Week 4 Predictions

UNLV at 11 Ohio State

North Carolina State at 13 Florida State

Kent State at 18 Louisville

Texas Tech at Houston

Army at Tulane

Texas A&M vs Arkansas (Dallas, TX)

UMass at Tennessee

23 West Virginia at Kansas

Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech

New Mexico at Tulsa

Old Dominion at 12 Virginia Tech

Idaho at South Alabama

Ohio at Eastern Michigan

UCF at Maryland

1 Alabama at 25 Vanderbilt

Boston College at 2 Clemson

8 USC at Cal

16 TCU at 6 Oklahoma State

Toledo at 15 Miami

Rutgers at Nebraska

Georgia Southern at Indiana

Wake Forest at Appalachian State

Duke at North Carolina

Louisiana Tech at South Carolina

Miami (OH) at Central Michigan

Cincinnati at Navy

5 Michigan at Purdue

Louisiana Monroe at Louisiana

Nevada at 17 Washington State

Akron at Troy

Georgia State at Charlotte

3 Oklahoma at Baylor

Western Illinois at Coastal Carolina

UAB at North Texas

14 Mississippi State at 10 Georgia

San Diego State at Air Force

Syracuse at 22 LSU

Ball State at Western Kentucky

Florida Atlantic at Buffalo

Bowling Green at Middle Tennessee State

Arkansas State at SMU

Wagner at Western Michigan

4 Penn State at Iowa

19 Auburn at Missouri

21 Florida at Kentucky

Florida International at Rice

Utah State at San Jose State

UT San Antonio at Texas State

UTEP at New Mexico State

Southern Illinois at Memphis

Notre Dame at Michigan State

7 Washington at Colorado

24 Oregon at Arizona State

Hawai'i at Wyoming

UCLA at Stanford

Season Record

 148-44 (.771)

Three Big Things: Week 4

Week 4 looks pretty promising on the schedule we just looked at. We have Top 25 teams in action, some on the road, and conference play beginning to kick in. Before the games happen, let's take a look at Three Big Things you should be watching today. 

1. Number 1

Top-ranked Alabama finds itself in an unusual position. They are in the conversation with other media outlets of being put on "Upset Alert". Really? They play Vanderbilt! Now, we here at the Sports By Smith have Vandy coming in at 25th in our latest post. Be that as it may, they are in no shape to be screaming "We Want Bama". A home game for the Commodores will be hyped. The team will get up and likely keep up with the Tide for a quarter, maybe two. But in the end, Alabama is Alabama, and they will take care of business as suit. 

2. Big XII Showdown

TCU travels to Stillwater as the 16th ranked team in the poll this week as they match up with 6th ranked Oklahoma State. This will be fun. We will find out tonight who is going to be Oklahoma's challenger for the conference title. Or, this might even be for the Big XII Championship. Both teams will score a ton, so don't look away from your television for too long. 

3. The Streak

As you should know, we here love Kentucky. Misery also loved company. Today, Florida brings a 30-game win streak to Lexington which stands as the longest streak in FBS. The line for the game started at 4.5 from the Gators, but since has been bet down to a pick. Money is on Kentucky, and as a fan, this might be the best chance I've seen for the Wildcats to break the streak. Upset? Maybe not. The Cats are better on paper than Florida, but the Gators have...well what do they have? This isn't the same Florida team we're accustomed to. If you want an upset, Kentucky would be the one you put on alert. 

What are you watching for today? Let us know. 

Week 4 Schedule

Are you ready? We are! Let's take a look at this week's schedule.

12:00-3:00

 

UNLV at 11 Ohio State

North Carolina State at 13 Florida State

Kent State at 18 Louisville

Texas Tech at Houston

Army at Tulane

Texas A&M vs Arkansas (Dallas, TX)

UMass at Tennessee

23 West Virginia at Kansas

Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech

New Mexico at Tulsa

Old Dominion at 12 Virginia Tech

Idaho at South Alabama

Ohio at Eastern Michigan

 

 

3:00-7:00

 

UCF at Maryland

1 Alabama at 25 Vanderbilt

Boston College at 2 Clemson

8 USC at Cal

16 TCU at 6 Oklahoma State

Toledo at 15 Miami

Rutgers at Nebraska

Georgia Southern at Indiana

Wake Forest at Appalachian State

Duke at North Carolina

Louisiana Tech at South Carolina

Miami (OH) at Central Michigan

Cincinnati at Navy

5 Michigan at Purdue

Louisiana Monroe at Louisiana

Nevada at 17 Washington State

Akron at Troy

Georgia State at Charlotte

3 Oklahoma at Baylor

Western Illinois at Coastal Carolina

UAB at North Texas

 

 

7:00-12:00

 

14 Mississippi State at 10 Georgia

San Diego State at Air Force

Syracuse at 22 LSU

Ball State at Western Kentucky

Florida Atlantic at Buffalo

Bowling Green at Middle Tennessee State

Arkansas State at SMU

Wagner at Western Michigan

4 Penn State at Iowa

19 Auburn at Missouri

21 Florida at Kentucky

Florida International at Rice

Utah State at San Jose State

UT San Antonio at Texas State

UTEP at New Mexico State

Southern Illinois at Memphis

Notre Dame at Michigan State

7 Washington at Colorado

24 Oregon at Arizona State

Hawai'i at Wyoming

UCLA at Stanford

 

Sports By Smith Top 25: Vol. 1, 4th Ed

What a weekend! Here at the Sports By Smith, our poll has changed again with another week of exciting college football. This week's poll will feature some newcomers, some familiar names missing, and even a team that will make you do a double take. Let's jump into it.

