The “Backyard Brawl” is always one of the biggest games of the season, and this year, it really could be the difference between which one of these teams ends up moving on to the Orange Bowl to play in the BCS. There is a lot of different flavor in this game this year though, as both teams have new head coaches to break in that will be playing in this rivalry for the very first time.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Picks & Info
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Date: Friday, November 25th, 2011
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Location: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV
Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers Spread: West Virginia Mountaineers -4.5

The biggest question for the Panthers is the style of offense that they are going to be running under Head Coach Todd Graham. Graham brought over the majority of his staff from Tulsa in the offseason, but it is clear that QB Tino Sunseri isn’t running the same offense that any of these Tulsa QBs have run in years past. That being said, the pace could be picked up quite a bit, and a team that averaged just 367.1 yards per game could be significantly improved. Watch out for RB Dion Lewis, who could be poised for a huge junior season after a year full of injuries and setbacks as a sophomore.

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Past Games (Since 1995)
2010: West Virginia 35 – Pittsburgh 10
2009: West Virginia 19 – Pittsburgh 16
2008: Pittsburgh 19 – West Virginia 15
2007: Pittsburgh 13 – West Virginia 9
2006: West Virginia 45 – Pittsburgh 27
2005: West Virginia 45 – Pittsburgh 13
2004: Pittsburgh 16 – West Virginia 13
2003: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 31
2002: West Virginia 24 – Pittsburgh 17
2001: Pittsburgh 23 – West Virginia 13
2000: Pittsburgh 38 – West Virginia 28
1999: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 21
1998: West Virginia 52 – Pittsburgh 14
1997: Pittsburgh 41 – West Virginia 38
1996: West Virginia 34 – Pittsburgh 0
1995: West Virginia 21 – Pittsburgh 0

For WVU, it’s all about the defense. This squad knows that it has the goods to shut down any offense that comes its way; after all, this unit did rank No. 4 in the country last year in scoring (13.5 PPG) and total defense (263.5 YPG). Offensively, the big issue is whether QB Geno Smith is really going to be able to pick up the slack or not. He threw for 2,763 yards last season, which really isn’t good enough for a QB that isn’t all that mobile. However, he only threw seven picks against 24 TDs, three of those scores of which came against U-Pitt last year.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ West Virginia Mountaineers @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/11/11):
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Pittsburgh Panthers (+4.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers

Don’t be overly surprised if we end up seeing the exact two teams playing for the ACC Championship this season that we saw last year. That means the Virginia Tech Hokies (Current 2011 ACC Odds: 2.80 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) and the Florida State Seminoles (2011 ACC Lines: 1.65 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) probably have the best ACC odds on the board.

The best thing that these two teams have going for them is that they don’t play each other in the regular season, meaning both dodges the hardest game on the slate. V-Tech always seems to have a fantastic team under Head Coach Frank Beamer, who is one of the most underappreciated coaches in America. Florida State has a solid returning defense and should be getting great play out of new, yet experienced QB EJ Manuel. There are high hopes for both of these teams this year, and both think that they’re not only contenders for the ACC title, but contenders for the National Championship as well.

If there’s a team that could figure it out this year, it is the Clemson Tigers (Current Odds To Win The ACC: 7.25 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Tigers do host Florida State, where they have dominated this series in recent years. However, they just lost one of the best defensive players in the conference in DE DaQuan Bowers and will have a difficult time replacing him and his pass rushing skills. The team that is sure to hurt is the North Carolina State Wolfpack (Odds To Win ACC 2011: 26 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). Not only do the Wolfpack have to break in a new quarterback now that QB Russell Wilson was let out of his scholarship in the offseason, but Head Coach Tom O’Brien and company have to deal with a schedule that includes games at Florida State, at Boston College, and home against both North Carolina and Clemson. It’ll be a tough road this year for the Pack for sure.

2011 Odds To Win The ACC @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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Florida State Seminoles 1.65 to 1
Virginia Tech Hokies 2.80 to 1
Miami Hurricanes 4.70 to 1
North Carolina Tar Heels 7.25 to 1
Maryland Terrapins 15 to 1
Clemson Tigers 16 to 1
Boston College Eagles 26 to 1
North Carolina State Wolfpack 26 to 1
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 53 to 1
Virginia Cavaliers 63 to 1
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 205 to 1
Duke Blue Devils 210 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The ACC Atlantic Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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Florida State Seminoles 1 to 1.80
Maryland Terrapins 6 to 1
Clemson Tigers 6.25 to 1
Boston College Eagles 9.75 to 1
North Carolina State Wolfpack 9.75 to 1
Wake Forest Demon Deacons 75 to 1

2011 Odds To Win The ACC Coastal Division @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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Virginia Tech Hokies 1.25 to 1
Miami Hurricanes 2 to 1
North Carolina Tar Heels 2.95 to 1
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 21 to 1
Virginia Cavaliers 25 to 1
Duke Blue Devils 77 to 1

2011-12 Top 25 College Football Games of the Year
#25 San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines and the San Diego State Aztecs aren’t going to be putting on the biggest show of the year, as neither of these two are going to be National Championship contenders this year, but they are still clearly going to a ton of storylines, as former SDSU Head Coach Brady Hoke tries to take down his former team in his new maize and blue.

San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Picks & Info
San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Date: Saturday, September 24th, 2011
San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
NCAA Football Lines: Michigan Wolverines -7

This is a year in which Michigan is expected to do a lot better now that the Big 10 has expanded to 12 teams. QB Denard Robinson is going to end up as a Heisman Trophy contender again this season, as he is going to end up putting up some gaudy statistics. He threw for 2,570 yards and rushed for 1,702 yards last year, and he really came out on nowhere to do so. Scoring isn’t an issue for Big Blue. It accounted for 489.1 yards per game a season ago and put up 32.8 points per game.

San Diego State Aztecs vs. Michigan Wolverines Past Games
2004: Michigan 24 – San Diego State 21

The issue is going to be whether there is going to be any defense to stop the San Diego State offense. Michigan really struggled last season, allowing a ton of points to a ton of teams. The Wolverines will be up against it going against an offense that averaged 458.1 yards per game last year. RB Ronnie Hillman is going to have his work cut out for him picking up the slack for an offense that must replace a number of departed players… not to mention its head coach from a year ago.

San Diego State Aztecs @ Michigan Wolverines Game Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 7/10/11):
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San Diego State Aztecs (+7) @ Michigan Wolverines