Jersey Contest: Week 1 Blogger Picks

For those of you who are participating in the ATQ Jersey Contest for the first time, every Friday we'll post a summary of who the each of the bloggers like in the five chosen games.  A summary of the blogger picks are in the table below.  And, if you're interested in reading the thoughts of a selected blogger on each of the games, follow the jump.  And, if you have not yet made your picks, you can do so here.  Remember, the deadline for submitting your picks is 11:59:59 PM PT.

EDIT: As of 10:50 am, here's a list of who has successfully submitted picks.

EDIT 2: Submissions are closed.  Click here to see everyone's picks for the week.

In the past, all of the contributors have added their thoughts on each game, but with eight front-page contributors now, I decided to change the format slightly.  Rather than all eight of us adding a sentence or two on each game, I randomly assigned each game to a blogger.  This will keep the post from getting too jumbled and would allow the selected blogger to offer a little more insight into their pick, if they so choose.  Here are the thoughts on this week's games:

Purdue at Notre Dame (Jared):

This game is one of the more intriguing matchups of the week. While Purdue hasn't had a lot of wins in the last couple years, they've been highly competitive in a lot of games, and despite their losing record, had a positive yardage differential last season. Robert Marve (transfer from Miami) will get his first start for the Boilermakers, but won't have a lot of help around him as RB Ralph Bolden, who led the team in rushing last year, is out this season with an ACL injury.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame is finally coached by someone competent, and will be breaking in a new QB, redshirt sophomore Dayne Crist. But they have a lot of experience on the defensive side of the ball, and even if they weren't a good defense last year, Purdue will likely have problems moving the ball consistently on the road.

I'd love to see Purdue win this game, but without a lot of offensive firepower, they'll have a tough time. Notre Dame is more talented across the board and well-coached. Purdue will put up a fight, but fall on the road to the Irish.

Washington at BYU (Takimoto):

As much as we all enjoy to see the Huskies feel pain, this is a game Washington should win.  BYU is replacing 12 starters, including QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga.  Washington's subpar offensive line shouldn't have a problem with three freshmen in the front 7, and the Husky offense will be able to move the ball through the air and on the ground.  This game should be a good start to Jake Locker's Heisman campaign, making it all the more fun when Kenny Rowe plants him in the turf over and over again in November.  The home crowd in Provo will keep it close for a while, but it won't be enough.  Final score, Washington 34-BYU 24

Oregon State vs. TCU (Dave):

I like TCU over Oregon State.  I think OSU is going to be a really good team this season. However, TCU has one of the best defenses in the country, and the Bavers trot out a new quarterback to face it.  When you couple that with Oregon State's habit of playing poorly on the road to start the season and the holes in their defense, I have to pick the Horned Frogs to win this game.  However, I don't think its going to be the blowout of years past.

LSU vs. North Carolina (Dominic):

Nick always gets on me about getting my pick in before the deadline and I'm always one of the last to submit. Even though the main reason is laziness, sometimes it works out in my favor. Here's a big reason why I'm taking LSU and why you should be too.

Boise State vs. Virginia Tech (Jeremy):

I'm taking Boise State over Virginia Tech. Conventional wisdom says VT's defense is too tough to beat at home, or the Hokies will win with a big special teams play. Beamer Ball, right? Except that VT lost seven starters on defense and BSU is well coached on special teams. Kellen Moore is the difference. I think Moore has the talent and supporting cast to carve up the VT defense, and I not convinced that Va Tech QB Tyrod Taylor has the passing skills to play keep-up against a pretty good BSU defense.