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The Red River Rivalry, formally known as the Red River Shootout, has one of the richest histories of any rivalry game in all of college football. It places two of the greatest programs in the sport together every year to earn bragging rights for the next 365 days.

Texas vs. Oklahoma fill the Cotton Bowl every year with half the stadium burnt orange and the other half crimson. It is a sight like none other in college football and one that brings chills to the diehard fan.

This year the Texas vs. Oklahoma game has an odd feeling much like last year’s contest. Last year Texas entered this game with little to no hope at all of winning and pulled off a dominant 36-20 victory.

Oklahoma and Texas both enter this game coming off a loss, which is a very rare occurrence in the history of this rivalry. The Sooners were upset last week by TCU in a game that was full of dramatic plays.

The Longhorns came off a 28-7 loss, but in strange way the loss showed signs of improvement in the long run. The Longhorns’ defense held Baylor to one of their worst offensive performances in the last four seasons. Texas’ problem is their offense is downright offensive due to injuries and suspensions.

This game on Saturday has a feeling similar to last year in terms of Texas having little to no shot of winning according to the national perception. The one thing about rivalry games is that you truly never know how it will turn out. They always say throw out all the records when it’s a rivalry game and that is so true.

Texas holds the all-time advantage in wins in this rivalry, but come Saturday none of that will matter, at least not to Oklahoma fans. This game Saturday will be another historical brick in the rivalry that has some of the most hated moments ever.

As we take a look at the details of this game the one thing that has to stand out is the offense, or lack of offense, Texas has. They have had multiple injuries this season, including the starter to open the season David Ash, and this has hurt the Texas offense.

Texas’ Head Coach Charlie Strong will get his first taste of the Texas State Fair and of this rivalry. His ability to not be overwhelmed by the moment will be key in this game, but his big game experience will be a plus for him and his coaching staff.

On the other side Oklahoma will have to not let the loss to TCU bother them in preparation for this game. They have to realize it was just one loss and their Big 12 title and final four hopes are still very alive. A win against Texas would be great revenge for last year and a stepping block to a great rest of the season.

I feel the difference in this game will be the struggles on offense for Texas. I don’t believe they will have enough firepower to outscore an explosive Oklahoma offense. Despite their loss last weekend to TCU, Oklahoma still scored over 30 points. Their defense will not have to face anything like they saw against TCU in terms of offensive production.

Texas will have to run the ball and play keep away if they hope to win. That’s exactly what they did last year in the upset victory over Oklahoma. The Longhorns have a great running attack with quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and running back Johnathan Gray. These two must make plays to keep the Texas’ defense off the field as much as possible.

So, I see Oklahoma finding a way to pull out this win thanks to a down field passing attack and solid run game. The Texas’ defense will play well, but they won’t have the offensive support to help back them. This was the case last week against Baylor and it will be the same story this weekend.

In the long run this Texas program will be back under Strong as coach, but right now he just doesn’t have the offensive weapons to compete. Oklahoma will wear this Texas defense down in the second half and pull away late.

I have Oklahoma winning 31-20 in a much more competitive game than most expect. Texas will show up and show the nation they are well on their way back to the top of the Big 12. This year, however, the Sooners are just better and will find a way to show it on Saturday.

The Red River that separates Texas and Oklahoma has said to be blood because of the hate between these two teams and Saturday that hate will come to life right before our eyes.

The Red River Rivalry, formally known as the Red River Shootout, has one of the richest histories of any rivalry game in all of college football. It places two of the greatest programs in the sport together every year to earn bragging rights for the next 365 days.

Texas vs. Oklahoma fill the Cotton Bowl every year with half the stadium burnt orange and the other half crimson. It is a sight like none other in college football and one that brings chills to the diehard fan.

This year the Texas vs. Oklahoma game has an odd feeling much like last year’s contest. Last year Texas entered this game with little to no hope at all of winning and pulled off a dominant 36-20 victory.

Oklahoma and Texas both enter this game coming off a loss, which is a very rare occurrence in the history of this rivalry. The Sooners were upset last week by TCU in a game that was full of dramatic plays.

