FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL

We've got two Friday picks for all of our degenerates at no extra charge! Stay tuned for a handful of Saturday locks that promise to kick your season off on a winning note.

MICHIGAN STATE -7 VS BOISE STATE

NORTH CAROLINA STATE ML (+140) VS TENNESSEE

#1-WISCONSIN BADGERS

Everyone's favorite asshole, Bret Bielema looks to have another powerhouse on his hands after landing Danny O'Brein a year after securing Russell Wilson. Record breaking back Montee Ball returns however his status is currently up in the air after an off the field incident. Ball has 61 career touchdowns, 17 from the all-time FBS record.

It'll be hard for Ball to top his 2011 showing. 39 touchdowns and nearly 2000 yards will not be repeated but the combination of Ball and James White remains the countries best backfield duo. Jared Abbrederis will be the primary threat for O'Brien, the Maryland transfer, who will look to replicate Wilson's outstanding 2011.

Mike Taylor and Chris Borland anchor the best front 7 in the league. Borland, a 5-foot-11 junior linebacker had a team-high 19 tackles for a loss in 2011. The defense will look to avoid giving up the big, back-breaking plays that haunted them last fall.

A week two test at Oregon State is the only thing standing between Wisconsin and a 4-0 start. Once conference play arrives, Wisconsin gets Michigan State in Madison and doesn't play Michigan. A September 29th batle in Lincoln against Nebraska will be an excellent early test for the Badgers.

#2-MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

Ole Sparty is looking for an unheard of (in East Lansing), 3rd straight season of 11 wins however Mark Dantonio much replace school legend quarterback Mark Dantonio.

Andrew Maxwell will be the man charged with replacing Cousins and he'll be without last years top target, BJ Cunningham who has graduated. The running game and offensive line behind Fou Fonoti will once again be a strength as the Spartans will need to ease Maxwell into the offense. Fonoti did not allow a sack last season after starting the last 11 games.

Defensively, Michigan State returns eight starters, including standoutlineman William Gholston and linebacker Denicos Allen. Keep an eye on Lawrence Thomas. He's a man without a position but is too talented not to be on the field.

The season starts off on a very interesting note for Michigan State as they host Boise State. The annual clash with Notre Dame will be difficult as will the conference opener against Ohio State. A late October clash in Madison against Wisconsin could be a preview of the Big Ten Title game once again.

PREDICTION: 10-2 OVERALL, 6-2 CONFERENCE

MR. THURSDAY NIGHT RETURNS!!

The man, the myth, the legend is back after an extremely profitable 2012. Opportunities are all over the board tomorrow as college football kickoffs. These locks promise to start the year off on a winnng note....good luck fellow degens!

WASHINGTON STAT +12.5 AT BYU
UNLV +8.5 VS MINNESOTA
SOUTH CAROLINA -7 AT VANDY

2 TEAM BONUS PARLAY:
UCLA AND SOUTH CAROLINA ML

#3-NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS

Year two in the Big Ten for the Huskers sees Taylor Martinez returning to do his best QB impersonation while Bo Pelini enters year 5 in Lincoln looking to end a 14 year conference title drought.

Martinez ranks fifth in career rushing yards by a Nebraska quarterback but must improve his inconsistant throwing skills if Nebraska is to be considered a serious conferenc title thread. Martinez's main man on offense will be the multi-talented Rex Burkhead. The dangerous Kenny Bell is back at wideout and hopes to benefit from an improved Nebraska air attack.

Nebraska was near the bottom of the conference last fall in rush defense and as a result, multiple coaching staff changes took place on the defensive side of the ball. The Huskers lost 3 all conference defensive players but will look to Will Compton, their top returning tackler to carry some of the load.

A trip out west to UCLA appears to be the only real challenge in yet another of Nebraska preseason cupcakes. We'll get a good idea at what the 2012 Huskers have in the tank as the Big Ten season kickoffs with Wisconsin visiting Nebraska. The next week they'll travel to Ohio State followed by a trip to Northwestern. The schedule gets no easier as week 4 of conference plays has Nebraska hosting Michigan before a trip in week 5 to East Lansing.

