Notre Dame Vs. South Florida Preview and Prediction

South Florida (0-0) at Notre Dame (0-0) September 3rd, 3:30 NBC

This will be the first ever meeting between the South Florida Bulls and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. South Florida comes in with a head coach who is all too familiar with Notre Dame in alum Skip Holtz. ND head coach Brian Kelly has a history with the South Florida program too as he went 3-0 while the head man at Cincinnati with an average win of 12 points per game. Notre Dame has been traditionally stout in home openers going 12-3 since 1996 including 3 straight wins since the 2007 Georgia Tech debacle. If the Fighting Irish have BCS dreams they need to come out with swagger, focus, and intensity as soon as they hit the Play Like A Champion Today sign and run out of that tunnel. The Bulls of South Florida are preseason Big East favorites by some pundits.



South Florida Offense: The Bulls have one of the best duel threat QB's in the nation in B. J. Daniels. Daniels will be looking to escape the pocket against a swarming Irish defense. In the backfield with Daniels is Colorado transfer Darrell Scott who was a 5 star prospect (#1 tailback in 2007) coming out of the prep ranks who never lived up to his billing in the Rockies. Also in the backfield is Demetris Murray who is a little smaller than Scott and they will be looking to break off some 10+ yard runs against a good Irish run defense. They will be running behind an inexperienced offensive line and Daniels will be looking to throw the ball downfield to A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin. As talented as Daniels is he is known to make mistakes and had more interceptions than touchdowns last year. The Bulls will be looking to run the ball and control the line of scrimmage. With the bodies ND has up front I expect the Irish to have an advantage.



South Florida Defense: The Bulls have major issues on the defensive line with only one returning starter. Like their offensive line Notre Dame should be able to control the line of scrimmage against an undersized Bulls unit. Their best defensive player is weak side linebacker DeDe Lattimore who as a freshman last season was the second leading tackler on the team. He will be one of the better defensive players Notre Dame goes against all season. Their secondary returns 3 of 4 starters along with 7 of the top 8 players and they will be looking to shut down the Irish passing game behind a somewhat inconsistent Dayne Crist. South Florida will look to run stunts and confuse the Fighting Irish into making mistakes. If the defense can cause 2 or more turnovers the Bulls could pull the upset.



Notre Dame Offense: QB Dayne Crist is looking to prove all the naysayers including myself wrong this season. Last year Crist was inconsistent and often looked like a deer in headlights with a 4-5 record before going down with another knee injury. This season I expect Crist to step up his game behind a stellar offensive line. In the backfield with Crist is junior Cierre Wood. Wood is a fast and elusive back who can take it to the house anytime he touches the ball. Look for Wood to run all over an inexperienced USF front four. When not handing it off to Wood Crist will be looking for All-American WR Michael Floyd. Nobody in the college game can cover Floyd and being the nightmare he is to gameplan against expect Crist to be locking into him early on. Receivers Theo Riddick and TJ Jones are good complementary receivers and should get touches along with TE Tyler Eifert. I expect the Irish to control the line led by left tackle Zack Martin and Kelly's spread offense to blossom in it's second year in South Bend.


Notre Dame Defense: The biggest reason for optimism this year under the Golden Dome is the defense. Last season the defense improved tremendously in the last 4 games and this should be their best defense in a decade. Defensive coordinator Bob Diaco has a tremendous front 7 led by an experienced front 3 with plenty of depth. Look for Kapron Lewis-Moore and Ethan Johnson to be causing havoc to a virgin Bulls line all day. Freshmen Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt will also get reps in the second series and will keep the Irish legs fresh. The linebacking crew is led by All-American Manti Te'o. Te'o is on a mission to destroy any ball carrier on his field..yes, his field. He will be teamed up with senior Darius Fleming who will look to contain Daniels if he does escape the pocket. The secondary is led by senior captain Harrison Smith. Smith had 7 INTs last year and along with CB's Gary Gray and Robert Blanton they should have one of the best secondaries in the nation. They along with safeties Jamoris Slaughter and Zeke Motta will be looking for timely turnovers from the somewhat erratic Daniels.

What I Expect To Happen: This is the biggest game potentially in the Bulls young history. Expect Holtz to have them fired up and ready. I think it will take a couple of series for the Notre Dame offense to shake off some of the cobwebs and I think the ND defense should control the game. I don't think it will be high scoring because of this. Daniels will have some big plays but I also expect the Irish to cause some crucial red zone turnovers. I think Murray will be effective at the tailback position and Scott will be neutralized. The spread is 10 points in favor of the home team but I think it will be closer than that. In what should be a tight and entertaining game and probably a little too close for some ND fans including myself's comfort the Irish pull it out behind some huge catches from senior WR Floyd.

