WEEK 3 GAMES THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS!

Week 2 was hell on wheels wasn't it? That whole Michigan/Notre game was enough to take me off of this planet...but it was only the nightcap on an all day football orgy. MSU/Auburn was a barnburner (get it?) at 12:30, SC/UGA lit up the scoreboard in Athens at 3:30, and...well...Michigan/ND was as stated above. The games are more average than good this week, but don't let that stop you from tuning into the many options that you have below. I can't express how awesome this time of the year it. It's cooling off, humidity is lowering, and football is ON! Screw the NFL...College Football is what you should be living for.Here's your guide to week 3's games on TV that you can't afford to miss!

-Gamblin Boss

5 MONEY STACKS - YOU CAN'T PAY ME ENOUGH TO MISS THESE GAMES!

Oklahoma @ Florida State – 8:00pm ABC: It’s week 3 and we’re finally going to have a chance for a #1 team to legitimately get beat! Chaos theory fans are pulling for FSU. Traditionalists are pulling for OU. I can’t buy stock in any ACC team, especially this early in the season…regardless if they are coming off of a big win against a will-not-be-named SEC school in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. If this was week 7 or 8, and I knew what FSU was about, then I’d take them. (Keep in mind this is a team that can’t beat Clemson on a regular occurrence…at home) Always test drive a car before you buy it, and OU is a little more proven past and present than FSU.  Look for this to be a hell of a game, and I hope so simply because I’ll be sharing the TV with a FSU grad/sister’s fiancée/soon to be bro in law. Easily 5 out of 5.

4 MONEY STACKS - PRICED ABOVE FACE VALUE

Auburn @ Clemson – 12:00pm ABC: This game again will define a season. Both teams are very young on both sides of the ball, and are looking for leadership. No doubt this will be a game of finesse and working with what’s given. Don’t expect this to be a pound it out on the ground, 3 yards and a cloud of dust offensive struggle. Who wins? I’ll get into that tomorrow. But, this is a must watch simply because of the implications for the losing team. This would be a 5 stacks game, but it’s tough to put anything Clemson related ranked that high.

Tennessee @ Florida – 3:30pm CBS: 7 years. Think about that. Where were you 7 years ago? That’s how long it has been since Tennessee has beat Florida. This is the first real test for both players and coaching staffs alone. Muschamp’s first big SEC game is luckily at home, which could give him the edge that’s needed to win. However, Tyler Bray looks to be the passer Tennessee fans have been waiting on…and is a legit threat as a pocket passer. I expect a close one in Gainesville…along with all the orange and jean shorts you can handle.

Ohio State @ Miami (FL) – 7:30pm ESPN: INSERT GENERIC “CHEATING/SCANDAL/ILLIEGAL/IMPROPER BENEFITS BOWL” COMMENT! WINNERS GET TO TAKE A RIDE ON JET SKI’S AND CRASH INTO BOOSTER’S boats  YACHTS! LOSER GETS FREE TATTOOS OF WINNING COACH! I can’t stand Miami. I can’t stand Ohio State. I promise you 92% of America hates Miami more. To be honest, you have to watch this game just to see where these programs are headed. OSU should roll, but I’ve seen stranger things happen.

3 MONEY STACKS - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR / PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET

West Virginia at Maryland – 12:00pm ESPN+: First off, this game is on ESPN+. Where in the heck does this exist? WVU had a tough half of football last week against Norfolk State before turning on the afterburners…and we all know what Maryland did to Miami 2 weeks ago. (Both in jersey style and on the scoreboard)  Who knew Chevy Chase Field would become one of the toughest places to play in the ACC? Let’s just blame this rejuvenation on the Redskins…BECAUSE FOOTBALL IS BACK IN MARYLAND BABY! (Insert CRABCAKES AND FOOTBALL…THAT’S WHAT MARYLAND DOES!!) This game is just there…so watch it. Nothing like Mimosas and Bloodys to a great Big East/ACC matchup!

Michigan State @ Notre Dame – 3:30pm NBC: Notre Dame is getting desperate. To borrow a line from a co-writer on this blog, “Brian Kelley has taken more lives than wins this year”. Intense! If I can’t get excited about this game, I assure you many in South Bend are having the same problem. If Michigan State rolls in and takes a win…look for Kelly’s face to explode in a sea of purple. ND is NOT a terrible team…but when they lost they way they did last year, it’s hard to recover fully and move on. Also, is NBC regretting their 1,000 year contract with the Irish yet?

Navy @ South Carolina – 6:00pm ESPN2 : When you mention “Navy” around older South Carolina fans, you’ll get the same expression that the Titanic’s master ship builder gave when he found out it sank to the bottom of the ocean on its maiden voyage. (A little history – South Carolina could have been #1 in the country for the first time ever in 1984, but decided to shit the bed against Navy – whom they were heavily favorite against – and fall into a sea of mediocrity). This game scares me because of the option and ground game of the Midshipmen. Look for this to be a pretty close game, and unfortunately for SC fans….too interesting.

