This year I skipped the whole preseason prediction process and instead decided to roll right into the regular season. Last night was the official opening night of the college basketball season, and it was a dandy. Two major games, in particular did not disappoint, with one being on the national stage and one being on the international stage in Germany. And then, of course there were other games that stood out to even the most casual fans.

Here is my recap of the night in abbreviated format:

Heavyweight Thrillers

Kentucky 72, Maryland 69

The Wildcats may have a slew of fabulous freshmen, but they are a long way from last year’s squad that won the national championship. The nation’s number one recruit, Nerlens Noel, was limited in all ways, showing raw ability and potential at times, but major inexperience at others. Ryan Harrow and Alex Poythress also struggled, but it was Kyle Wiltjer and Jarrod Polson who stepped up and carried UK to the narrow victory.

Maryland has a future top-10 draft pick in big man Alex Len, who had 23 points and 12 rebounds. The Terps should probably cut down on the number of 3-pointers they shoot, as they only shot 3-19 from beyond the arc on the night. James Padgett and Nick Faust held their own, too against the talented yet undisciplined Wildcats.

Connecticut 66, Michigan State 62

The game of the night came from Germany, where the 2009 Final Four re-match dazzled and entertained our troops stationed overseas. Michigan State started the game about as poorly as possible, trailing by as many as 16 in the first half. The Spartans fought back in typical Tom Izzo fashion, crashing the offensive glass and pounding the ball inside. Michigan State appears to lack leadership without Draymond Green, instead relying on a bevy of underclassmen to lead the charge. Big men Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne are talented and will really determine how far MSU can go this season, but struggled against a sub-par UConn front court.

On the flip side, UConn’s guards, Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, will dictate their success this season. Forward DeAndre Daniels is also intriguing and will generate a lot of buzz. He can undoubtedly play but he is somewhat hesitant to really play physical with his 195lbs frame.

Eyebrow-Raising Upsets

South Alabama 76, Florida State 71

It was close the whole way, but former Miami guard Antoine Allen tipped the game in the Jaguars’ favor as he made four of five 3-pointers en route to 23 points. Florida State could never get into a groove, and Michael Snaer struggled mightily, shooting 2-11 and turning the ball over five times. Terrance Shannon and Okaro White looked good for the Seminoles, but in general the team played sluggish against the upbeat Jaguars.

Bucknell 70, Purdue 65

Purdue may be rebuilding and Bucknell may contend for the Patriot League crown, but this result is still somewhat shocking. A back and forth game the whole night, it never seemed like Purdue had control, even as they held a narrow lead for most of the first half.  Bucknell forward Mike Muscala struggled at times, yet Cameron Ayers picked up the slack, scoring 6 points in 45 seconds early in the second half, shifting momentum over to the visiting team.

This week most teams will be starting their inter-conference play at we will start our preview in the great state of California in the beautiful city of Palo Alto where the Stanford Cardinal will be welcome the number two team in the country in the Trojans of USC. On paper USC should be able to absolutely roll over the Cardinal, but as history shows us that is not always the case. USC better be on upset alert this weekend and better be at the top of their game. Stanford has beaten the Trojans the last four years and that includes in 2007 when Stanford was a 42 point underdog. Matt Barkley always brings his A game so I do not think that will be an issue I just hope Lane Kiffen utilizes Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, as im sure he will, at the appropriate time. When Stanford throws out their two deep safeties it will be time to call on Silas Redd.

It is time once again for the city of East Lansing to welcome the Irish of South Bend. This game usually goes one way one year and the other way the next. Lately, Michigan State had had the upper hand, but overall Notre Dame still leads the series 46-28-1. The Spartans have not allowed an offensive touchdown this season and are looking for their first 3-0 start for the first time in 10 years. Notre Dame Sophomore quarterback Everett Golson is averaging nearly 300 passing yards a game and he has been highly talked about by ESPN analysts Mel Kipper Jr. and Todd McShay. The Irish are a big underdog, mainly because they have such a young team, but I believe if they can start off getting on top early we may see another upset of a Big 10 school.