1. Alabama 3-0 (1)

2. Clemson 3-0 (3)

3. Oklahoma 3-0 (2)

4. Penn State 3-0 (4)

5. Michigan 3-0 (5)

6. Oklahoma State 3-0 (10)

7. Washington 3-0 (7)

8. Southern Cal 3-0 (6)

9. Wisconsin 3-0 (9)

10. Georgia 3-0 (13)

11. Ohio State 2-1 (8)

12. Virginia Tech 3-0 (16)

13. Florida State 0-1 (12)

14. Mississippi State 3-0 (NR)

15. Miami 1-0 (18)

16. TCU 3-0 (25)

17. Washington State 3-0 (19)

 18. Louisville 2-1 (14)

19. Auburn 2-1 (15)

20. South Florida 3-0 (21)

21. Florida 1-1 (23)

22. LSU 2-1 (11)

23. West Virginia 2-1 (NR)

24. Oregon 3-0 (NR)

25. Vanderbilt 3-0 (NR)

 

Dropped From Poll:

17. Stanford

20. Kansas State

22. Tennessee

24. UCLA

 

On the Cusp:

Memphis

San Diego State

Notre Dame

Kentucky

Maryland

 

Biggest Jump:

Mississippi State (11)

The Bulldogs knocked off LSU in dominating fashion. A 30-point slugging has the other Bulldogs from the SEC in a good spot when they travel to Athens to face Georgia this week.

 

Biggest Drop:

LSU (11)

See above. Also, the Tigers just looked inept. They will try to rebound this week as they go to Syracuse.

 

Newcomers:

Mississippi State

West Virginia

Oregon

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt is by far the strangest newcomer. After defeating Kansas State, the Commodores play host to 1 Alabama. We will get to see just how good this team is.

 

Week 3 Predictions

Now that you are caught up on everything, here are our predictions for all things college football today.

 



Air Force at 5 Michigan

10 Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh

24 UCLA at Memphis

Northern Illinois at Nebraska

Louisiana at Texas A&M

Kansas at Ohio

Delaware State at West Virginia

Iowa State at Akron

Connecticut at Virginia

Furman at North Carolina State

Baylor at Duke

Coastal Carolina at UAB

Northern Colorado at Colorado

Utah State at Wake Forest

Tennessee Tech at Ball State

9 Wisconsin at BYU

16 Virginia Tech at East Carolina

SMU at 25 TCU

22 Tennessee at 23 Florida

Central Michigan at Syracuse

North Carolina at Old Dominion

Notre Dame at Boston College

Morgan State at Rutgers

Middle Tennessee State at Minnesota

North Texas at Iowa

Mercer at 15 Auburn

Purdue at Missouri

Army at 8 Ohio State

Oregon State at 19 Washington State

Tulane at 2 Oklahoma

North Carolina A&T at Charlotte

Colgate at Buffalo

Bethune-Cookman at Florida Atlantic

Kent State at Marshall

Colorado State at 1 Alabama

11 LSU at Mississippi State

Southern Miss at Louisiana Monroe

Southern at UT-San Antonio

Louisiana Tech at Western Kentucky

Oregon at Wyoming

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas State

Idaho at Western Michigan

Alabama A&M at South Alabama

Tulsa at Toledo

Appalachian State at Texas State

Idaho State at Nevada

Georgia State at 4 Penn State

Samford at 13 Georgia

20 Kansas State at Vanderbilt

Kentucky at South Carolina

Bowling Green at Northwestern

3 Clemson at 14 Louisville

Rice at Houston

Troy at New Mexico State

Cincinnati at Miami (OH)

Arizona State at Texas Tech

Texas at 6 USC

Fresno State at 7 Washington

San Jose State at Utah

17 Stanford at San Diego State

Ole Miss at California

Season Record
 

Three Big Things

Now that you've had time to look over the schedule, let's check out what we're watching for this week.

• Road Warriors

This weeks lineup has several ranked teams going on the road in non-conference games. 10 Oklahoma State will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers in a "measuring stick" game to see how they fair against a team who just got roughed up by Penn State. 24 UCLA will travel across the country to face a feisty Memphis team, while 16 Virginia Tech will exorcise its own demons when they square off at East Carolina. We also have 9 Wisconsin facing the fighting Mormons of BYU, and 17 Stanford making a short trip to San Diego. These matchups aren't the only ranked road games, but they are the ones who should take care of business. Other teams in action should be on...

• Upset Alert

Yes! We are officially putting the following teams on watch as they might be putting a crooked number in their loss column by the end of the night. 11 LSU opens SEC play at Mississippi State. Starkville isn't a place you want to find yourself after dark on a Saturday. The Tigers will get their first real test of the season when they meet Nick Fitzgerald and the Bulldogs.
20 Kansas State makes a trip to Nashville to play the Commodores of Vanderbilt. Normally, no one would worry about Vanderbilt, but keep an eye on this one. Derek Mason's team is primed to surprise a few people this season, and beating the Wildcats would be a good start.
Finally, we have a rematch of a national championship that didn't happen. Texas travels to 6 USC in the night cap that was promising to start the season. After losing the opener to Maryland, one would think that the Longhorns have no shot in the Coliseum. Well, think again! Calling it now, Tom Herman and his Texas team will give USC all they want, and might even come back to Austin with the W.

• 3 Clemson Opens Up ACC Play at 14 Louisville

The obvious game of the week will feature the defending national champions on the road against the defending Heisman Trophy winner. Clemson will open conference play in Louisville where they hope to give Lamar Jackson another beating. The Cardinals are hosting College GameDay again after putting on a show against heavily-favored Florida State a year ago. Lamar Jackson is going to do his thing. The question is: will his team put up enough effort for a statement win against the Tigers?


Those are our Three Big Things this week. What are you looking forward to? Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments.

College Football Week 3 Lineup

Week 3 is here, and we've got your schedule. The slate is similar to last week except that we have more conference action. With that being said, let's take a quick look

12:00-3-00

 

Air Force at 5 Michigan

10 Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh

24 UCLA at Memphis

Northern Illinois at Nebraska

Louisiana at Texas A&M

Kansas at Ohio

Delaware State at West Virginia

Iowa State at Akron

Connecticut at Virginia

Furman at North Carolina State

Baylor at Duke

Coastal Carolina at UAB

Northern Colorado at Colorado

 

 

3:00-7:00

 

Utah State at Wake Forest

Tennessee Tech at Ball State

9 Wisconsin at BYU

16 Virginia Tech at East Carolina

SMU at 25 TCU

22 Tennessee at 23 Florida

Central Michigan at Syracuse

North Carolina at Old Dominion

Notre Dame at Boston College

Morgan State at Rutgers

Middle Tennessee State at Minnesota

North Texas at Iowa

Mercer at 15 Auburn

Purdue at Missouri

Army at 8 Ohio State

Oregon State at 19 Washington State

Tulane at 2 Oklahoma

North Carolina A&T at Charlotte

Colgate at Buffalo

Bethune-Cookman at Florida Atlantic

Kent State at Marshall

 

 

7:00-11:59

 

Colorado State at 1 Alabama

11 LSU at Mississippi State

Southern Miss at Louisiana Monroe

Southern at UT-San Antonio

Louisiana Tech at Western Kentucky

Oregon at Wyoming

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Arkansas State

Idaho at Western Michigan

Alabama A&M at South Alabama

Tulsa at Toledo

Appalachian State at Texas State

Idaho State at Nevada

Georgia State at 4 Penn State

Samford at 13 Georgia

20 Kansas State at Vanderbilt

Kentucky at South Carolina

Bowling Green at Northwestern

3 Clemson at 14 Louisville

Rice at Houston

Troy at New Mexico State

Cincinnati at Miami (OH)

Arizona State at Texas Tech

Texas at 6 USC

Fresno State at 7 Washington

San Jose State at Utah

17 Stanford at San Diego State

Ole Miss at California

 

 

At quick glance, there are several teams who should be on upset alert. A few ranked teams are making trips to teams that are unranked, and only two matchups are between teams in the Sports By Smith Poll. Who will win a game they shouldn't? Who is walking into a trap? Will there be a shake up in the Poll? Let us know in the comments.

Sports By Smith Top 25: Week 3

Hello Readers! Sorry for the short break, but we are back. Also, we have a special treat for you. This week, we have all three of our writers voting in our Top 25 Poll. You might notice a few changes below. Let's jump in and examine:

1. Alabama 2-0 (1)

2. Oklahoma 2-0 (5)

3. Clemson 2-0 (2)

4. Penn State 2-0 (4)

5. Michigan 2-0 (6)

6. Southern Cal 2-0 (7)

7. Washington 2-0 (8)

8. Ohio State 1-1 (3)

9. Wisconsin 2-0 (9)

10. Oklahoma State 2-0 (10)

11. LSU 2-0 (11)

12. Florida State 0-1 (13)

13. Georgia 2-0 (18)

14. Louisville 2-0 (15)

15. Auburn 1-1 (12)

16. Virginia Tech 2-0 (17)

17. Stanford 1-1 (14)

18. Miami 1-0 (16)

19. Washington State 2-0 (19)

20. Kansas State 2-0 (21)

21. South Florida 2-0 (20)

22. Tennessee 2-0 (24)

23. Florida 0-1 (22)

24. UCLA 2-0 (25)

25. TCU 2-0 (NR)

 

Dropped From Poll:

23. Notre Dame

 

On the Cusp:

Utah

West Virginia

 

Biggest Jump:

Georiga (5)

A 1-point victory on the road with a freshman quarterback, and two teams losing ahead of them was enough for the Bulldogs to climb five spots from a week ago

 

Biggest Drop:

Ohio State (5)

The Buckeyes let Oklahoma do whatever they wanted last week. Hell, Baker Mayfield went all Buzz Aldrin at the Horseshoe.

 

Newcomer:

TCU

TCU knocked off a second-rate SEC team to climb into the leaderboard. Let's see how long it lasts.

 

 

Crazy? Correct? Where did we get it right or miss it? Give us some feedback and let us know.

Quick Thoughts: Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky

A Tale of Two Halves; that's what this game was. After being behind 13-3 in the first half, and 13-10 at the half, Kentucky needed to do something in the second, or else! The Cats edged out the Colonels from Eastern Kentucky today by a score of 27-16, but it was by no means easy. Let's look at how we got here.

Slow Start

The Wildcats did not start well today. An early lead of 3-0 would not hold up for long. The Colonels came back with a 13-3 lead after a blocked extra point in the 2nd quarter. How did this happen again? After being behind, UK inserted Drew Barker. The last time Barker took a snap was nearly a year ago, and it was easy to see that he was not ready. As much as I love Drew, he did not need to be in the game. Benny Snell also started slow. Between the two, they recorded -3 yards from scrimmage. 

In the second half, whole different story. Just after leading a touchdown drive before the half, Johnson ignited the offense. UK left the Wildcat package in the locker room at halftime, and it helped tremendously. Kentucky outscored EKU 17-3 in the second behind 100 yards on the ground from Snell, and 97 yards on three catches from Blake Bone. 

Penalties

Penalties were a plenty throughout the game. The first half featured Kentucky showing a lack of discipline, and EKU in the second. 17 total penalties for a combined 165 yards is enough to drive anyone mad. 

It's notable that true Freshman Lynn Bowden was tossed in the first quarter after a targeting penalty after not playing last week. Ugly game penalty wise for both teams. 