PREDICTION: 10-2 OVERALL, 6-2 CONFERENCE

#4-OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Another year of probation in Columbus can not hold back the enthusiasm as Urban Meyer comes to town with hopes of a quick turn around. Meyer has made an immediate impact in the recruiting game and figures to get the Buckeyes back towards the top of the Big Ten on the field in 2012.

Braxton Miller returns, hoping to avenge Ohio State's first losing season since 1988. Despite not starting until week 4, Miller had three 100-yard rushing games and led the team in rushing yards. Junior Carlos Hyde and senior Jordan Hall will get the bulk of the carries out of the backfield while the receiving group looks for a leader to step up.

Last years head coach, Luke Fickell will run the Buckeye defense this season and he's got two horses on the defensive line in Johnathan Hankins and John Simon. The situation at linebacker remains unresolved with both outside spots up for grabs however junior safety C.J Barnett will help cover any holes that arise in the meantime.

California visits the Horseshoe in early September for what looks to be the only semi-legit test for Ohio State in the non-conference. The Big Ten season opens up with a bang as the Buckeyes face Michigan State and Nebraska. As usual, the season finale with Michigan appears to have conference title implicatons.

PREDICTION: 10-2 OVERALL, 6-2 CONFERENCE

#5-MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Brady Hoke returns experienced talent on both sides of the ball in 2012 and the faithful in Ann Arbor are ready for Blue to return to the elite class of the college football world. Look for Michigan to be a better team in 2012 with a worse record than 2011 due to a brutal schedule.

Denard Robinson is Mr. Everything on offense for the Wolvernies. In 2010 he set the NCAA record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (1,702) and followed that up with 2,173 passing yards and 1,176 rushing while accounting for 36 touchdowns last season. Look for Thomas Rawls to join Robinson in the backfield after Fitzgerald Toussaint was suspended indefinitely due to an offseason DUI arrest. Receivers Junior Hemingway and Kevin Koger are gone but Jeremy Gallon and Roy Roundtree return.

Greg Mattison's defensive took gigantic steps forwards last fall, moving all the way up to #6 in the country in scoring defense. The defensive line features seniors Craig Roh and tackle Will Campbell while the linebacking corps figures to be speedy with Kenny Demens, Desmond Morgan, Brandin Hawthorne, and Jake Ryan all seeing significant playing time. Future NFL stud Blake Countess locks down one of the cornerback positions for Michigan.

As previously mentioned, Michigan has a tough schedule ahead of them. Non-conference games against Alabama and Notre Dame lead into a difficult conference slate. The ball will have to bounce right for the Wolverines to win 11 games again this season.

PREDICTION: 8-4 OVERALL, 5-3 CONFERNECE

#6-IOWA HAWKEYES

Changes are everywhere for Kirk Ferentz as he enters his 14th season in Iowa City. Two new coordinators will be challenged in replacing many new starters on both sides of the ball.

James Vandenberg returns for his senior season after a 2011 campaign that saw him put up impressive numbers....however the overall numbers do not show the struggles Vandenberg had on the road and facing blitzes. If Vandenberg is truly ready to take the next step, he must improve his game in both areas despite losing the top WR in school history, Marvin McNutt. The running back situation is again laughable as 5 scholarship backs have departed since last December. Keenan Davis will be the primary target for Vandenberg. Davis, a former top recruit, looks the part of a skilled WR but has yet to put it all together. The offensive line will be the strengh of this unit lead by Brandon Scherff who might be the next great Iowa offensive lineman.

Questions need to be answered everywhere on defense for new DC Phil Parker. The defensive line on paper appears to be the worst Iowa has sported since 1999. The linebacking core hopes James Morris returns to his 2010 form which landed him on many freshman All-American teams. The secondary does have some depth and experience. B.J. Lowery and Micah Hyde form a solid cornerback duo while rumblings out of Iowa City have placed Nico Law as the next Bob Sanders.

