Free Pick For Monday College Football – UCLA vs. Tenn
NCAA-F | Sep 01
Tennessee U vs. UCLA
One of the best early match ups in college football comes on Monday night, September 1st as the UCLA Bruins host the 18th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. A key game for both schools, Tennessee will be out to prove that they deserve their preseason rank, while UCLA wants badly to put a disappointing 6-6 season behind them so they can become the power in the PAC 10 that everyone thought they would be last season.
Tennessee has a new starting QB for 2008. There will be a lot of eyes on junior Johnathan Crompton, who takes over for a very successful Erik Ainge, last year’s senior starter. The Vols offense has a ton of weapons, both through the air, and on the ground. Starting running back, Arian Foster went over 1,100 yeards last season and, with all 5 offensive lineman returning, is in position to take that number even higher. There aren’t many questions about the running game, but Tennessee’s success will rely on more than just the fresh legs of Foster. Crompton has some very good receivers, but he’s going to need to prove to be consistent and, most importantly, that he can be trusted to keep the ball with the offense. The kid has a great arm, but that doesn’t always translate into great completion percentage, and can sometimes lead to more frequent interceptions.
The Vols defense is nothing to get excited about, but not many defenses that play against the talent in the SEC are. Finishing 70th in total yards allowed simply isn’t going to get the job done this year, but Tennessee is hoping that the 7 starters that they return on defense can help improve that number drastically in 2008. The defensive line is the stregth on this side of the ball, but the linebacking crew and the secondary two areas where the Vols need to see dramatic improvement.
UCLA missed a big chance last year. They started the season ranked number 14 in the country, and started off the season well, but a muddled offense and defense that blew assignments lead to an eventual 6-6 finish. Will it be redemption for the Bruins or another disappointment? The answer to that question relies heavily on the consistency and ball control of the offensive unit. UCLA returns just 4 offensive starters, and you never know how a group of guys are going to come together, but it looks like consistency could once against be a problem for this team.
Defensively, the Bruins thrived in the PAC 10, finishing the year ranked 36th in total yards allowed. Unfortunately, only 5 starters from that team return to the field in 2008, so UCLA will have to bank on starters without a lot of real game experience. Their could be some growing pains for the defense, but they have enough core guys back to keep them competitive against most teams.
There are some major concerns on the defensive side of the ball for UCLA. The Bruins simply don’t match up well against the big, athletic wide receivers of the Volunteers. Look for Tennessee move the ball easily through the air, get up early, and finish the Bruins off with a heavy dose of their star running back.
Prediction: Tennessee 33, UCLA 10
Monday Night Football NCAA Style! — Monday’s premium package holders score Steve’s top rated college football play of the day!
