SPORTS

Alabama or Florida State? Find out who we're picking

Jeffrey Taviano
The News Journal


The 2017 college football season is upon us.

All three Delaware teams open their college football seasons a week from Thursday. Delaware hosts Delaware State. And Wesley, ranked 11th in the preseason Division III poll, visits Delaware Valley in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Both games kick off at 7.

On the national stage, three matchups highlight the Saturday, Sept. 2 schedule.

At 3:30, Jim Harbaugh’s ninth-ranked Michigan Wolverines face No. 16 Florida at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Texas, in what will surely be a defensive bout.

Then at 8, No. 1 Alabama takes on No. 3 Florida State in an SEC-ACC showdown.

No. 9 Michigan vs. No. 16 Florida: The Wolverines gave up 10 or fewer points seven times last season, with all but one coming against Big Ten opponents. The Gators did it eight times, including five against SEC foes. This is the first Michigan team built purely with Jim Harbaugh's recruits. I think he’ll be able to outsmart his counterpart, Jim McElwain, late in the game. Michigan 29, Florida 18

No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Alabama opened last season by routing then 20th-ranked USC, 52-6. The Tide are favored by a mere touchdown in this game. But Alabama hasn't lost a neutral site season opener since 1958. The Seminoles and Crimson Tide have met four times. The ‘Noles only win came in 2007. Alabama 32, Florida State 24

No. 20 West Virginia vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech at FedEx Field: My upset pick of the week. Fresh off of winning the ACC Coastal Division and knocking down Arkansas in the Belk Bowl, Virginia Tech has high expectations this season. Virginia Tech is underrated and has the weapons in place to lead the ACC Coastal for years to come. Virginia Tech 30, West Virginia 27

Wesley College at Delaware Valley: Entering last season, the Wolverines had not lost a season opener since 2008, when Delaware Valley took them down. The Rams repeated the feat last year, scoring all 21 of their points in the second quarter. Delaware Valley enters the game ranked 20th in the country. The Wolverines are more experienced won’t look past Delaware Valley. Wesley College 26, Delaware Valley 23.

Delaware State at Delaware: Both programs are rebuilding, but the Hornets face a steeper climb. DSU has not won a game since November 2015. They have lost 21 of their last 22. The Blue Hens have a new coach and are looking to forget last year’s 4-7 campaign. UD has yet to lose to DSU in football. That trend will continue as the Blue Hens finally get back on track toward a successful season. Delaware 30, Delaware State 19.

2016 record: 71-28

Contact Jeff Taviano at jtaviano@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreytaviano