are the false results, the one-week wonders that are not the start of a trend, rather the exception to what will be a season-long rule -- and that's where Week 2 comes into play. Week 2 is the start of our understanding of what is real and what is isn't.
Texas A&M looked like the real deal last week against what appeared to be an up and coming ASU team, but what is the reality here? Are the Aggies really that good or is ASU not quite as good as we thought? Could be a little of both, but to assume ASU isn't good anymore or that A&M is destined for the playoff would be a mistake.
The best course is to use what you actually witnessed last week instead of just the end result. The problem, of course, is that you can't watch every game, so in some instances you have to trust the information that you gathered from each game ... at least that's my
Week 1 of the process is in the books, and if Week 1 was the discovery part of the process, Week 2 is the beginning of the "flushing-out" portion of the process.
What exactly are we flushing out? Well, we are flushing out what we think we learned from the Week 1 results. Why are we flushing this data? Well, let me specify exactly what we are flushing first, then it will become clear.
What we need to get out of our system are the false results, the one-week wonders that are not the start of a trend, rather the exception to what will be a season-long rule -- and that's where Week 2 comes into play. Week 2 is the start of our understanding of what is real and what is isn't.
Texas A&M looked like the real deal last week against what appeared to be an up and coming ASU team, but what is the reality here? Are the Aggies really that good or is ASU not quite as good as we thought? Could be a little of both, but to assume ASU isn't good anymore or that A&M is destined for the playoff would be a mistake.
The best course is to use what you actually witnessed last week instead of just the end result. The problem, of course, is that you can't watch every game, so in some instances you have to trust the information that you gathered from each game ... at least that's my game plan.
As mentioned last week, the best way to approach the unknown is to do it slowly, so following a week in which I picked five games, I'll up the number this week, but not dramatically.
As always, I'll tweet any insights I come up with post-article each week. You can follow me at @gregvara
CREAM OF THE CROP (Season: 1-0; Week: 1-0)
Saturday
Appalachian State at Clemson: It's rare that I'll put a play in this section based solely on the line movement, but this one looks way too strange to ignore. Let's start with the facts. First, Clemson is coming off an impressive win, albeit against Wofford, but still, 49-10 is 49-10. Second, Appalachian State is known for a win that came more than a decade ago, and while it might be a solid team, it's still Appalachian State. All of this makes me wonder why the line, which started at 19 has come down 1.5 points in the last couple days. There's something going on here. I don't know what it is, but I'm not going to fight it.
Side: Appalachian State +17.5
Boise State at BYU: I have to be honest, though Boise State beat Washington last week, I didn't come away all that impressed with the Broncos. Perhaps they didn't play their best, but considering the circumstances, I expected a better effort. BYU, on the other hand, played lights out, even after losing its star QB. The backup was more than capable in a tough road spot, so I see no reason why he won't thrive in a friendly environment this week.
Side: BYU +2.5
Oklahoma at Tennessee: I have a feeling Tennessee is going to be an over machine all season. Week 1 was a success, and although Oklahoma presents a different challenge, Tennessee simply has too much on offense to be shut down for four quarters. As for the defense, well, that's a different story, but it all benefits us this week.
Total: Over 64
BEST OF THE REST (Season: 1-1; Week: 1-1)
Thursday
Utah State at Utah: What we learned about Utah in Week 1 is that the Utes look to be continuing a trend of solid play from last season. While this is a rivalry game, Utah State hasn't been as competitive lately as it once was. The only thing standing in the way of a cover here is a hangover from a big spot game against Michigan last week.
Side: Utah -13.5
Saturday
Temple at Cincinnati: I don't claim to know a lot about Cincinnati, but I know how Vegas likes to prey on public sentiment, and after its win against Penn State last week, there is a lot of support on the side of the Owls. So much support that the line that started just about seven points dropped below that magic number. This looks like an opportune spot to take the home team and lay less than a TD.
Side: Cincinnati -6.5
Middle Tennessee State at Alabama: One thing that struck me about the Tide last week was the waves of players they brought on offense. It leads me to believe that this version of the Tide will have little trouble getting separation from weaker opponents. Enter Middle Tennessee State.
Side: Alabama -35.5
PASSing THOUGHTS ( Season: 1-1; Week: 1-1)
Saturday
Oregon State at Michigan: As I said, there isn't much data to go on in Week 2 of the season, so you have to find other angles to use. In this case, I'm using the public support for Michigan against the Wolverines. Michigan looked much better in Week 1 of this season than it did last season, but the Wolverines still have many questions. Too many questions to lay a number of this size against a Pac-12 team.
Side: Oregon State +16.5
Oregon at Michigan State: A couple things in play here. First, Oregon's offense had little trouble last week against Eastern Washington, but its defense surrendered 41 points. Sure, Eastern Washington is a high-powered offensive machine, but c'mon, it doesn't even play in a real conference. Second, all the attention this off-season went to Ohio State and Michigan, meanwhile, Michigan State is sitting in the corner saying, "hey, you know, we aren't chopped liver." I expect MSU to take out an entire offseason of frustration out on the ducks, who aren't the same team on the road as they are at home.
Side: Michigan State -4
