Week 10 College Football Predictions

Tuesday
UAB at SMU (+3.5): With the game at home, SMU improved from a year ago at 4-4, and UAB not looking nearly as solid as they have in previous years, I'm going with the Mustangs.
SMU 24 UAB 17

Wednesday
Fresno State at Boise State (+26): Fresno may be having a down year, but it's hard for me to see them getting blown out by nearly four touchdowns. They are a team whose already played the likes of Nevada, Oregon, Hawaii, and LSU, amongst others. BSU should stay unbeaten, but I doubt they'll cover the spread.
Boise State 42 Fresno State 24

Thursday
West Virginia at Louisville (+2): Without Michael Bush healthy and playing, I'm definitely giving the edge to the Mountaineers. Louisville's once dominant offense has not been as consistent and forceful in recent weeks. No one has shown the ability to slow down the Mountaineers' rushing attack and I can't see the Cards' suspect defense being the first to do so.
West Virginia 38 Louisville 24

Friday
Air Force (+7) at Army: Both academies have been anything but consistent this year. Air Force went from a one-point loss to Tennessee to getting spanked by BYU a week ago. Army went from falling to Texas A&M by four points to getting beat pretty handily by Tulane. Like option football? This will definitely be a game to check out. Even though I'm a bit iffy on this pick, I'm going with the Falcons in a close one.
Air Force 24 Army 21

Saturday
Missouri at Nebraska (+5.5): This could very well be the Big XII North Championship. The winner will most likely get pounded in the Big XII Title Game, but hey, being labeled the Big XII North Champ has to count for something right? Maybe? Ehh, who knows anymore. Both teams looked pathetic last weekend. Mizzou played self-destructively on offense and soft on defense against Oklahoma in their 26-10 loss. Nebraska was outscored 41-7 by Oklahoma State following their 16-0 lead to open the game in their 41-29 loss. The true question is, who wants it more? Who wants it at all? With the game at home, I give a slight edge to Nebraska, but could see this game going either way.
Nebraska 28 Missouri 21

Kansas State at Colorado (+4): I'm sorry, but 1-8 Colorado is a favorite over 5-4 K-State? Is there something I'm missing here? Perhaps they know something I don't know. CU has been playing their opposition tough and in their lone offensive showing of the season, it was a home game against Texas Tech. I can see CU's defense causing problems for K-State's freshman quarterback. Allright, I'll go with the 'Buffs, but to play it safe, I'll pick against the spread.
Colorado 17 Kansas State 14

Kansas (+1) at Iowa State: How hot of a seat is ISU head coach Dan McCarney sitting on now? His Cyclones went bowling a year ago and had high expectations for this season after returning most of their starters on offense. The offense has been dreadful and if they continue to play like they have been, they have no chance to beat the Jayhawks.
Kansas 28 Iowa State 17

Oklahoma (+3) at Texas A&M: Finally, A&M gets beaten. When I look at them on paper, they don't appear to be that great of a team. They've squeaked by a few teams, including Army. OU has to do without star tailback Adrian Peterson, but have faired well since his injury. The defense has stepped up and should continue to at College Station.
Oklahoma 24 Texas A&M 17

Oklahoma State at Texas (+17): OSU isn't getting any love, are they? While they have lost three games this year, those losses were all very close. They're building off a big home win this past weekend against Nebraska. Even though I'm taking the Longhorns at home to win the game, it's not going to be by 17.
Texas 45 Oklahoma State 35

Baylor at Texas Tech (+17): This could be a dangerous game for the Red Raiders. The reason I say that is because of their collapse last week against Texas. They lead 21-0 in the first quarter and found a way to lose the game. It'd be easy for a team to let that carry over into this week's game. I see the Red Raiders pulling this one out, but not by as much as the "experts" think.
Texas Tech 28 Baylor 17

Northwestern at Iowa (+17): I haven't heard word about Drew Tate's return, but with the game in Iowa City, I'd hope that it wouldn't matter. 'Hawks should win this one big.
Iowa 31 Northwestern 10

Ball State at Michigan (+33): With their sloppy performance last week against Northwestern, I'd think and hope the 2nd ranked Wolverines would come out with some extra fire in this one. UM wins it big.
Michigan 45 Ball State 10

Purdue at Michigan State (+2): After starting the year 3-0 and going 1-5 since that time, it's tough for me to pick the Spartans. Purdue is a very average club playing average ball, but that beats an average club playing atrocious ball.
Purdue 31 Michigan State 24

Ohio State (+27) at Illinois: The Illini played Wis-CON-sin tough last week and played Penn State tough the week before, but Ohio State is a completely separate entity. They should handle Zook's club with ease, just as they've handled everyone else.
Ohio State 42 Illinois 10

