Picks for Opening Weekend of 2011

Every week I'll pick 3 to 4 games for recreational purposes only.  There's a lot of ugly games on the schedule this week with a lot of the major teams playing some sort of directional school that you won't hear about again until the opening weekend of next year (or week 2 in the SEC).  So, let's get it started with some of the better games on the slate this weekend.

TCU -4 at Baylor - The Horned Frogs lost quarterback Andy Dalton to the NFL, but they still have head coach Gary Patterson and running back Ed Wesley and a ferocious defense led by Rose Bowl hero Tank Carder.  They might not be perfect this year, but they'll extend the winning streak against the Bears.

Oregon -3.5 LSU - The Ducks got a look at an SEC defense in the BCS Championship last year and that will pay off this year.  If this was at Death Valley at night, I'd lean towards the Tigers, but at a neutral site the edge is with the Ducks.  LSU's defense should be exceptional this year, but the quarterback position will be spotty and the Ducks will roll.  Bonus in this game will be the cheerleaders on both sidelines as both teams have top 10 talent patrolling the sidelines.

Boise State -3 at Georgia - The idea that this is a neutral site game is a bit of a joke and it's the second straight year that the Broncos have gone east to a neutral site game that is really a home game for their opponent.  They came out smoking last year against Virgina Tech before cooling off and having to rally against the Hokies for the win.  With Kellen Moore back at quarterback and Doug Martin at running back, the offense will put up the points and the defense, which is overlooked every year, will be nasty again.  The grumbling to get rid of Bulldog coach Mark Richt will heat up after this game and a loss to South Carolina next week will really make it tough on Georgia.

at USC -23.5 Minnesota - You might hate him, especially if you're a Volunteer fan, but Lane Kiffin has done an amazing job of recruiting with the sanctions imposed on them.  The Golden Gophers are not very good and like most Big Ten teams who travel west to take on the Trojans, they won't fare well.  USC only won by 11 last year at Minnesota, but that was a little misleading as the Gophers scored a meaningless touchdown with 11 seconds left.  In Southern California, the Trojans roll.