WEEK 3 PICKS

WEEK 1 RESULTS: 65-12

WEEK 2 RESULTS: 47-20

Yes, I am currently 78% picking games this season. Even though this is the 'cupcake part of the season. It is still something to find somewhat comforting going into some better weeks of matchups coming up.

Here my winners for week 3:

LSU

IOWA STATE

BOISE STATE

PURDUE

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

MICHIGAN

AUBURN

IOWA

MARYLAND

PENN STATE

BOWLING GREEN

VANDY

BOSTON COLLEGE

GT

GEORGIA

COLORADO ST

TCU

CINCI

MIAMI OH

NEBRASKA

FLORIDA

WISCONSIN

VIRGINIA

ND

NORTHWESTERN

UCLA

OREGON

INDIANA

TEXAS TECH

NEVADA

VT

TULANE

CAL

UCF

NC STATE

SOUTH CAROLINA

WAKE FOREST

SAN DIEGO ST

BAYLOR

BALL ST

NICOLLS ST

OHIO

SE LOUISANA

KANSAS ST

ASU

HOUSTON

INDIANA ST

MIZZOU

S FLORIDA

TEXAS AM

LOUISVILLE

AUSTIN PEAY

BAMA

ARKANSAS

MIAMI

SMU

USC

OKLAHOMA

UTEP

UTAH

FRESNO ST

OKLA ST

HAWAII

STANFORD


By: Joe Favia

Week 2 Picks

OKLA ST OVER ZONA- AZ could ruin Pokes season like Hawkeyes last year...

Louisville

ASU

MSU

ILL

CMU

OSU

WISKY

IOWA OVER ISU

SDSU

MISS ST OVER AUBURN

RUTGERS

WVU

PITT

EMU

COL STATE

STANFORD

PENN ST OVER BAMA

TCU

NC STATE

VT

RICE

OREGON

MINNESOTA

WASHINGTON

NU

CINCINNATI

SOUTHERN MISS

TULANE

CUSE

SC OVER THE DAWGS

NORTH DAKOTA

WASH ST

FSU

WYOMING

STONY BROOK

TEMPLE

OLE MISS

FLORIDA

W MICHIGAN

ULM

L. TECH

OHIO

M. TENN STATE

S. FLORIDA

HOUSTON

KENT STATE

NIU

VIRGINIA

BYU

NEBRASKA

BOWLING GREEN

ARKANSAS

SMU

ARK ST

NAVY

UCONN

UTAH OVER USC

LSU

BOSTON COLLEGE

UTAH ST

MICH OVER ND

UCLA







By: Joe Favia

WEEK 1 PICKS RESULTS

Lousville- W
Central Michigan- W
North Texas - L
Temple- W
Toledo- W
GT- W
Rutgers- W
Cuse- W
Wisconsin- W
Miss State- W
Utah- W
Bowling Green- W
Kentucky- W
ASU- W
MSU- W
TCU- L
NU- W
Auburn- W
Ohio State- W
Mizzou- W
Penn State- W
Middle Tenn State- L
Iowa- W
UCONN- W
Bama- W
VT- W
Tulane- W
AF- W
USC- W
ILL- W
Michigan- W
UCLA - L
FSU- W
Nebraska- W
Navy- W
NC- W
Troy- L
ND- L
Oregon St- L
BYU- W
Stanford- W
Wash St- W
Col St- W
Tenn -W
Virginia- W
Pitt- W
NC State- W
Indiana- L
ok st- W
Fresno- L
NIU- W
SC- W
Wash- W
UNI- L
ARK- W
Maryland- W
AM- W
WVU- W
CU- L
AZ- W
SDSU- W
SO MISS- W
UTEP- W
WYOMING- W
UGA- L
OKLA- W
TEXAS- W
LSU- W
OHIO - W
VANDY - W
FLA- W
UCF-W
DUKE- L
TT- W
KAN- W
KSU- W
CINCI- W


By: Joe Favia

JFAV's Top 25 After WEEK 1

One week of the glorious game of college football has passed and my top 4 teams in the nation remain in the same spot in my poll.