Penn State at Wisconsin (+7.5): Wisconsin did not impress me last week against Illinois. PSU, meanwhile, has played well on defense and played Ohio State the toughest of anybody thus far. I'm going with JoPa in the upset at Camp Randall.
Penn State 24 Wisconsin 21

Bowling Green at Akron (+9.5): Whew. Bowling Green is now in the books as the team who snapped Temple's 20 game losing streak. Akron also played poorly last week, falling to then 2-6 Toledo. This is a matchup between two disappointing MAC clubs. I'm going to go with the home Zips, but not by the indicated spread.
Akron 28 Bowling Green 24

Mississippi State at Alabama (+14): Croom's Bulldogs have played stingy at times this year but only have two wins to show for it. It'll be very difficult for their bunch to come out of Tuscaloosa with a third victory.
Alabama 24 Mississippi State 10

Arkansas (+2) at South Carolina: This is a rather large game in the SEC. South Carolina's three losses come by a combined 32 points at the hands of Georgia (6-3), Auburn (8-1), and Tennessee (7-1). Since their opening week drubbing at the hands of USC, Arkansas has gone undefeated, including a 27-10 victory over then unbeaten Auburn. With the game at home, coming off a tough loss to the 'Vols, I'm giving the edge to Spurrier.
South Carolina 28 Arkansas 24

Arkansas State at Auburn (+31): Auburn has tended to play down to their competition this year, so even though I'm confident that the Tigers will win, I'm not so sure if they will cover the large spread. Since Arkansas State is coming off a 29-0 loss to Florida Atlantic, I'll take the Tigers to cover.
Auburn 45 Arkansas State 10

Boston College (+4.5) at Wake Forest: I'd be very surprised to see BC lose this game. I think that Wake Forest is by far and away the worst one-loss team left in Division I-A. They almost fell to one-win North Carolina last week. BC should continue their good run this week with another W.
Boston College 31 Wake Forest 21

BYU (+14) at Colorado State: These two teams are going in completely opposite directions. BYU is one of the hottest clubs in all of football (definitely of the MWC) and Colorado State has to be one of the coldest teams in all of football (definitely of the MWC). CSU got shutout two weeks ago by Wyoming 24-0 and found a way to lose this past weekend to New Mexico 20-19. The Cougars should have no problems in Fort Collins to improve to 7-2.
BYU 42 Colorado State 14

Central Michigan (+17.5) at Temple: Congrats to the Owls who snapped their 20-game losing streak last week with a 28-14 win over Bowling Green. They'll party all week and in no way be prepared for this upcoming game with the Chippewas. It takes a lot out of a club to win one out of twenty-one.
Central Michigan 31 Temple 14

UCLA at Cal (+17): UCLA had their hangover week against Washington State following their blown lead to Notre Dame. Cal had a bye week, so they may be a little rusty in the early going. UCLA's defense should keep things rather close, but Marshawn Lynch will be too much for the Bruins in the end.
Cal 28 UCLA 14

Maryland at Clemson (+16): Allright, I should stop doubting the Turtles. No matter how ugly they win, they just seem to win. Clemson is looking to rebound following their awful showing against Virginia Tech last Thursday. While I'm going to go with the home team, I don't believe the spread will be covered.
Clemson 31 Maryland 17

East Carolina (+7) at Central Florida: How 'bout them Pirates? Allright, they're not quite as good as they had been 5-10 years ago, but following some down years, ECU appears to be back on the upswing. They should get over the .500 mark with a win over the ever-struggling Golden Knights.
East Carolina 31 Central Florida 17

Virginia at Florida State (+11): Bobby's 'Noles are 4-4. I heard some pre-season chatter that they may be National Title contenders this year. Virginia has begun to play better of late to improve to 4-5 on the year. I'm half tempted to go with the upset, but with the game in Tallahassee, I don't see it happening. UVA's defense should keep it somewhat close, though. Florida State 24 Virginia 14

Florida (+14.5) at Vanderbilt: The spread is tricky on this one. If the game was at The Swamp, I'd have no problem taking the Gators to cover. Even though I'm not too confident with the pick, I'm going to say that UF will have found a extra spark of motivation with their most recent #4 ranking in the BCS.
Florida 31 Vanderbilt 14

Georgia Tech (+6) at NC State: I'm rather surprised by the lack of a spread in this game. NC State has been struggling lately and that's being nice. Tech got hammered by Clemson not long ago, but rebounded nicely with a win last week against Miami. NC State's offense racked up only seven points against Virginia last week. I can't see them posing much more on the Yellow Jacket defense.
Georgia Tech 21 NC State 7

