There are few sure bets in life except the following: Every time you look at Dubya, don’t you see a nine-year-old pretending to be president? Every time you look at Hillary and Bill together, don’t you wonder how badly she wants to stab his heart with a pencil? Every time you see Al Sharpton, don’t you wonder what it is he does for a living? In college football, there’s no sure thing.
NORTH CAROLINA at TEXAS, Noon, Ch. 7.
Line: Texas by 22 ½
Angle: New Carolina head coach John Bunting could live with the loss at Oklahoma but not with the loss at Maryland. Ronald Curry will get his last start at QB if he doesn’t play well. Bunting may decide to take his lumps with freshman Darian Durant. Texas should be much sharper in its second game but the Longhorns usually don’t blow out the opposition.
Eyes on: N.C. DE Julius Peppers. Texas QB Chris Simms.
Prediction: Texas 41, North Carolina 20
FRESNO STATE at WISCONSIN, Noon, ESPN.
Line: Wisconsin by 4
Angle: Everyone is jumping on the Fresno State bandwagon but keep in mind the Bulldogs would have lost at Colorado had the Bufs not treated the football like a vile of West Nile and they never would have beaten Oregon State if the game was in Corvallis. Wisconsin will physically overpower Fresno State.
Eyes on: Fresno St. DE Nick Burley, Wisconsin DE Wendell Bryant.
Prediction: Wisconsin 28, Fresno St. 17
MICHIGAN at WASHINGTON, 3:30 p.m., Ch.7.
Line: Washington by 3
Angle: Have to give the Wolverines the edge because they have played a game and Washington has not. But this is the week Michigan really feels the loss of OL Steve Hutchinson, Jeff Backus and Maurice Williams. Add in that long trip from Ann Arbor to Seattle and the three points don’t seem nearly enough.
Eyes on: Washington NT Larry Tripplett, Michigan LB Larry Foote.
Prediction Washington 24, Michigan 19
KANSAS ST. at SOUTHERN CAL, 6:30 p.m. Fox Sports.
Line: Kansas St. by 3 ½
Angle: Coach Bill Snyder finally decided to schedule a tough non-conference opener. Next thing you know he’ll be holding weekly media gatherings and opening the locker room after games. Snyder picked the wrong year and the wrong team in Southern Cal, which has an experienced QB in Carson Palmer, and K-State does not.
Eyes on: Kansas St. WR Aaron Lockett, USC RB Sultan McCullough.
Prediction: USC 23, Kansas State 21
NOTRE DAME at NEBRASKA, 8:00 p.m., Ch.7.
Line: Nebraska by 14
Angle: Who has the edge? The team that has played two games (Nebraska) or the one that has spent the entire preseason preparing for an opponent (Notre Dame). The Huskers haven’t been dominant in wins over TCU and Troy State but a lot of young players have gotten game experience. ND must throw. Look for the Irish to use QBs Matt LoVecchio and Carlyle Holiday.
Eyes on: Notre Dame DE Grant Irons, Nebraska TE Tracey Wistrom.
Prediction: Nebraska 27, Notre Dame 23.