I am aware Michigan State are not in my poll. They are and will remain the most overrated team in the nation. They can try and prove me wrong, but until they prove otherwise they will not crack the top 25.

I will also put the top 25 of co-owner of 312moviereviews.com and friend Dylan Frana's list up as well. His picks will be underneath mine in terms of where he ranked that team.

Key D= Dylan



1. Oklahoma Sooners- A solid victory over Tulsa will not move them out of the spot that I believe they could stay in all season with a victory over FSU. Landry Jones looks like the second coming of Jason White of Heisman past.

D=3

2. LSU Tigers- Ol' JFAV's preaseason pick to win the SEC comes through in a enormous win over the Oregon Ducks in Dallas. With a defense that has tons of punch and 'Lesticles' under the helm this team can get it done.

D= 1

3. Alabama Crimson Tide- The 'Nicktator' has a team that can win every week, and have some people convinced that they can run the gauntlet in the SEC. Let us all see what they do in Happy Valley this weekend. By the way, Penn State is my sleeper to win the Big Ten Leaders division.

D= 4

4. Stanford Cardinal- Andrew Luck will be the reason this team can or cannot stay in the top 5 all season until meeting the Ducks in a massive game. I think they are the class of the Pac 12, and will be tough from here on out.

D= 5

5. Florida State Seminoles- The Noles' are on that colliision course with the Sooners that will have National Championship implications all over it. EJ Manuel is that sleeper Heisman candidate that is hard to bet against.

D=7

6. Boise State Broncos- They move up from #9 in my polls. A disbeliever was once again stunned when the Dawgs lost in the Georgia Dome to a team from Idaho. Kellen Moore is a winner, no two-ways around it.


D=2

7. Virginia Tech Hokies- Beamer Ball is alive and well. This team is under the radar in terms of where they have been thought of in years past. Florida State is the sexy pick in the ACC, but the toughest team is VT.

D=10

8. South Carolina Gamecocks- They stay in the same spot this week, but will be rising up the rankings with a win over Georgia this weekend. Marcus Lattimore is my top back in the land.

D=14

9. Nebraska Cornhuskers- The Cornhuskers move up one spot to again be my highest ranked team in the Big Ten. Fresno State is a nice non-conference game, but they wont be much of a threat in Lincoln on Saturday.

D=8

10. Texas A&M Aggies- The saga with the SEC continues, but the onfield job that the Aggies are doing is awesome as they move into the JFAV top 10 early on in the season.

D=13

11. Oklahoma State Cowboys

D=9

12. Wisconsin Badgers

D= 6

13. Mississippi State Bulldogs

D=16

14. Arkansas Razorbacks

D=15

15. Utah Utes

16. Missouri Tigers

D=20

17. Florida Gators

D=24

18. Ohio State Buckeyes

D=12

19. Iowa Hawkeyes

20. Oregon Ducks

D=11

21. Baylor Bears

D=17

22. South Florida Bulls

23. Northwestern Wildcats

D=22

24. Arizona State Sun Devils

D=25

25. BYU Cougars

MSU- D=18, WVU D=19, PSU D=21, TCU D=23

By: Joe Favia

JFAV'S Preseason Top 25

This is the top 25 that I have going into the first games tonight. We shall see who drops and who rises out of this group after the first weekend of games come to pass.

1. Oklahoma Sooners - Ultra-talented team that should easily win their depleted conference this season. The early game against FSU will be the big test.

2. LSU Tigers- I am sticking with 'Les-ticles' and the bunch on this one. They open in Texas against the Oregon Ducks. Though Jordan Jefferson is not playing, I still believe that they can win it in a close one.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide- This teams defense and the Heisman candidate running back Trent Richardson are going to win alot of games this year.

4. Stanford Cardinal - New coach, same quarterback. This team is poised to make a big time run after winning the Orange Bowl. Hopefully they dont underwhelm like the Hawkeyes did the year after winning in Florida.

5. Oregon Ducks- Another Pac-12 team. The Ducks have that opening matchup against LSU which could spell the fates of the two teams.