Over the past several years, other than the Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffen controversy, the Florida-Tennessee rivalry has not been that high profile of a game. This year both teams are ranked in the top 25 and are both labeled underdogs in the SEC. In the last eight years Florida has had the upper hand and it has always seemed that whenever the Volunteers were in the top 25 the Gators destroyed them and kicked them back out. Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray threw for 310 yards and four touchdowns last week against Georgia State and in week one he threw for over 200 yards and two more scores. In every average category this year so far Tennessee outplays Florida including rushing yards, passing yards, and points scored. This game should be close, but it will depend on which “average” defense shows up.

College Gameday will be in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Week 3 Predictions:

Alabama 52-25 Arkansas

USC 35-32 Stanford

Notre Dame 17-25 Michigan State

California 23-24 Ohio State

Florida 32-42 Tennessee

BYU 21-17 Utah

Buckeyes are known for three big things when it comes to sports – motivation, spirit, and heart. These three things are what help to make the athletes at Ohio State so great, but in the men’s basketball game against Michigan State this past week the team really seemed to be lacking in all three of these. This was a big game for both teams, because they are not only competing in the NCAA tournament, but they are also both Big 10 teams and are competing for a Big 10 title as well. On Saturday, before the game, Columbus was filled with people in their Scarlet and Grey as well as people in their green and white. There was no shortage of fans for either team. So wouldn’t you think that there being so many people there to cheer on both teams that the Buckeye’s would have had a little more spirit themselves when they were playing? Apparently not.

After the game, I spoke to some students and fans about what their thought was on the Buckeye’s lost. Many of them felt that the team really wasn’t playing their hardest for their game. One fan said “they seemed to have no heart in this game. It’s like they just didn’t want to be playing tonight.” This isn’t something that any athlete would want for one of their fans to be saying after a big game. Athletes aren’t only playing because they love the game; most of them also play because they love the popularity and the way that the fans love them.

I caught up with a few Michigan State fans after the game as well to get their opinion on the outcome, and I have to admit I was very surprised. A couple that I talked to said that they had planned on coming to this game and walking away with a loss. They figured that the game would be close, within 10 to 15 points (it was a 10 point difference) but they also figured that Ohio State would win. They even agreed with the Ohio State fan saying that the OSU players really didn’t seem to be all there tonight and that they were honestly kind of disappointed in that. It’s not often that fans of the opposing, winning team are disappointed in the home, losing team. So Buckeye’s where was the heart for this game? Let’s hope the players get it back for the next few games left in the season.

Michigan’s basketball team has pretty much no shot at making the NCAA tournament. The greatest Michigan basketball player since Chris Webber is probably going to leave at the conclusion of the season, and the lone Wolverine with any resemblance of a post game is graduating in May. But on Tuesday night, none of that will matter, as the Wolverines take on Michigan State at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.

With only one victory over the Spartans in the past seven years, the Michigan basketball team is constantly overshadowed by the dominant basketball program that lurks up in East Lansing. This time around, MSU is exactly where they expected to be: a top-5 ranking and an undefeated conference record. But Michigan will be ready, and everyone in Ann Arbor knows there is a chance for the Wolverines to pull of the upset.

As a lifelong Michigan fan, this is the biggest game for me every year (after the Ohio State football game, of course, which has become a joke). Last season, the Wolverines gave MSU a great game but crumbled in the last five minutes. Three years ago, they actually defeated the Spartans at Crisler. And now, with a team that can beat or lose to anyone, Michigan fans expect that first one to show up on Tuesday night.

The two reasons for this are the two players I mention at the top of this article. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are the only two players in the Michigan rotation with explicit ties to MSU. Both were recruited by Michigan State, but chose to go to Michigan for one reason or another. This is their time.

Michigan has only had success this season when both Harris and Sims are on top of their games. In big games against UConn and Ohio State, both players excelled and took the Wolverines over the top. But in every loss, one or both of them looked lost or if they just didn’t care. That will not be the case Tuesday night, as they both have something to prove on the floor against the only real rival that Michigan basketball has. Michigan State is one of the best basketball teams in the country, but if both Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are playing well, they can beat anybody.

It is a big “if”, but in the event that does happen, expect a great game that goes down to the wire.