Presto's Picks...it's all a Con...

The 2009 college football season kicks off this week amidst beatdowns on blue fields...and a beleaguered coach getting blasted by a billboard. Meanwhile, to answer critics who claim college athletics is one big CON-- you're right: beltway area schools begin respective journeys with postseason hopes...and must maximize their confidence while minimizing their concerns-- or else there will be consequences.



Maryland at #12 California...Terps cause for confidence: preponderance of skill position players, from quarterback Chris Turner to runningback Da'Rell Scott. Concern: a revamped offensive line with one player returning to his 2008 position. Defensive confidence: a new attacking style as opposed to last year's read and react. Concern: it's a shame the new attacking defense adds a full-time defensive lineman; the one area they're woefully thin on that side of the ball. Last year the Terps topped Cal in College Park...the game was played at 12 noon (aka 9am pacific)--in retribution the Golden Bears have moved Saturday's kickoff to 11:45 PDT. Terrapins tumble 26-22.

Can't we all get along? Timing is everything--and the NCAA calling the first week a sportsmanship forum is rather interesting in light of the Oregon-Boise State game--Lagarrette Blount's meltdown and spazzout was the worst display of post-game civility since September 1983 in the Bedford (NH) Soccer League--when after after a hotly contested R.C. Peabody & Co. win over Lafayette Beverages, Joe Suozzo and Robie Dolder mixed it up.

#7 Virginia Tech vs #5 Alabama (Atlanta)...Hokies confidence: the recent ACC dynasty is poised for a title run...with the Sean Glennon situation finally settled (aka eligibility exhausted) Tyrod Taylor takes over the team. Concern: who will carry the ball? Darren Evans' preseason injury leaves a vacuum in the backfield. And what exactly is an SEC team doing playing a legitimate out of conference opponent? Saban will probably blame this scheduling quirk on the rogue bookstore operators responsible for the Tide's textbook scandal. Beamer's boys block a Bama punt, field goal and extra point en route to a 15-12 thriller.

Thin skin must be a major in South Bend--a Notre Dame alum purchased a billboard this summer stating "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the 5th Year of his College Coaching Internship"... and this billboard is facing campus. Until the University forced its removal. Note to Notre Dame: doing so only makes you look like the parent who comes to school to defend their kid against the bully...Charlie's only going to suffer in this situation if anything's done. How can the Weis regime (29-21 is rather Gerry Faustlike) not be criticized? To paraphrase college football guru and organized criminal mastermind Hyman Roth, "THIS IS THE BUSINESS YOU HAVE CHOSEN."

Virginia vs William & Mary...confidence in Charlottesville surrounds the return of Jameel Sewell as coach Al Groh's starting quarterback--the kid provided a dimension the likes of Peter Lalich did not; plus Groh always finds a way to steal a victory during the season. Concern--massive graduation losses have the youngest team in the ACC likely taking lots of lumps...and Groh seemingly always finds a loss from out of nowhere for UVa. My favorite W&M memory? One of the girls who lived on my floor in college wore a sweatshirt from teh school, with the William exactly on top of her right breast and the Mary precisely on the left. Was she supporting Tribe athletics or personalizing body parts? Cavs give their alumni base a memorable game, taming the Tribe 19-17.


Other games... Navy falls at Ohio State, Georgetown over Holy Cross. Last season: 53-20.