6. Florida State Seminoles- My darkhorse to win it all in 2011-12. The Noles' have to come up big against my top rated Sooners if they want to hoist the crystal ball at seasons end.

7. Virginia Tech Hokies- My pick to win it all last season started off sour against Boise State. They went on to win the ACC though. They should be a contender for the conference all season.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks- Could they somehow win the SEC? I think that it is in fact possible, if and only if Stephen Garcia can become the QB the country thinks he can be.

9. Boise State Broncos- Not as high on the Broncos this season as some might be. I think they are going to lose in the Georgia Dome on Saturday, but Kellen Moore's leadership cannot be discredited.

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers- My first Big Ten team to grace the list. They will are my favorite to win the conference, BUT they have the target on their back every weekend in new stadiums. We will see how they are able to handle that burden.

11. Texas A&M Aggies

12. Oklahoma State Cowboys

13. Wisconsin Badgers

14. TCU Horned Frogs

15. Mississippi State Bulldogs

16. Arkansas Razorbacks

17. Arizona State Sun Devils

18. Missouri Tigers

19. Utah Utes

20. Florida Gators

21. Georgia Bulldogs

22. Auburn Tigers

23. Iowa Hawkeyes

24. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

25. Northwestern Wildcats



By: Joe Favia

A Quick Look At The 'TOP 25' In the Land

We are under one month til the opening kickoff in Iowa City. Hawkeye fans everywhere are gearing up for a season that many people do not know what to expect.

In 2009, the Hawkeyes won all the close games on their way to the Orange Bowl, and in 2010 they underachieved with a large senior contigent on their way to the Insight Bowl.

This season the slate has been wiped clean. The rankings have the Hawkeyes at #30.

For me that seems like the perfect spot for this team to start at. Under the radar is where they should lie until they can prove themselves against the likes of Pitt and Penn State.

But, enough about the Hawks.... For now.

Let's take a look at the USA Todays Preseason Top 25 and how I look at each of these teams.

25. Penn State: Some do not think that JoePa's boys deserve to be in the rankings, but I strongly disagree. I think that this team has a very good chance to be the victors of the 'leaders' division, and are a contender to win the conference in Indy.

24. Texas: After the debacle that was last season, the Longhorns need to justify the addition of their own network right away. They do not have the Cornhuskers to impede their way anymore, but they still have to play the likes of Iowa State and Baylor. Teams that they didnt enjoy playing last season.

23.Florida: A new era in Gainesville. This team could be a few lucky bounces away from being a true blue contender in the toughest conference in the country. With a new coach it will be interesting, but the talent is undeniable.

22. Georgia: Coach Richt and the Dawgs' need a big season. They need to get it done against the Boise Broncos early on, and prove that they can win the big conference games; which has plagued them in years past. I like this years team for some odd reason. Look for a W against Boise.

21.Mizzou: The loss in the Insight Bowl and Blaine Gabbert's departure to the NFL linger, but this program took a bunch of huge steps forward last season, and I think that they will have a chance to mark their territory atop the somewhat new look Big 12. 21 is a good spot for these boys.

20. Mississippi State: They smoked Michigan in the bowl game and are on the rise. Can they join the upper echelon of SEC greatness? I am not buying it. I think they lay some eggs.

19. Auburn: The champs are going to look a Hell of a lot different in 2011. I think that it will be tough to win more than 8 games even with the young talent that they have gained thanks to top level recruiting.

18. Notre Dame: Every season the Irish fans come out of the woodwork and say the Irish will win 10 or 11 games and return to the dynasty of years past. And, every season those same fans head for the hills come October. I think ND will be a 9 win team at most. I think the book is out on them.

17. Michigan State: An article is to come on how overrated this team is. Stay Tuned friends.

16. Ohio State: The Buckeyes are facing the "against all odds" mantra, and could be one of the big stories in college football. How they do without Boom and Posey in the first five games will determine if they can contend in the somewhat weak 'leaders' division. I think they are a 7-9 win team.