2 MONEY STACKS - I FEEL LIKE I'M GETTING RIPPED OFF

Virginia @ UNC – 3:30pm ESPNU : The only thing that is more interesting than two stuck up snob schools playing each other…is the fact that both of these teams have now made it on my “what to watch” post for 3 straight weeks. UNC and UVA squeaked out wins last week…against Rutgers and Indiana. Again, the ACC Egg Toss of the Week will commence at 3:30pm, and luckily ESPNU will be there to cover it for the entire nation to see. “CARUTHERS, BRING FORTH MY 2008 CABERNET! MORE BRIE AND GRAPES FOR THE LADIES!”

Louisville @ Kentucky – 7:00pm ESPNU : Charlie Strong….please…pretty please….promise me that you can defeat Kentucky and prove to everyone that you made the right decision to leave the SEC. (formally of SC and FL lore) These two teams are just an abomination, but I’ll let Louisville slide because they are in the Big East. Kentucky’s only excuse is the fact their QB leads the nation in falls during a 5 step drop. This will no doubt be a terrible game, but the fact it is a rivalry (allegedly) gives it a bump.

1 MONEY STACK - CAN I GET A REFUND?

Central Michigan @ Western Michigan – 12:00pm ESPN+: This is, without a doubt, the biggest game of the year in Michigan. IT’S THE DIRECTIONAL MICHIGAN BOWL! And they are so lucky that ESPN put it on their best network, ESPN+! The plus means that it’s totally badass. There is no reason at all to even watch this game. None…nada…zip. I wouldn’t even if I had money on it….but that’s another problem if you are betting on Directional Michigan vs. Directional Michigan.

SE Missouri State @ Purdue – 12:00pm Big Ten Network: You know something, it’s great that the Big 10 cares so much that they focus on the little guy(s) and can show this game at 12:00pm. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be sitting in West Lafayette, IN at 11:00AM with Mid-Westerners? I expect about 45,000 people at the game, and about the same watching from home. 

Dook @ Boston College – 12:30pm ACC Network: This just screams awful. I’m talking borderline walking in on a fresh murder scene awful. Duke is 0-2 with losses to RICHMOND and Stanford. Boston College is 0-2 with losses to Northwestern and a blowout by Central Florida. Go ahead and resign your life to following terrible football teams if this is your first choice Saturday afternoon. I still can’t figure out which is worse…a track around your college football field (Dook) or selling game tickets on Groupon (Boston College).

MONDAY - WEEK 1 - BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT

It’s here.  It’s the week that we have all been waiting on since we saw Cam Newton smothering his $180,000 ass in confetti after the National Championship.  FOOTBAWWW KICKOFF WEEK 2011! Go ahead and tell your wives/girlfriends/occasional sleep over buddy that you don’t have time for them because you are locked into Mitch Muschamp’s STARE. You’re waking up at 8am for College Gameday and having a Bloody Mary. By 10am, its bourbon on the rocks. You’d rather be watching the 12PM BIG LEAST or ACC game on ESPN. Heck, this gives you a 30 minute warm up to the SEC Game at 12:30. Get your books ready…it’s time for 12 hours every Saturday of FOOTBAWWW! (and of course, Reece Davis and Dr. Lou to boot)

No other sport has had this much buildup in the off season. Sure, many of you could say the NFL is numero uno…but who really thought there wouldn’t be a year of professional football? The owner’s aren’t that stupid.  BUT OH MY GAWD IT’S TIME FOR SOME NCAA. How awesome is the SEC. I mean, really. The conference alone had so much turmoil for the past 8 months, it made Iran look as peaceful as a week at Folly Beach. (Dare I say Myrtle Beach…but we all know the level of trash and danger that exists there) Think about all of this…done by ONE conference:

·         South Carolina (or how ESPN loves to use SCAR) continues to be investigated for improper benefits to some players by staying at The Whitney Hotel

·         LSU’s quarterback decided it would be a great idea to kick a Marine with one of his 40+ pairs of shoes. (This really helps the hurting athlete argument)

·         Tennessee dismisses players, as well as just having its NCAA investigation wrapped up over their basketball program

·         Alabama – well everything Alabama has done is wrong. T-Town Menswear took the cake. Hey Trent, could you sign this for me? (I’ll give Clay Travis’ OutkickingTheCoverage.com website a plug for pushing the story)

·         Mississippi State is allegedly in bed with Auburn when it came to shopping around Cam Newton to see his worth. This may have been Dan Mullen’s smartest move yet by not seizing this opportunity

·         For the most part, Georgia has been somewhat on the straight and narrow…which is not what you could say about their AD and his “I’m not drinking or getting favors from a co-ed and holding her panties while driving down the road”. DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

·         Auburn. Silly Auburn. Your one year at the top will only be followed by a sharp drop off with maybe 6 wins. I can’t wait to see what Nicky Saban is going to do to you this fall.  

·         And…Danny Sheridan. Oh Danny boy. Your truth and journalism is what spurred this blog to start. We are the Bagmen. We are the ones who lurk in the shadows.

This is only the first post of many that our guys will contribute to...and over the next few weeks we hope to put together some kind of schedule of reoccurring events. Hang in there…its only Monday of week 1.

Gamblin Boss