Prediction: Notre Dame 21 South Florida 13

College Football Picks Tonight

AHHHHH. College Football is back and it's time to wake up your bookie. Listen my rule of thumb is to never bet on the opening weekend because you really don't know what is going to happen. But what fun would that be. So I cracked open a few cold ones and did some research on some of the games tonight. I feel like these are pretty good picks but don't go and throw away your mortgage and your family vacation money yet. Save it for next week when my picks will be right on.



Mississippi State -29 at Memphis
The shit just hit the fan with Memphis losing 10 players for tonight's game due to suspension. Mississippi State is coming off a 9 win season and are ready to take the next step in Dan Mullen's third season. They have a 5th year senior QB in Chris Relf who should tear up a poor Memphis team. Remember the Tigers only won one fucking game last season. This will be a blowout. Memphis will be burning!

Prediction: MSU 52 Memphis 10



UNLV at Wisconsin -34.5
The Badgers want to make a statement after losing to TCU in the Rose Bowl. With new QB Russell Wilson they should put up a ton of points against a porous Rebels defense. Wisconsin will run all over them with over 300 yards rushing easily tonight. In all honesty it would be an accomplishment for UNLV if they scored a touchdown. Even though the spread is huge I still like the Badgers covering it in the first half.

Prediction: Wisconsin 62 UNLV 6



Wake Forest +6.5 at Syracuse
Just a pure gut feeling on this one with no actual insight but I like Wake Forest to pull the upset here. I know it's in the Dome and the Orange will be looking to improve from last season but I think Wake is going to surprise some people this year. They will run the ball effectively and try to control the clock.

Prediction: Wake Forest 17 Syracuse 14

College Football Pick Em Contest

Our annual College Football Pick Em Contest is starting tonight. If you wanna join let me know. It's free to play and each week the winner gets a SportsCrack.com shirt. Each week you will get the chance to pick the winner of 10-15 games. It's fun. It's free. Email me at matt@sportscrack.com if you wanna play.

Bruce Feldman Unloads on ESPN and Craig James, Leaves ESPN for CBS Sports while talking on the Dan Patrick Show

Bruce Feldman has finally been freed! Feldman is one of the best college football writers in the business and ESPN totally shitted on him. Now we can get the unfiltered Feldman over at CBSSports.com. We here at SportsCrack.com want to wish Feldman the best of luck over at CBSSports. He is one of the good guys and has supported SportsCrack from the beginning.

Video via SportsGrid.com

Go to DanPatrick.com to listen to the best Sports Radio Talk Show. Seriously. Do it now.

Texas A&M SECedes

Finally. I've been sick and tired listening to the talking heads on the sports radio blabber about Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 conference without anything actually happening. It's been like watching our Congress slowly grabass each others manpieces and talk about nothing or get anything accomplished. Now finally we have concrete proof that Texas A&M is going to the SEC Conference to play big boy football.

So the question is why the fuck would the Aggies, who are a perennial middle of the road Big 12 team, leave for a conference where they will get their asses kicked? Because make no mistake the Aggies are going to get curb stomped trying to play with the Big Boys in the SEC. It's going to happen. It will be ugly. And the answer in case you are wondering sunshine is because they are sick of being Texas whipping boy.

For shame Aggie Nation. So you got your feelings hurt by the Longhorns. Why don't you man the fuck up and try to beat their asses instead of running for the money? I thought you were home of the 12th Man and those big ass bonfires and those maroon Canadian Mounties you call corps of cadets.

I guess I'm suppose to say this is good for the SEC Conference but honestly I don't give a shit. I don't care about market share and revenue coming into their fucking conference. I just want to see football and adding the Aggies doesn't make me hard. Hell it doesn't even make it move. Schools like LSU, Alabama, Florida, etc. are going to use and abuse their agricultural and mechanical college of candy ass football.

Listen I understand the SEC wanted to add another school west of the Mississippi but it shouldn't have been the fucking Aggies. Now they gotta add a 14th team but all along they should have been going for Oklahoma and Texas. That would have been fucking awesome. Instead the SEC will get some College Station herpes reject and probably a stinkin Hokie a-hole.

Well woopityfukindo. Now let's play some football!

Eagles Cheerleader Stephanie Smith Seems Friendly While Eating Cupcakes in Her Underwear

I'm just going to ignore that ridiculous contract the Philadelphia Eagles gave to Michael Vick yesterday and instead focus on one of their cheerleaders. Apparently a good day for Stephanie Smith is eating cupcakes while jumping around in your underwear. Shit. Who am I to argue?

Via CrossingBroad

Aaron Rodgers With The UItimate 70's Porn Stache

If I could grow some decent facial hair I think I would probably go the Aaron Rodgers route. Just full on porn mustache. Men respect it. Females knees go weak when they see it. The power of the porn stache is all encompassing.

Via TerezOwens

Cubs Fan Taking a Fall

Tiger Woods: "The Guy is Human...He's Not Going To Fuck Forever!"

Kevin Youkilis and Biz Markie Tearing It Up For a Car Dealership

Holy shit it's great to see Biz Markie tearing it up the old classic. If you are Kevin Youkilis how do you not break out laughing? I mean shit there is no possible way I would be able to hold it in without breaking a blood vessel.

Anyways buy a YOUK! Shirt. It's been like 10 years since I've sold a baseball shirt and my kid's diapers don't pay for themselves.


Video via HotClicks

Friday Funbags

GIFSoup


GIFSoup

Notre Dame vs Michigan Coke Supermarket Display

Absolutely brilliant display here. I've seen some impressive beer and soda displays in my time but this by far crushes all of them. The Notre Dame shamrock has got me so pumped up I want to slug some Sprite now. The only flaw in the display are the jerseys. The supermarket needs to tighten that shit up and put some Ann Arbor is a Whore shirts in there. Class it up Coke.

Soccer Players Will Come In Your Face

See what I said Captain America. Soccer players like to "come in your face." Fucking gross dude.

Via TheBigLead

HOLD EVERYTHING! Lingerie Football League Kicks Off This Friday

2011 LFL Broadcast Open from LFL Films on Vimeo.

I gotta admit I've never actually seen one of these Lingerie football games. Are they live and uncensored? I mean I would think since it's on MTV2 that we are not going to get the accidental full frontal on some girl trying to strip the ball. I kinda wish Atlanta had a team so I could go see it in person. But knowing our luck the team would move to a bigger market like Winnipeg.

Nice Headfirst Slide Asshole

I think we just found the father of that baby thing I posted earlier faceplanting off the couch. I love the game of baseball but sometimes the people playing it just make us all look like assholes. This guy would be one of them.

Epic Meal Time Conquers the Sausage Fest

Bacon, babes, sausage, liquor, and a meat grinder. God I love me some Epic Meal Time. If there was a canine or two in there I'm pretty positive this would have been my heaven.

Earthquake Rocks East Coast!

From the sound of the social media world going off you would have thought Washington D.C. and Philly broke off and slipped into the Atlantic around 2pm. But it didn't. Nothing to see here. Move along.

NHL '93 with Jeremy Roenick

NHL '93 on the Sega Genesis is the greatest sports video game ever made. This isn't even up for discussion. And of course Swingers made it more famous with making Gretzky's head bleed scene. Roenick and Larmer were lights out in that game. Whoever was in charge of the rosters must have been huge Blackhawks fan because there was no way those two guys should have been more dominant than Lemieux and Jagr on the Penguins.

Anyways this reenactment with Jeremy Roenick was pretty terrible. So I'm going to leave you with the original. "Hey Mikey! Is he brown? Is he clean? I wanna see him!"

Dayne Crist Named Starting QB...Holy Shit WTF Is That?

I was going to blog about Brian Kelly naming Dayne Crist the starting QB for Notre Dame (apparently there were enough dipshits out there who thought Tommy Rees would win the job) but then I came upon this wonderfully annoying video on Youtube. I mean what the fuck is that on the couch? When it fell off the couch I completely lost it. I literally spit out my Moe's burrito when that thing from Goonies faceplanted. Is it a baby? An alien? The 3rd chick on Wilson Phillips? I have no fucking clue.

Notre Dame Full Size Shamrock Throwback Helmets vs Michigan for $99

I only have 5 left in stock of these Full size replica Notre Dame Shamrock throwback helmets. These are the helmets Notre Dame will wear vs. Michigan this season. Once they sell out they are all gone. Click here to order one for $99.

UPDATE: We also have MINI SHAMROCK THROWBACK helmets available for $28

Here is a little Notre Dame highlight video to get you pumped up about the season...