The Longhorns came off a 28-7 loss, but in strange way the loss showed signs of improvement in the long run. The Longhorns’ defense held Baylor to one of their worst offensive performances in the last four seasons. Texas’ problem is their offense is downright offensive due to injuries and suspensions.

This game on Saturday has a feeling similar to last year in terms of Texas having little to no shot of winning according to the national perception. The one thing about rivalry games is that you truly never know how it will turn out. They always say throw out all the records when it’s a rivalry game and that is so true.

Texas holds the all-time advantage in wins in this rivalry, but come Saturday none of that will matter, at least not to Oklahoma fans. This game Saturday will be another historical brick in the rivalry that has some of the most hated moments ever.

As we take a look at the details of this game the one thing that has to stand out is the offense, or lack of offense, Texas has. They have had multiple injuries this season, including the starter to open the season David Ash, and this has hurt the Texas offense.

Texas’ Head Coach Charlie Strong will get his first taste of the Texas State Fair and of this rivalry. His ability to not be overwhelmed by the moment will be key in this game, but his big game experience will be a plus for him and his coaching staff.

On the other side Oklahoma will have to not let the loss to TCU bother them in preparation for this game. They have to realize it was just one loss and their Big 12 title and final four hopes are still very alive. A win against Texas would be great revenge for last year and a stepping block to a great rest of the season.

I feel the difference in this game will be the struggles on offense for Texas. I don’t believe they will have enough firepower to outscore an explosive Oklahoma offense. Despite their loss last weekend to TCU, Oklahoma still scored over 30 points. Their defense will not have to face anything like they saw against TCU in terms of offensive production.

Texas will have to run the ball and play keep away if they hope to win. That’s exactly what they did last year in the upset victory over Oklahoma. The Longhorns have a great running attack with quarterback Tyrone Swoopes and running back Johnathan Gray. These two must make plays to keep the Texas’ defense off the field as much as possible.

So, I see Oklahoma finding a way to pull out this win thanks to a down field passing attack and solid run game. The Texas’ defense will play well, but they won’t have the offensive support to help back them. This was the case last week against Baylor and it will be the same story this weekend.

In the long run this Texas program will be back under Strong as coach, but right now he just doesn’t have the offensive weapons to compete. Oklahoma will wear this Texas defense down in the second half and pull away late.

I have Oklahoma winning 31-20 in a much more competitive game than most expect. Texas will show up and show the nation they are well on their way back to the top of the Big 12. This year, however, the Sooners are just better and will find a way to show it on Saturday.

The Red River that separates Texas and Oklahoma has said to be blood because of the hate between these two teams and Saturday that hate will come to life right before our eyes.

After a horrible first five weeks of the season for the Big Ten Conference, the schedules for this prestigious conference finally get in full gear this weekend.

The Big Ten has been crucified for their play in the first five weeks of the 2014 season and rightfully so. They have had horrible out of conference losses and power teams, like Michigan, that look like a shell of themselves this season.

The Wolverines lost their third game this past Saturday to Minnesota. This marked the first time in Michigan’s 135 year history of college football that they have lost three games before the end of September.

To think about that stat is mind blowing, but also shows just how far Michigan has fallen off under Head Coach Brady Hoke. The Wolverines are all but certain to have a new head coach in 2015, but as for now they must put the pieces to together and finish a tough 2014 season.

The surprise of the Big Ten so far this year may be one of the new comers to the conference and that is the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Scarlet Knights have been one of the most impressive teams so far in 2014 and could be a contender in a very weak Big Ten.

With all this being said, someone has to win the Big Ten in 2014. The frontrunner at this point has to be the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans suffered a double digit defeat to a top five Oregon Ducks team in Eugene, Oregon in week two. The score was misleading in that matchup because the Spartans had control of the game until the fourth quarter.

Let’s take a look at the Week Six slate in the Big Ten and predict who wins and the scores to each game.

Ohio State Buckeyes @ Maryland Terrapins- Ohio State Buckeyes win in a shootout 44-38

Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Michigan State Spartans- Michigan State Spartans use their home field advantage to win 31-23

Michigan Wolverines @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights- Rutgers Scarlet Knights continue the misery for Michigan by defeating the Wolverines 34-17

North Texas Mean Green @ Indiana Hoosiers- Indiana Hoosiers use their explosive offense to outscore North Texas 41-20

Wisconsin Badgers @ Northwestern Wildcats- Wisconsin Badgers hand the struggling Wildcats another tough defeat as the Badgers win 38-17

Purdue Boilermakers @ Illinois Fighting Illini- Illinois will find a way to win a typical ugly Big Ten game 24-14

So, this is how I see the Big Ten slate turning out in Week Six. It’s a conference under a lot of fire for a number of reasons. The marquee matchup of Week Six and possibly of the season is Michigan State vs. Nebraska.

I believe Michigan State wins this battle thanks to home field and this will put the Spartans in the driver’s seat to win the Big Ten along with the Wisconsin Badgers. It will be an interesting week in the Big Ten, but the battle of regaining creditability is a long way from being complete.

On Saturday, one of the biggest games of the 2014 college football season will take place in Oxford, Mississippi. The number three Alabama Crimson Tide travel to Ole Miss to face the number 11 Rebels in what will be the biggest game in Ole Miss’ history.

This game was circled all summer as a potentially groundbreaking game for Ole Miss if they were able to take care of business in their first four games. The Rebels didn’t let the fans down this year and took care of business to set up a historic game in Oxford.

The Alabama Crimson Tide enters this game at 4-0 as well, but question marks continue to surround this team. The Tide are always one of the nation’s most discussed teams because of their historic past. This year has been no different, but who is the real Alabama is the question so many want to know.

When they travel to Mississippi this Saturday we will find out who exactly this year’s Crimson Tide are and if they are national title worthy. The quarterback discussion has been the biggest question mark for Alabama, but Blake Sims has proved, to this point, to be the answer at quarterback.

So, as we dig deeper into this matchup on Saturday what will be the key things to look for? The Ole Miss Rebels, unlike most years in the past, have depth at crucial positions. They have a starting defense that looks the part of an SEC team and an offense that has the ability to score on SEC defenses.

This is a change from past seasons, but also they are able to rotate talented players in and out the lineup throughout the game. This is to the credit of Ole Miss Head Coach Hugh Freeze who has done a masterful job recruiting the past three years.

The Rebels have the talent this year to actually be taken seriously in a contest like this, whereas in the past it was more of a wishful thinking thing for Ole Miss.

The one important thing Ole Miss must do in this game is challenge Alabama down field. The Rebels have a wide open offense that has given Alabama problems in the past. So many teams try to beat Alabama going side line to side line and that is not the way to go. If you want to beat Alabama you have to throw the ball vertically down the field.

Ole Miss has the athletes to do this on a consistent basis and it all starts with their quarterback Bo Wallace. Wallace has some threats at the wide receiver position, led by the standout Laquon Treadwell, which can challenge the Alabama defensive backs.

Alabama will have to get pressure on Wallace and prevent this Ole Miss offense from getting into a groove in The Grove. If the Crimson Tide have a difficult time slowing down the passing game then Ole Miss has a real shot at winning on Saturday.

On the other side I feel Alabama will look to run the ball much more than the first four weeks. Alabama quarterback Sims has yet to play a true road game and the way he responds to this challenge will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game.

I feel Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will look to utilize the running game, led by T.J. Yeldon, more in this game. This will open up the play action pass for Sims and standout receiver Amari Cooper.

The Ole Miss defensive backs must stay with Cooper at all times and do not allow him to run free like he was able to do against Florida earlier this season. The Rebels feel they would be better suited for a shootout style game with Alabama, but I feel that could be dangerous because of how free flowing the Alabama offense could turn out being in that style of game.

The X-factor in this game is the home field for Ole Miss. I am a big believer in home field playing a big role in these types of games. As I mentioned earlier, this is the biggest game in Ole Miss’ history. The crowd will be through the roof and to add on the hype, ESPN’s College Gameday will be doing their morning pregame show from The Grove.

So, in conclusion my prediction for this game is I see Alabama finding a way to win 34-27. I am a believer that Ole Miss will be ready for this game, but I have to see them win a big game before I am willing to consider them a real threat in the SEC West this season.

Their rivals Mississippi State were able to make a statement by beating LSU in Death Valley, so now it’s the Rebels turn to try and match that feat. I believe Ole Miss can very easily win this game, but it’s a type of won’t believe it until it happens type of thing.

Alabama finds a way to win behind a strong performance in the running game and pulls out a tough win on the road in Oxford, Mississippi. Alabama wins 34-27 and continues their road to winning the SEC West in 2014.

It’s that time of year when we have all but given up on our teams and have shifted to the thoughts of next year and the NFL Draft. For all the promise we had in touchdowns scored and playoff tickets punched we are left with the idea of being lovable losers (we some of us). We hoped and hoped and begged and prayed and well, nothing happened. We are now talking about draft picks and what went wrong.

And this is only after the first month of the NFL season. Here are the top 10 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft, if the Draft was being held today. Stats and information obtained for this slideshow are from cbssports.com.

It’s that time of year when we have all but given up on our teams and have shifted to the thoughts of next year and the NFL Draft. For all the promise we had in touchdowns scored and playoff tickets punched we are left with the idea of being lovable losers (we some of us). We hoped and hoped and begged and prayed and well, nothing happened. We are now talking about draft picks and what went wrong.

And this is only after the first month of the NFL season. Here are the top 10 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft, if the Draft was being held today. Stats and information obtained for this slideshow are from cbssports.com.

The Virginia Tech Hokies, from the ACC, are coming off of two down seasons for their standards. The Hokies went 7-6 in 2012 and followed that up with an 8-5 season last year. The Hokies will now have to bounce back and return to their winning standards that Head Coach Frank Beamer has built the past couple decades.

Virginia Tech will have to replace quarterback Logan Thomas this year, but will return a majority of their starting offensive unit. The Hokies return nine starters on offense, including standout running back Trey Edmunds. Edmunds averaged 4.1 yards per carry as a freshman last year and accounted for ten rushing touchdowns.

As the Hokies try to plug in a new starting quarterback, Edmunds will be asked to carry a majority of the load to get the offense off to a good start in 2014. Along with an explosive running game, the Hokies will return their top three receivers from last year.

Virginia Tech returns Willie Byrn, Demitri Knowles and Joshua Stanford in 2014. These three combined for over 1,800 yards receiving last year and accounted for six touchdowns.  This receiving core will be vital in helping out the new quarterback in Blacksburg this fall.

The schedule for Virginia Tech is very manageable in 2014, but they have a tough out of conference game in week two against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are a preseason top ten team in both the coaches’ and AP Poll, but with the loss of Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller that game becomes much more winnable for Virginia Tech. If the Hokies can somehow pull the upset over Ohio State then Virginia Tech could be a sleeper in the national picture.

Here is a look at the 2014 regular season schedule for the Hokies. I will predict how I see them doing in each of their 12 games. This year could be a very successful one for Virginia Tech if they are able to work out their quarterback issue and provide the supporting cast alongside this season.

August 30- William & Mary Tribe @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 38-14

September 6- Virginia Tech Hokies @ Ohio State Buckeyes- Ohio State Buckeyes win 37-23

September 13- East Carolina Pirates @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 31-20

September 20- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 28-21

September 27- Western Michigan Broncos @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 34-13

October 4- Virginia Tech Hokies @ North Carolina Tar Heels- North Carolina Tar Heels win 27-20

October 11- Bye Week

October 16- Virginia Tech Hokies @ Pittsburgh Panthers- Pittsburgh Panthers win 24-17

October 23- Miami Hurricanes @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 26-20

November 1- Boston College Eagles @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 34-17

November 8- Bye Week

November 15- Virginia Tech Hokies @ Duke Blue Devils- Virginia Tech Hokies win 27-13

November 22- Virginia Tech Hokies @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons- Virginia Tech Hokies win 30-13

November 28- Virginia Cavaliers @ Virginia Tech Hokies- Virginia Tech Hokies win 34-23

So, after going through the 2014 Virginia Tech schedule we have them finishing at 9-3. I feel this will put them right in the hunt to win the ACC Coastal division and play in this year’s ACC Championship game.