Shades of 2015

I couldn't tell you how many times they mentioned the game from two years ago on the broadcast today. Watching reminded me of that game also. In 2015, the Cats trailed by 14 late before forcing overtime and scraping by with the win. Today, they looked lackadaisical while trailing yet again by double digits. Again, it was a tale of two halves. First half-couldn't do shit. Second half-got shit done. It's always good to see a team come back from that. 

So what does it all mean? Kentucky is 2-0 with a huge conference matchup coming in Columbia next week.

EKU falls to 0-2 after a second week of just falling short against a superior FBS opponent. 

It's still early, but both teams will be fine. 

Week 2 Prediction Thread

Just before we kick off, let's open up the prediction thread. Last week wasn't a bad week. Sports By Smith correctly picked 49 out of 59 games. That's quite a bit! Here's hoping that we do even better this week. 

Remember: If you're gambling, do it responsibly. If you're brave enough to use these as your base, God help you.

Cincinnati at 6 Michigan

Florida Atlantic at 9 Wisconsin

15 Louisville at North Carolina

Charlotte at 21 Kansas State

Northwestern at Duke

East Carolina at West Virginia

Buffalo at Army

Towson at Maryland

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky

UT-Martin at Ole Miss

Iowa at Iowa State

Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech

Wake Forest at Boston College

Texas State at Colorado

UAB at Ball State

Fresno State at 1 Alabama

Pittsburgh at 4 Penn State

Delaware at 17 Virginia Tech

TCU at Arkansas

Tulane at Navy

Indiana at Virginia

Villanova at Temple

Savannah State at Appalachian State

Austin Peay at Miami (OH)

Eastern Illinois at Northern Illinois

Howard at Kent State

Middle Tennessee State at Syracuse

Old Dominion at UMass

Western Michigan at Michigan State

Eastern Michigan at Rutgers

San Jose State at Texas

Abilene Christian at Colorado State

Indiana State at 24 Tennessee

Gardner-Webb at Wyoming

Central Michigan at Kansas

Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt

New Hampshire at Georgia Southern

Louisiana at Tulsa

Nebraska at Oregon

Hawai'i at 25 UCLA

Weber State at California

Marshall at North Carolina State

South Dakota at Bowling Green

Alabama State at Troy

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Akron

12 Auburn at 2 Clemson

Toledo at Nevada

UNLV at Idaho

Southern at Southern Miss

North Texas at SMU

South Carolina at Missouri

Nicholls at Texas A&M

5 Oklahoma at 3 Ohio State

Chattanooga at 11 LSU

18 Georgia at 23 Notre Dame

Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech

Montana at 8 Washington

UT San Antonio at Baylor

Western Kentucky at Illinois

Rice at UTEP

New Mexico State at New Mexico

14 Stanford at 7 USC

Minnesota at Oregon State

Utah at BYU

Boise State at 19 Washington State

Houston at Arizona

San Diego State at Arizona State

Season Record
52-12 (.813)

Three Big Things: Week 2

Now that you have had time to look over the schedule, let's dive into it. Here are the Three Big Things to watch out for this weekend.

• Ranked Matchups

This week's slate features twice as many games that pit Top-25 teams than it did a week ago. Georgia travels to South Bend where they are bringing in a replacement for Jacob Eason. Notre Dame made their debut this week in our poll, and a win over the Bulldogs will go a long way for a team that finished 4-8 a year ago.

Clemson's title run last year began when they knocked off Auburn 19-13 down on the plains. This year, Auburn makes a return trip to Death Valley where they hope to return the favor. Whoever wins the Battle of the Tigers will have a quality win in their pocket before heading into what promises to be a brutal conference schedule for each team.

In another rematch from a year ago, Oklahoma travels to the Horseshoe to take on another Playoff contender in the nightcap when they face Ohio State. Both teams are Top 5 and have high expectations for the season. A loss won't hurt Ohio State's chances, but one has to believe it will really damage the Sooners'. With the Big 12 being what it was in Week 1, I'm saying this is a must-win for Lincoln Riley and Crew.

• The Texas Three-Way

With last week's terrible showing for teams from the Lone Star State, one has to wonder how much of a bounce back each are in for. After being embarrassed by Liberty, Baylor welcomes in-state opponent UT-San Antonio who is likely going to be made an example of. A week from allowing the largest comeback in recent memory, Texas A&M hosts Nicholls State as they look to put the UCLA loss behind them. Texas looks to right the ship when San Jose State comes to Austin, and notch the first win for Tom Herman in burnt orange. All three games should be wins for each program, but we'll have to see how much damage was taken in Week 1.

• Early Season Rivalry Week

Week 2 offers us a couple of early season rivalry games. First up is the Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy. Iowa will travel to Ames where the Hawkeyes would love to crash the Cyclones' party for another year. Stanford travels to USC where we find two ranked teams squaring off for the 96th time. Finally, the Holy War. Utah travels to BYU where they will face their "Most Beloved Rival" in this year's edition of the matchup. The Cougars have lost nine straight in the series dating back to their last win in 2009.


There you have it. Three Big Things to be on the lookout for. Another thing you should be watching for is our weekly predictions. Last week treated us fairly, lets hope this week is more of the same. Picks and bets coming in an hour and a half. See you then!

College Football Wake-Up: Week 2

After a long week, isn't it nice to kick back, relax, and watch some football? Today, we will enjoy college football one last time before the NFL throws out a full slate. (Check back later for news on tomorrow's games. For now, lets run down the schedule of what is happening today.