Iowa should have some time to answer many of these questions with a schedule that is very favorable. Anything short of a 5-0 start would have to be considered a disappointment. A trip to East Lansing should be the first true test. Iowa finishes with Michigan and Nebraska but otherwise, there are winnable games everywhere.

PREDICTION: 8-4 OVERALL, 4-4 CONFERENCE

#7-PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

Optimism has returned to West Lafayette in 2012 after Danny Hope got the Boilers back into a bowl in 2011 and returns his most talented team yet. With Penn State and Ohio State on probation, Purdue figures to be Wisconsin's main threat to the Leaders Division throne.

Senior Caleb TerBush will be the man behind center but who will he be handing the ball of to? Ralph Bolden blew out his knee for a 3rd time last season leaving Akeem Shavers and Akeem Hunt as the best options for a running game that has improved under Hope's guidance. Talent and experience return at all of the line positions which should allow an average group of receivers more time to get open.

It's been years since the Boilermakers fielded a competitve defense and this unit figures to hold Purdue back from being a serious divison threat. Outside of All-American canidate Kawann Short, the defense lacks talent and playmakers.

Notre Dame looks to be the only bump in the road on the non-conference schedule. In conference play, Purude misses Nebraska and Michigan State however opens with a brutal 3 game strech of Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State.

PREDICTION: 7-5 OVERALL, 4-4 CONFERENCE

#8-NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS

Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats managed to lose their 9th straight bowl game to close 2011 and enters 2012 with new staters and inexperience all over the board.

Kain Colter looks to finally have the starting quarterback job to himself despite leading the team in rushing and being in the top three for receiving yards last fall. USC transfer Kyle Prater appears to be the best weapon for Colter when he looks to the air. The situation at running back looks thin with Mike Trumpy returning from an ACL tear and a couple of true freshman behing him.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats introduce new starters at each level and their development will be key in determining if Northwestern can get back to the 9 win team that they were in Fitzgeralds 3rd season in Evanston. Brian Arnfelt and Will Hampton anchor a weak defensive line while Ifeadi Odenigbo moves to linebacker.

Northwestern opens at Syracuse before returning home to face Vandy. The Wildcats face their 3rd BCS conference foe in the first 3 weeks when they travel to Boston College. Two wins in this three game strech would be an excellent start to the season considering the youth on this roster. Northwestern does not play Ohio State or Wisconsin this season which makes the conference schedule a bit more managable.

PREDICTION-5-7 OVERALL, 3-5 CONFERENCE

WEEK 1 EARLY LIKES

The season is still a few days away but here are a few numbers that have caught our eye thus far. If you'll recall, 2011 was a dominating season here at HC&P that saw record winners and profits.

UNLV +8.5 vs Minnesota
Washington State +13.5 at BYU
South Carolina -7 at Vandy
Michigan State -7 vs Boise State
Western Michigan +10 at Illinois
Michigan +13 vs Alabama

#9-ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

The Zooker is gone after a 6 game swan dive to close out 2011. Enter former Toledo bench boss Tim Beckman and BOOM, you have the delusional Illini faithful thinking their squad can compete.

Illinois is hoping junior quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase can take the next step this fall after a disappointing 2011. Injuries and inconsistant play from Scheelhaase were the main factor in the Illini falling from the top 20 to 6-6. The offensive line figures to be the strength of this unit which will benefit the backfield of
Donovonn Young and Jason Ford.

Defensively, Illinois hopes to duplicate a strong season last fall as they held opponents to an average of less than 20 point per game. Linebackers Jonathan Brown and Michael Buchanan will roam sideline to sideline while 3 starters return to a deep secondary.

A solid Western Michigan squad visits Champaign to kickoff the season before Illinois travels to Tempe to square off against Arizona State. Illinois figures to split these two games and enter October 3-1. Indiana, Penn State and Minnesota look to be the only wins on the conference schedule.