The defense will be the catalyst for Virginia Tech this year as the offense tries to work through some early troubles. The Hokies have nearly half of their defense returning from last year’s team and I believe that will be the strength of this team just like so many years in the past.

The Hokies will be close to returning to their usual ten win season marks as they have done so many times under Head Coach Frank Beamer. 2014 will have some troubling moments, but when all is said and done it will be a successful season after two down seasons for the Hokies.

Again, we have Virginia Tech going 9-3 in 2014 and being a top contender to win the 2014 ACC title. This is a very crucial year for Coach Beamer as he tries to prove he still has what it takes to win at a high level in the ACC and nationally. The pressure could start ramping up on Beamer and his coaching staff if they have another average season because of all the success Florida State has experienced lately.

I believe they will answer the call and get back on the winning track in 2014. This season will be exciting for Hokie fans and could be magical if they somehow find their way to the ACC title game in December. Beamer and the Hokies are primed to return to the elite in the ACC, but it will be a challenge that they have to be ready to take on each and every week.

The Carolina Panthers cleaned house during the NFL off-season and pretty much took most of Cam Newton's targets away. Due to this fact, the Panthers appear slim in fantasy value overall.

In reviewing numerous projections from fantasy experts, there is a trend that actually is surprising. The Panthers version of "Steady Eddie", Greg Olsen, is slipping down the tight end rankings and is out of the top ten in most cases. Has everyone really forgotten what Cam Newton and Greg Olsen can do?

Here is a list of facts to think about:

FACT: Cam Newton had ankle surgery during the off-season and this has limited his chances of getting some serious gel time with his receivers.

FACT: The current depth chart for the Panthers lists the #1 wide receiver as Jerricho Cotchery, the #2 wide receiver as Kelvin Benjamin and the #3 wide receiver as Jason Avant. (One of these guys will emerge as a suprise at some point in the season, my money is on Benjamin, but that's not what we are here to talk about.)

FACT: The three wide receivers lost from last year include; Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell and Ted Ginn. These are huge losses for the Panthers who are obviously looking towards the future.

FACT: Cam Newton showed improvment on his leadership skills and has settled in with consistent production. Last year he completed 61.7% of his passes, threw 24 TD's and had a QB Rating of 88.8%, his best technical season yet. Newton's rushing yards were down, but then again, he had a bum ankle.

FACT: Last year, Greg Olsen was targeted 111 times and caught 73 of those passes. Olsen averaged 4.6 receptions per game, 51 yards per game and caught 6 touchdown passes last year. This was a solid, consistent weekly performance for Olsen who was sharing the field with Smith and LaFell; this year, he is sharing it with unproven targets.

Hypothesis: The Panthers are sick and tired of hearing how bad they are going to be on offense this year due to the big change in receivers and they are out to prove themselves. The Panthers have way too much work ahead of them to get those receivers up and running until at least mid-season. Greg Olsen is the one man that can be depended on to produce now! How can a guy who already was a productive tight end get any worse with a situation like this? Greg Olsen is averaging 13th on the rankings list for tight ends to pick in fantasy football this year. In mock drafts that I have participated in, you can get him in the 14th round! This is a steal. Greg Olsen is Cam Newton's crutch, his go-to guy and his #1 target. Expect increasing numbers for him this year and a top 10 finish for tight end production when it is all said and done. If you can't grab a Graham or a Gronk, concentrate on the many running backs and wide receivers that you need to fill your roster, then wait, grab Olsen and watch him be one of your surprise picks that you can brag to all of your buddies about

One of the surprise teams in all of college football last year were the Duke Blue Devils from the ACC. The Blue Devils went 10-4 in 2013 and were on the verge of upsetting Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. The Blue Devils let a double digit lead slip away in the second half against Texas A&M in what would have been a program defining type of win over the Aggies from the SEC.