15. TCU: Horned Frogs will come back strong and should continue to show that they are top notch. They are definitely creeping up on the Longhorns and Aggies in some respects, and another big year could even bring the gap even closer.

14. Arkansas: Mallett-less Razorbacks will have a rough go of it.

13. VT: With one of the best coaches in the game in Frank Beamer, the Hokies should again be chasing down and defending in the weak ACC.

12. South Carolina: My sleeper pick to make some big time moves this season, the Gamecocks are going to be one of the best teams all season, and before it is all said and done I think that they could contend for some serious hardware.

11. Nebraska: 'Husker Nation' is expecting to roll through the Big Ten in year 1. I think they are going to get stifiled in some new road venues, and are going to be the main attraction every Saturday. All eyes on the Huskers.

10. Wisconsin: The Badgers are the highest ranked team in the Big Ten before the season starts. They will not stay their long.

1-9 and the best of the rest (including the Hawkeyes coming soon!)

By: Joe Favia

EYE OF THE HAWKS UPDATES

I am officially back. The month of June has been an un-official break from my duties here at Eye of the Hawks with the Hawkeyes and Blackhawks having slow months in the off-season, but I am ready to get going again.

The Blackhawks have seen some dramatic changes occur with Troy Brouwer going to the Washington Capitals, and Brian Campbell heading to the Florida Panthers.

Brouwer leaving was not much of a shock. Troy had his chance this past season to make his mark, but was inconsistent for most of the season. He will be joining a very talented team, and it would not be shocking to see him step up big time and have a big 2011.

Brian Campbell getting shipped out of Chicago was something that most Blackhawk fans wanted desperately, but would only dream about. Not because he is a bad guy (he seemed to be a great person) or he was a bad player (he is a top level defensemen), but he was making way too much for the production that the team was getting out of him.

He is looking to be the captain on a Panthers team that needs to gain a following quickly or they could be joining the Thrashers in extinction. I think that Campbell's run with the Blackhawks will be remembered very fondly for most, and #51 is always going to be warmly welcomed in Chicago.

Speaking of being welcomed warmly. Eddie 'The Eagle' Belfour was selected first ballot to the Hall of Fame today after an outstanding career with five different teams in the NHL. His career started with the Blackhawks and he went on to win the Cup with the Stars.

One of my favorites growing up, Belfour dominated the majority of time in net for the Hawks' in the 90's, and was as dominate as there was for many years.

Now, as far as the other Hawks go...

The Hawkeyes talk on my end will be firing on all cylinders in the month of July. Expect Big Ten position breakdowns, rankings, and matchups.

Also, some suprises along the way.

Stan Tuned.



By: Joe Favia

Blackhawks & Hawkeye Update

Hawkeyes

News of the day broke that for the next four seasons, Indianapolis will be hosting the Big Ten Title Game for football.

The debate raged whether it would take place in Chicago or Indy, and most Hawkeye fans seemed to have been rooting for the 'Windy City'. With the high population of transplanted Hawkeye alums in Chicago it seemed like a place that most wanted to see get the game, if the Hawks were good enough to make the game at some point.

Indianapolis is the current professional home of former Hawkeyes Dallas Clark and Pat Angerer, and the Colts have become the un-official favorite team for many Hawkeye fans that do not have any pro team that they cling to.

Start dreaming Hawkeye fans. Lucas Oil Stadium in the beginning of December, Hawkeyes vs. Nittany Lions. The winner is crowned the best in the conference in the inaugural game.

That sounds just fine to me.

Blackhawks

The Blackhawks and us fans are still watching on the sidelines while the Canucks get closer and closer to winning their first Stanley Cup in the franchise's history.

With the two baseball teams in town playing extremely bad, the Packers winning the Super Bowl, and the Heat trying to win the title, it is what can only be a scenario of "Chicago Sports Hell" at the moment. Most of Chicago are for obvious reasons pulling for the Mavericks and Bruins for the next few weeks.

Free agency will soon be firing on all cylinders, and it will be interesting to see the in-house and open market moves that the team will make. Getting another veteran defenseman is of top importance, and whether they will move a big name out of town is also of interest.




By: Joe Favia