Picks of Opening Week's Biggest Games

2Missouri vs 16Illinois (St. Louis), 8:30PM ESPN – Illinois is good, but Missouri is a little bit better, just like last season. Missouri 41, Illinois 30

8Clemson vs Alabama (Atlanta), 8PM ABC Regional – Too bad Alabama is so inexperienced. If the kids were a year older, they would be the pick here. Clemson 20, Alabama 10

23Cal vs 24Michigan St., 8PM ABC Regional – Call this a home game pick. It will be close and the teams look even. As long as Cal’s quarterbacks play loose (they will at home), they win. Cal 31, Michigan St. 28

20Tennessee @ UCLA, 8PM Monday ESPN – UCLA has some well-documented injury issues on offense, Tennessee’s defensive talent is going to eat them alive. Tennessee 24, UCLA 3

21Oregon vs Washington, 10PM FSN – Oregon’s secondary should be able to do just enough to hold down Jake Locker and Washington’s explosive offense while its own offense finds its way. Oregon 27, Washington 21

Fresno St. @ Rutgers, 4PM Monday ESPN – I am not really buying all the talk of this being Pat Hill’s best Fresno St. team. Rutgers and its passing game will send the Bulldogs back to Earth quickly. Rutgers 34, Fresno St. 24

Utah @ Michigan, 3:30PM ABC Regional – Michigan, this is what your offense needs to look like. Too bad the defense is still too slow to stop offenses like Utah’s. Utah 35, Michigan 20

3USC @ Virginia, 3:30 PM ABC Regional – This game looked a whole better before Virginia lost their players to academics in the spring. An inspired effort, but not nearly good enough. USC 31, Virginia 14

22Virginia Tech @ East Carolina (in Charlotte), Noon ESPN – Upset time. East Carolina has everyone except the running back returning while Virginia Tech is rebuilding. East Carolina 20, Virginia Tech 17

12LSU vs Appalachian St., 5PM ESPN – No, its not going to happen again. Michigan’s slow plodding defense was one of the few App St. could have done that to last year. LSU 34, Appalachian St. 14

All rankings are according to yesterday's top 25 post and all times are Saturday and Eastern time unless otherwise noted