*-Rankings reflect Sports By Smith Poll

12:00-3:00

 

Cincinnati at 6 Michigan

Florida Atlantic at 9 Wisconsin

15 Louisville at North Carolina

Charlotte at 21 Kansas State

Northwestern at Duke

East Carolina at West Virginia

Buffalo at Army

Towson at Maryland

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky

UT-Martin at Ole Miss

Iowa at Iowa State

Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech

Wake Forest at Boston College

Texas State at Colorado

 

3:00-7:00

 

UAB at Ball State

Fresno State at 1 Alabama

Pittsburgh at 4 Penn State

Delaware at 17 Virginia Tech

TCU at Arkansas

Tulane at Navy

Indiana at Virginia

Villanova at Temple

Savannah State at Appalachian State

Austin Peay at Miami (OH)

Eastern Illinois at Northern Illinois

Howard at Kent State

Middle Tennessee State at Syracuse

Old Dominion at UMass

Western Michigan at Michigan State

Eastern Michigan at Rutgers

San Jose State at Texas

Abilene Christian at Colorado State

Indiana State at 24 Tennessee

Gardner-Webb at Wyoming

Central Michigan at Kansas

Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt

New Hampshire at Georgia Southern

Louisiana at Tulsa

Nebraska at Oregon

Hawai'i at 25 UCLA

Weber State at California

Marshall at North Carolina State

South Dakota at Bowling Green

Alabama State at Troy

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Akron

 

7:00-11:59

 

12 Auburn at 2 Clemson

Toledo at Nevada

UNLV at Idaho

Southern at Southern Miss

North Texas at SMU

South Carolina at Missouri

Nicholls at Texas A&M

5 Oklahoma at 3 Ohio State

Chattanooga at 11 LSU

18 Georgia at 23 Notre Dame

Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech

Montana at 8 Washington

UT San Antonio at Baylor

Western Kentucky at Illinois

Rice at UTEP

New Mexico State at New Mexico

14 Stanford at 7 USC

Minnesota at Oregon State

Utah at BYU

Boise State at 19 Washington State

Houston at Arizona

San Diego State at Arizona State

 

Games Cancelled

 

Louisiana Monroe at 13 Florida State

16 Miami at Arkansas State

20 South Florida at Connecticut

Northern Colorado at 22 Florida

 

For the most part, a pretty exciting day of football. Check back after while and I'll let you know the Three Big Things to watch for this week.

 



Sports By Smith Top 25

As part of our blog, every Monday we plan to bring you our Top 25/ Seeing as the final game of the week was played on Monday, we are bringing it to you today. So let's look at who we think the best teams are. Previous rankings in parentheses.

 

 

1. Alabama 1-0 (1)

2. Clemson 1-0 (4)

3. Ohio State 1-0 (2)

4. Penn State 1-0 (6)

5. Oklahoma 1-0 (7)

6. Michigan 1-0 (11)

7. Southern Cal 1-0 (5)

8. Washington 1-0 (8)

9. Wisconsin 1-0 (9)

10. Oklahoma State 1-0 (10)

11. LSU 1-0 (13)

12. Auburn 1-0 (12)

13. Florida State 0-1 (3)

14. Stanford 1-0 (14)

15. Louisville 1-0 (16)

16. Miami 1-0 (18)

17. Virginia Tech 1-0 (21)

18. Georgia 1-0 (15)

19. Washington State 1-0 (24)

20. South Florida 2-0 (19)

21. Kansas State 1-0 (20)

22. Florida 0-1 (17)

23. Notre Dame 1-0 (NR)

24. Tennessee 1-0 (25)

25. UCLA 1-0 (NR)

Dropped from Poll:

22. West Virginia 0-1

23. Texas 0-1

Biggest Jump:

Michigan

 

Biggest Drop:

Florida State

 

Newcomers:

23 Notre Dame

25 UCLA

 

 

Agree, disagree, think we're crazy? Let us know. Its only Week 2, a lot will change.

Weekend Recap

With the conclusion of the Tennessee-Georgia Tech game, we are finished with the first full weekend of college football. And what a weekend it was! Upsets, blowouts, surprises, and disappointments; we had it all. Lets have a quick rundown of what all went on.

Biggest Surpise

 

The State of Texas

 

Every year, Texas is back. Every year, we're all tricked. The Longhorns got rocked at home in an upset victory for Maryland. Watching the game, one could ask themselves; "Is this an upset?" You wouldn't be alone. The Terps dominated the game. Texas struck first, but Maryland ran off 27 unanswered. The Longhorns would cut it to three twice after that before Maryland stretched out a 17-point lead, while cruising to a 10-point road win over the Longhorns. Not the ideal result for the debut of the Tom Herman era.

 

You'll notice we said "The State of Texas". Well, there's a reason for that. Baylor lost to FCS Liberty. FCS LIBERTY! This game was closer than the first we talked about, but the problem with that is it shouldn't have been. We hear of teams in FBS losing to FCS occasionally, but this is Baylor. A few years removed from playoff snub. Now they are the laughing stock of America.

 

Don't even get me started on Texas A&M. You're playing for your coaches job and what do you do? You blow a 34-point lead and lose the game. With 4:06 left in the third quarter, A&M was cruising to victory with a 44-10 lead. 44-10! Kevin Sumlin might not make it to the next game. You don't lose those.

 

 

 

Player of the Week

 

Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

 

The Good: Drew Lock set records for yards and TDs in a single Missouri football game. The Bad: The score against an FCS-team looked like a basketball game.

Player of the Week honors go to Drew Lock of Missouri. The junior quarterback completed 21-of-34 passes for a school-record 521 yards and 7 touchdowns. Normally, games like this against an inferior opponent are irrelevant, but Mizzou got all they wanted from Missouri State. The final score ended up being 72-43. Hence the basketball comment.

 

 

Story that Shouldn't be a Story

 

Injuries

 

Injuries are never a good thing. Star quarterback Deondre Francois for Florida State went out of their game against Alabama with an injury to his Patella Tendon. Francois is expected to miss the rest of the season. On the other side of the ball, Alabama lost a pair of linebackers in Terrell Lewis (elbow) and Christian Miller (Torn Biceps). Both will have surgery and are expected to be out for the year.

Sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason of the Georgia Bulldogs is expected to miss a considerable amount of time with a sprained knee ligament.

While injuries are apart of the game, the ones stated are huge blows to three teams with high expectations for the year. Georgia and Alabama should overcome, but Florida State's title chances might have just left.

 

 

That's all for our Weekend Recap. Check back later for the Sports By Smith Top 25 Poll!



Week 1 Predictions

Winners are in BOLD. At the bottom are the games I'll be taking action on.

Kent State at #5 Clemson

Akron at #6 Penn State

Maryland at #23 Texas

Ball State at Illinois

Wyoming at Iowa

Bowling Green at Michigan State

Missouri State at Missouri

California at North Carolina

Bethune-Cookman at #18 Miami

Youngstown State at Pittsburgh

Portland State at Oregon State

VMI at Air Force

North Carolina State at South Carolina

UTEP at #7 Oklahoma

#11 Michigan vs #17 Florida (Dallas, TX)

Temple at Notre Dame

Nevada at Northwestern

William & Mary at Virginia

Alabama A&M at UAB

Troy at Boise State

Stony Brook at #19 South Florida

Eastern Washington at Texas Tech

Kentucky at Southern Mississippi

Charleston Southern at Mississippi State

Western Michigan at #4 USC

North Carolina Central at Duke

James Madison at East Carolina

Albany at Old Dominion

Appalachian State at #15 Georgia

Miami (OH) at Marshall

Lamar at North Texas

Eastern Kentucky at Western Kentucky

Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech

Stephen F. Austin at SMU

UMass at Coastal Carolina

Liberty at Baylor

Southeast Missouri State at Kansas

Hampton at Ohio

Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana

Houston Baptist at Texas State

Central Arkansas at #20 Kansas State

Georgia Southern at #12 Auburn

#16 Louisville vs Purdue (Indianapolis, IN)

South Alabama at Ole Miss

Cal Poly at San Jose State

#3 Florida State vs #1 Alabama (Atlanta, GA)

Abilene Christian at New Mexico

Arkansas State at Nebraska

Jackson State at TCU

Northern Iowa at Iowa State

Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee State

Grambling at Tulane

Southern Utah at Oregon

UC Davis at San Diego State

Howard at UNLV

BYU vs #13 LSU (New Orleans, LA)

Incarnate Word at Fresno State

Montana State at #24 Washington State

Western Carolina at Hawai'i

Betting Spreads

Kentucky -11 over Southern Mississippi
Louisville -26 over Purdue
Vandy -3 over MTSU
Michigan -6 over Florida
Alabama -7.5 over Florida State

Record Straight up: 3-2 (.600)

Record vs Spread: 1-2 (.333)

Three Big Things

With two hours before the first games kickoff, let us take some time and discuss three things that you should pay close attention to.

• The New Red River Rivalry

While we are still weeks away from the Sooners and Longhorns facing off, it would be silly to think that this week's games don't play a big role in the new path the rivalry takes. For the first time since 1998, Bob Stoops will not be patrolling the sidelines for Boomer Sooner. Lincoln Riley makes his coaching debut after Stoops abruptly retired during the summer.
On the Texas side, Tom Herman makes his Longhorn debut after coming over from the Houston Cougars last year.
Both coaches inherit Top 25 programs that are expected to compete for the Big XII Title.
Trivia time! When was the last time that both Texas and Oklahoma both entered a new season with new coaches? You have to go all the way back to 1947 when Bud Wilkinson led the Sooners, and Blair Cherry was at the helm in Austin

• Michigan and Florida Square Off in the Jerry Dome

A battle of the minds will finally meet on the gridiron. For the past few weeks, mystery has shrowded both teams as they have each been hesitant to tip their hand to the other. Now that Jim Harbaugh and Jim McElwain have released their depth charts, we'll see it to believe it. Despite the mind games leading up to it, this game should be worth the wait. Michigan was close to a Playoff berth last year in a race that come down to the wire. While they are not the same team they were a year ago, you can bet they have the same goals.
Florida will be lucky to have enough players to field a team. McElwain has suspended a number of players including standouts from a year ago Antonio Callaway and Jordan Scarlett. Add that to the fact that the Gators are starting a redshirt freshman at quarterback in Feleipe Franks, this one looks one-sided.

• Florida State and Alabama Kick Off a Clash of the Titans

#1 vs #3 is usually left to a playoff matchup at the end of the season, but Alabama and Florida State have thrown out the rule book. Easily the most watched game of the weekend tonight, these two are squaring off in what might also be a prequel to a postseason matchup in late-December early-January. With both teams returning a ton, this will be a great game to watch.

What are your storylines for the weekend? Let us know in the comments below. Check back later for game predictions and bets.

What We Are Watching

Smith Family Tradition has always been to celebrate the opening day of college football. How do we do that? Well, I am glad that you have asked. Each year, a tailgate party is thrown on the yard where we grill out, play games, and watch football out in the yard. Two TVs are set up, and constantly have football on at all times. Yes, we bring the TVs outside.

This year is different. Without a game being played in Ireland to start the morning off right. We must wait until College Gameday comes on before we have anything to watch. That does not mean that we won't be out bright and early, no. You can be sure that even before the sun comes up, there will be a commotion in the yard that can only mean one thing: It's football season.

Let's take a look at what will be on for our viewing pleasure.

9:00

 

College GameDay

 

No Saturday is complete without a visit from our good buddies Reece, Kirk, and Coach. GameDay is a tradition with many people, and we are the same. For three hours while the meats are cooking, we will be welcoming back our old friends for another season.

 

 

12:00-3:00

 

Kent State at #5 Clemson (Main Screen)

Akron at #6 Penn State (Side Screen)

 

There's not much happening in the first block of football, but this viewing will show last year's champion and also one of last year's contenders opening their seasons at home. One might catch us flipping to Maryland at #23 Texas to check out the Longhorn's new coach,

 

 

3:30-8:00

 

Kentucky at Southern Miss (Main Screen)

#11 Michigan vs #17 Florida/Temple at Notre Dame (Side Screen)

 

In the second part of the day, we'll be watching our Wildcats as they travel to Hattiesburg looking to avenge their loss from a season ago. On the side screen, we hope to be alternating between the Michigan/Florida game and also Temple/Notre Dame.

 

 

8:00-?

 

#3 Florida State vs #1 Alabama

 

The weather has been getting cooler of late, so at this time, we'll likely move inside. Who wouldn't want to watch this game? Two of the Top 3 teams squaring off, on a neutral field, the first week of the season? Count us in!

 

 

As with everything, this schedule is subject to change. Best of luck to your teams, and enjoy this first weekend. Come back later and see who we think will win each of the matchups this week. But in the mean time, who are you watching today? How are you watching them? We would love to hear from you. Have a safe opening weekend!

College Football Wake-Up

Good Morning Readers! Saturday has finally made it. It is time for the first full weekend of college football, and we could not be more ecstatic! Stay tuned today for lots of material from us as we dive into the first full weekend of football. Let's take a look at the slate of games.

 

12:00-1:00

 

Kent State at #5 Clemson

Akron at #6 Penn State

Maryland at #23 Texas

Ball State at Illinois

Wyoming at Iowa

Bowling Green at Michigan State

Missouri State at Missouri

California at North Carolina

Bethune-Cookman at #18 Miami

 

1:00-3:00

 

Youngstown State at Pittsburgh

Portland State at Oregon State

VMI at Air Force

 

3:00-7:00

 

North Carolina State at South Carolina

UTEP at #7 Oklahoma

#11 Michigan vs #17 Florida (Dallas, TX)

Temple at Notre Dame

Nevada at Northwestern

William & Mary at Virginia

Alabama A&M at UAB

Troy at Boise State

Stony Brook at #19 South Florida

Eastern Washington at Texas Tech

Kentucky at Southern Mississippi

Charleston Southern at Mississippi State

Western Michigan at #4 USC

North Carolina Central at Duke

James Madison at East Carolina

Albany at Old Dominion

Appalachian State at #15 Georgia

Miami (OH) at Marshall

 

7:00-11:59

 

Lamar at North Texas

Eastern Kentucky at Western Kentucky

Northwestern State at Louisiana Tech

Stephen F. Austin at SMU

UMass at Coastal Carolina

Liberty at Baylor

Southeast Missouri State at Kansas

Hampton at Ohio

Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana

Houston Baptist at Texas State

Central Arkansas at #20 Kansas State

Georgia Southern at #12 Auburn

#16 Louisville vs Purdue (Indianapolis, IN)

South Alabama at Ole Miss

Cal Poly at San Jose State

#3 Florida State vs #1 Alabama (Atlanta, GA)

Abilene Christian at New Mexico

Arkansas State at Nebraska

Jackson State at TCU

Northern Iowa at Iowa State

Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee State

Grambling at Tulan

Southern Utah at Oregon

UC Davis at San Diego State

Howard at UNLV

BYU vs #13 LSU (New Orleans, LA)

Incarnate Word at Fresno State

Montana State at #24 Washington State

Western Carolina at Hawai'i

 

 

Full slate of games, as we have said. Check back later when we will tell you what we are watching, what to watch for, and how we're betting. Happy College Football!



Weekend Recap

Good Monday Evening. Hopefully this Monday wasn't too bad for you. We have a few things to cover tonight that you might have missed over the weekend. We had the first (sorta) weekend of college football, some little contest in Vegas, and something that hasn't happened in the National League in ten years. Let's jump into it.


Week 0, the new starting point for the college football season, kicked off over the weekend. With only five games being played, I wouldn't fault you if you didn't watch. We had two ranked teams playing on Saturday, and both took care of business. South Florida kicked off the Charlie Strong Era with a convincing road win over San Jose State. Stanford traveled "Down Under", and sent Rice home with a royal tail kicking.

If you read our post Saturday morning, one of the biggest questions surrounding Stanford was the task of replacing All-Purpose, do-it-all, running back Christian McCaffrey. In the limited time we saw him, Bryce Love answered those questions. The junior back carried the ball 13 times for 180 yards. His lone touchdown was on a 62-yard scamper. All of which was quite sufficient to earn him the Sports By Smith Stud of the Week.


The fight that everyone waited for was exactly what everyone thought it would be. A lopsided matchup that featured two of the best talkers in combat sports today had the attention of the entire world. Billed out as the most lucrative fight in the history of each sport, it could have been better. I was for McGregor the entire time, but I called what would happen before the bell even rang. The first three rounds saw McGregor taking the fight to Mayweather. Once Floyd knew what to expect, he went defensive and showed why he is one of the greatest boxers of our generation.

After the initial onslaught from McGregor, it was noticeable that he was tiring out. Floyd worked him down and just gassed him. By the time Floyd started raining punches in the tenth round, it was only a matter of time. Floyd looked like a fresh fighter when the ref stepped inbetween them.

For his first professional boxing match, Colin McGregor didn't hold back. He was on the world's biggest stage, against the best fighter in the world, and gave it everything he had. Give him a few more matches, and he would be just fine. However, here's hoping that he returns to the UFC. I kept getting excited when he was throwing chop punches to the back of Mayweather's head, or when he grappled him from behind ready to take him down! I'm hoping the next fight, we see him back in the cage.


Giancarlo Stanton became the first National League player to hit 50 home runs in a season on Sunday since Prince Fielder accomplished the same in 2007. Stanton's 50th came in the eighth inning during a tied game. With 17 home runs this month, he has a very good chance of going for 60+ on the year.

Because he plays for the Marlins, not many people are able to see him. Whenever you get the chance, and see a Marlins game on TV, tune in. The guy is on a tear! Not since the Bonds' seasons in the early 2000's has such a power hitter been seen.


That's all we have for tonight. Check back tomorrow as we get ready for the first full week of college football. Throughout the week, we will look ahead at some of the marquee matchups, get some predictions in, talk about gambling, and also let you know what we are watching that you should be too. See you then!

Saturday Gambling Post

Good Afternoon, and welcome back!

In this post, I'm going to share with you some of the bets that I will be placing today. Now, before we go any further, I want you to know that you should always gamble responsibly. Never bet more than you are afraid to lose! If you follow my advice, damn you're brave! With that being said, I am not telling you that you should bet as I do, just what action I'm getting in on. So without further ado, here are my bets and picks for the week.


UMASS (-2) over Hawaii

East Coast game, long travel, Hawaii is trash, you get the point.

USF/SJSU OVER 

USF has an amazing offense, but a shaky defense. I'm not so sure they cover the 22 they are giving up, and I feel more confident that both teams will combine for the over.

Stanford (-30) over Rice

See previous post. Rice might lose to an FCS team.

Conor McGregor to Win

The odds are too good to pass up. I mean +! Are you kidding me? Give him a punchers chance and see how it goes. The fight will likely go one of two ways.  1.) Conor knocks out Floyd in an early round (1-3).  2.) Floyd makes it through the initial onslaught and coasts to a decision over a gassed McGregor. I like the Irishman. I love Irish people. I will be watching this fight while drinking a Guinness and hoping for The Notorious to tag Mayweather with that crooked number in his record.


Picks Straight Up:

Oregon State over Colorado State
BYU over Portland State
UMASS over Hawaii
South Florida over San Jose State
Stanford over Rice


Again, gamble responsibly! Let us know in the comments what you're going in on, what you agree with, or what you disagree with. Happy Saturday!

Week 0(?) Preview

FINALLY! At long last, football season is back! Well, sorta.

Although Week 0 only contains five games, it is actual football that you get to watch on TV. Even though there is a small event occurring in Vegas tonight, let's focus on football for a moment. Here is what we are keeping our eyes on today.

#19 South Florida (-22) at San Jose State  (7:30 PM)

 

 

When Charlie Strong left Texas, it was hard to believe that he could have gotten a better gig without taking some time off. Well, think again! Strong inherits a team that won 11 games a year ago, and also returns 18 starters from said team. South Florida also finished in the Top 15 nationally in total offense, and returns one of the most dangerous dual threat quarterbacks in Quinton Flowers. Strong mans a team that has high expectations this year, not only in their conference, but nationally.

 

San Jose State will be the host for the opening of the Charlie Strong Era in South Florida. Playing at home does have it's advantages, but don't expect the upset. The Spartans have too many question marks at nearly all of the skill positions to keep up in this one.

 

 

 

#14 Stanford (-30) VS Rice (Sydney, Australia, 10:00 PM)

 

 

 

The final game for the first half day of football will take place on an entirely different continent. The second edition of the Sydney Cup will feature the Stanford Cardinal playing the equivalent of a neutral site scrimmage with the Rice Owls. One of the major voids that Stanford must fill is the one left by Christian McCaffery. Junior tailback Bryce Love, who averaged 7.2 yards per touch a year ago, hopes to follow in his predecessor's steps. Another concern is starting quarterback Keller Chryst. Chryst was 6-0 last year as the starter, but suffered an ACL tear in the team's bowl game.

 

The atmosphere is expected to be bowl-like when the two teams face off. It might be the best that Rice can hope for as it will be a long trip to kick off a long season. The Owls have lost eight straight season openers dating back to the 2009 campaign. The last time they knocked off a Power 5 team was back in 2013 when they defeated Kansas. That was also the last time they had a winning record.

 

 

We hope you enjoy the first teaser weekend of college football. Check back later today when I tell you how I plan to bet today's action.



Welcome to Sports By Smith

GREETINGS!

 

 

 

Hello! Glad that you stumbled upon us. Are you tired of the same boring websites you get your news from? Want something quick and straight to the point? Are you tired of all the bullshit politics of sports reporting (Looking at you Worldwide Leader)?

 

Let me guess: You just want information without having to dig too deep through the crap that other sites put out as "news". You don't care who sat during the National Anthem. You don't care who posted the latest hateful tweet.

 

No sir, or madam, you care about sports. You care about results. You care about championships. You care about beating the snot out of your rival, or whoever does. Well, dear reader, you are not alone.

 

Welcome to Sports By Smith! We are just like you. We love sports! We leave politics to the major news networks, and drama to our exes. We care about the games, the stories, and the end results. Not all the other stuff that makes the bottom line and passes as "news".

 

We here at Sports By Smith abhor #FakeNews. It is just #sad what other websites, blogs, and podcasts have become. Have no fear, we will only put out stuff relevant to sports. We believe that sports are entertainment, a way of life. We enjoy them like every other Red-Blooded American, and we'll be damned if we don't report it like that!

 

My name is Chandler, but you may call me Dug. My colleagues are Corbeech and Alty. We are the Smiths, and we hope you enjoy what we have to say on sports, gambling, and life in general. Thank you for reading, and we will see you soon!