PREDICTION: 6-6 OVERALL 3-5 CONFERENCE

#10-PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS

September can't get here soon enough for the fans and players in State College after what would have to be considered one of the worst off-seasons in the history of college sports.

Bill O'Brien is left to pick up the pieces in what will likely be the last season in the next decade that Penn State is somewhat competitve. Gone are Silas Redd, Justin Brown along with numerous other players and recruits. Matt McGloin will take the snaps behind center for what was already a challenged offense.

Four starters return on a defense which will be anchored by the defensive line, specifically Sean Stanley and Jordan Hill. Trouble looms in the secondary however as all 4 starters will be new and inexperienced.

The season opens with a game against pesky Ohio which could go either way. The following week Penn State travels to Virginia before finishing up the non-conference with Navy and Temple. The Big Ten slate will be difficult to navigate with little depth and a subpar offense. Only a home game against Indiana will prevent the perverts of Happy Valley from going winless in the Big Ten.

PREDICTION: 4-8 OVERALL, 1-7 CONFERENCE

#11-MINNESOTA GOPHERS

Jerry Kill looks to improve on his 3 win debut season in Minneapolis with senior quarterback MarQueis Gray hoping to lead a Gopher uprising.

The good news on Gray is that he rushed for nearly 1000 yards last season. The bad news is that the converted WR threw for only 1400 and only 8 touchdowns. Gray has been a project since day one and the rodents are counting on this being the year the light comes on. Outside of Gray, very little talent or experience returns on the offensive side of the ball.

Senior linebacker Keanon Cooper leads a defense that will struggle to slow opposing offenses. Kill is counting on JUCO tranfers Briean Boddy and Martez Shabazz to lock up the cornerback positions. The defensive line is young and undersized.

Minnesota opens the season at UNLV which should be an easy win however strange things happen when Big Ten teams head out west. The rest of the non-conference schedule looks very managable with only a home test standing between Minnesota and a 4-0 start. At home versus Northwestern and at Illinois figure to be the two shots at a conference win for the Gophers.

PREDICTION: 5-7 OVERALL, 1-7 CONFERENCE

#12-INDIANA HOOSIERS

Our annual Big Ten Conference prediction/power rankings begin once again this year with the Indiana Hoosiers who failed to win a conference game in 2011. Some young talent returns however true progress figures to be a year or two away in Bloomington.

Head Coach Kevin Wilson enters year 2 with Tre Roberson as the leading option at QB after multiple off-season departures. The dual-thread signal caller became the first Hoosier freshman to start games at QB in school history last season. Roberson and RB Stephen Houston figure to cause some ground problems for opposing defenses in 2012.

Speaking of defenses, Indiana is still looking for one after yet another embarassing performance last fall. Indiana'a pass defense and rush defense were among the worst in the country and that doesn't figure to change much this season.

Indiana should be able to rack up 3 early season, non-conference victories with the cupcakes they have lined up but reality will set in once again come October as conference play begins. The conference schedule is difficult and doesn't hold much promise for Indiana obtaining that elusive Big Ten victory.

PREDICTION: 3-9 OVERALL, 0-8 CONFERENCE

FOOTBALL RETURNS!!!

Tonight's Hall of Fame Game between the Cardinals and Saints officially kicks off football season.....the next time we'll be without football for more than a few days will be in 6 months during the Super Bowl bye week! Here at Hot Chicks & Picks, we look to build on what was an exceptional 2011 football gaming season. Record profits were realized and degenerates all across our great land were pleased. We usually do not make a habit out of wagering on preseason games but considering tonight's tilt involves the Cardinals AND since it is the first game of the season, we're in! The Saints are laying 3 but we're looking for better. With Kevin Kolb and John Skelton hooked up in a QB competition, look for each player to get a few more reps than the top two Saints QBs. This will ultimately be the difference as the Cardinals take this one outright!

ARIZONA CARDINALS ML (+120) VS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS