Thursday
7:00 PM ET ESPNU: Central Michigan 1-0 @ Temple 1-0 (-7.5) - The Chippewas have won the MAC 2 of the 3 last years and have the best record in the conference over the last 5 years. This season however, it's the Owls that are the favorite to win the conference, as they return 16 starters. Last week, Central Michigan wasn't really tested, as they won 33-0 against Hampton. Temple, on the other hand, almost lost to Villanova. They trailed 22-24, before they kicked a FG with 3 seconds left to take the lead. Look for Temple's RB Bernard Pierce to shine in this one.
7:30 PM ET ESPN: 21 Auburn 1-0 (-2.5) @ Mississippi State 1-0 - The Tigers and Bulldogs open SEC play with this game. Last week, Auburn ran all over Arkansas State to the tune of 367 rushing yards in a 52-26 victory. New QB Cam Newton (transfer from Florida) was named the SEC offensive player of the week, after he threw for 3 TDs and ran for another 2. Miss St. also had their way with their opponent, Memphis, 49-7. QB Tyler Russell was 13/16 for 256 yards and 4 TDs. Auburn has won 8 of the last 9 in this match-up, a fact that leaves me wondering why this line is so small.
Friday
7:00 PM ET ESPN: 23 West Virginia 1-0 (-12.5) @ Marshall 1-0 - Last season in the battle for the "Friends of the Coal Bowl" trophy, Doc Holliday (great name) was the associate head coach for the Mountaineers. This season, he comes in as the head coach for the Thundering Herd. His team has the daunting task of containing WV's senior RB Noel Devine. Devine totted the rock 23 times for 111 yards and 1 TD last week, in the Mountaineers' 31-0 destruction of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. (Apparently a Chanticleer is a bird from Chaucer's Cantebury Tales... is this the best they could come up with?) Marshall comes off a 7-45 butt whooping at the hands of #2 Ohio State. They managed only 44 rushing yards and scored because a blocked FG landed right in the hands of junior CB Ahmed Shakoor, which he ran back for a 61 yard TD. The line for this game seems awfully low, but then again, I'm not a Vegas bookie. Watch this game because Noel Devine might rush for 200 yards... or more.
10:15 PM ET ESPN: UTEP 1-0 @ Houston 1-0 (-20) - Last season the Cougars were 3-0 (wins over OK St. & Texas Tech) and ranked 12th, before they were upset 41-58 in El Paso. They gave up 581 total yards to the Miners and ended any hopes they had of an undefeated season or BCS bowl game. This time around, the game is in Houston and the Cougars are out for revenge (or so my local sports radio tells me). Last week, Heisman hopeful QB Case Keenum dropped 274 passing yards and 5 TDs on Texas State (Southwest to my Texas brethren), in a 68-21 laugher. UTEP comes off a 31-10 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a game where they were without senior RB Donald Buckram (bruised knee). Last season in this game, he had 262 yards rushing and 4 TDs. If he does play, the Miners will have 10 seniors and 1 junior in their starting offense. I expect Keenum to air it out and the Miners to try to control the clock with a ground attack, in what should be a fun game to watch.