As we turn the page to 2014 for Duke the issue of being the hunted instead of the hunter will be a big adjustment for the entire program. The Blue Devils return eight starters on offense and could possibly be even better this year because of that experience.

Duke returns senior starting quarterback Anthony Boone. Boone threw for 2,260 yards last year and was a 64 percent passer. He will look to improve on those numbers in 2014 thanks to a veteran led receiving core that will be returning. The offensive improvement Duke has experienced over the past several seasons has been nothing short of incredible, but now they must learn to deal with success.

Duke lost offensive coordinator and quarterbacks’ coach Kurt Roper off of last year’s team. Roper was hired by the Florida Gators in the offseason to help improve a horrible Florida offense. The loss will be felt by Duke because of all the hard work he put into this offense and how he helped improve Boone’s game over the past couple seasons.

The loss of Roper will be tough, but the engine that has got Duke’s football program back on track is the mastermind that is Head Coach David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe has been well documented for his time working with great quarterbacks like Eli Manning and Peyton Manning. Cutcliffe has now done what seemed to be the impossible and turned Duke football into a respectable team on the national stage.

The 2014 season will be a challenge as I mentioned earlier because Duke will now be on everyone’s radar and not a sleeper team on opposing team’s schedules. The challenge to maintain success has been said to be harder than reaching success and Duke is about to find out if that is true first hand.

We will take a look at the 2014 Duke schedule and go game by game predicting how they will do in each of their 12 regular season games. Last year was magical for Duke as they made it all the way to the ACC Championship Game, but how will they follow up that great season is to be determined.

August 30- Elon @ Duke Blue Devils- Duke Blue Devils win 38-10

September 6- Duke Blue Devils @ Troy Trojans- Duke Blue Devils win 34-27

September 13- Kansas Jayhawks @ Duke Blue Devils- Duke Blue Devils win 31-17

September 20- Tulane Green Wave @ Duke Blue Devils- Duke Blue Devils win 35-21

September 27- Duke Blue Devils @ Miami Hurricanes- Miami Hurricanes win 38-21

October 4- Bye Week

October 11- Duke Blue Devils @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets win 41-27

October 18- Virginia Cavaliers @ Duke Blue Devils- Duke Blue Devils win 31-23

October 25- Bye Week

November 1- Duke Blue Devils @ Pittsburgh Panthers- Pittsburgh Panthers win 31-21

November 8- Duke Blue Devils @ Syracuse Orange- Duke Blue Devils win 28-24

November 15- Virginia Tech Hokies @ Duke Blue Devils- Virginia Tech Hokies win 27-13

November 20- North Carolina Tar Heels @ Duke Blue Devils- North Carolina Tar Heels win 34-24

November 29- Wake Forest Demon Deacons @ Duke Blue Devils- Duke Blue Devils win 38-20

After examining the 2014 Duke Blue Devils’ schedule, I have them finishing the regular season with a record of 7-5. This year’s schedule for Duke is much tougher than last year and I believe the idea of being the hunted instead of the hunter will be a tough challenge for Duke.

I feel if Duke were able to finish 7-5 that would be a successful 2014 season following how they did last year. Yes, it would be a decrease in the win column by three, but considering where this football program has came the past five years this is certainly a successful run for Duke.

Head Coach Cutcliffe has been doing very well on the recruiting trails and it is showing by their success in the past few seasons. He will continue to make Duke a school that will be proud of not only their basketball team, but their football team as well.

2014 will be a down season in comparison to 2013, but overall still a great season in Durham. They just have to keep recruiting well and success will continue to follow Coach Cutcliffe and this Duke program. So, we have them finishing 2014 at 7-5 and making a bowl game for a third consecutive year. Duke is still on the rise and 2014 will be another step in the right direction for the Blue Devils.