Georgia (+6) at Kentucky: I could've seen UGA losing to a seemingly always pesky Vandy squad, but Kentucky? I'm not seeing that transpire.
Georgia 28 Kentucky 14

Hawaii (+27) at Utah State: If one likes to see points scored in the bunches, they'll love Hawaii football. They've put up 68 points two times in the past three games, including last week in their 68-10 blowout of Idaho. Expect similar results against the hapless Aggies.
Hawaii 70 Utah State 10

Kent State (+14.5) at Buffalo: Kent State is coming off a tough 17-7 loss to Ohio and Buffalo appears to be getting worse by the week. Gotta go with the Golden Flashes to rebound.
Kent State 31 Buffalo 10

Louisiana-Lafayette (+2) at Troy: With the game at home, I look for the pesky Trojans to pull even at .500.
Troy 24 Louisiana-Lafayette 21

LSU (+2) at Tennessee: There's at least one great SEC matchup every week, isn't there? This should be no different. The 'Vols have been sluggish of late, just squeaking by Alabama and South Carolina in their past two games. I look for LSU's staunch defense to limit the 'Vols potency on offense and for JaMarcus Russell to have a solid day through the air.
LSU 21 Tennessee 14

Florida Atlantic at Middle Tennessee State (+14): MTSU is coming off an impressive victory over Louisiana-Lafayette, but Howard Schnellenberger's Florida Atlantic squad is performing better of late. I like MTSU to win, but not by much.
Middle Tennessee State 28 Florida Atlantic 21

Tulane at Marshall (+5.5): Expect a lot of points to be scored in this one. Just last week, Tulane scored 42 on Army and Marshall put up 41 on Memphis. While neither team has been very impressive this year, I do believe Tulane has shown me more up to this point. I look for the Green Wave to get a road win here.
Tulane 42 Marshall 31

Indiana at Minnesota (+4.5): Minnesota's what? 3-6? They're favored over the 5-4 Hoosiers? Fahgeddaboutit. Indiana becomes bowl eligible with this win!
Indiana 31 Minnesota 21

North Carolina at Notre Dame (+29): The Irish should win and win handily, but I don't know if they'll cover the spread. Carolina actually played decently in their loss last week to Wake Forest. Notre Dame 38 North Carolina 10

Louisiana Tech at North Texas (+2.5): I'm just going to keep on picking the Bulldogs. Both teams have stunk it up this year, but I'm going to go back on the fact that Louisiana Tech has played the tougher schedule. It may not matter anymore, considering they got blown out last week by San Jose State, but, between these two clubs, what else do I have to go on?
Louisiana Tech 24 North Texas 21

Navy (+11) at Duke: Even Temple found a way to win a game. Duke has yet to do that and playing against the option attack of the Midshipmen won't help matters any. Chalk up another L for the Blue Devils.
Navy 28 Duke 14

Nevada (+12.5) at Idaho: The Vandals are coming off a 68-10 loss to Hawaii while Nevada is playing their best ball of the season. I'd be shocked to see the Wolfpack lose this one with the way they've been playing.
Nevada 38 Idaho 17

Ohio (+7) at Eastern Michigan: Eastern Michigan may only have one win to their credit, but they have been a tough team to dispose of in games. Just ask 6-2 Western Michigan who upended Eastern Michigan 18-15. Look for Ohio to win this one, but it won't be easy.
Ohio 24 Eastern Michigan 14

Arizona State at Oregon State (+3): Both teams enter the game at 5-3 and winners of two straight. ASU is slowly improving and OSU is coming off a huge home win against USC. I have a feeling that this weekend calls for a letdown by the Beavers following their huge win over the Trojans. A game against the Sundevils is not the weekend to have a hangover.
Arizona State 31 Oregon State 28

Washington at Oregon (+14): Ty Willingham's Huskies have lost some tight ones this year. Their last two games were lost by a combined 10 points, both in overtime, to the likes of Cal and Arizona State. It won't get any easier at Autzen and I look for a similar loss for UW.
Oregon 28 Washington 24

Pitt (+5) at South Florida: This is a dangerous game for the Panthers. South Florida has played much better at home this year than away. Both teams are coming off a bye week. I'm giving the slight edge to Pitt, but USF isn't a team to take lightly.
Pitt 28 South Florida 21

San Jose State (+7) at New Mexico State: This should be a high-flying matchup. NMSU's defense has been porous, to be nice. They make the Colts' run defense look like the Steel Curtain.
San Jose State 38 New Mexico State 31

TCU (+21) at UNLV: TCU's coming off an impressive 26-3 victory over Wyoming and UNLV's basketball team could probably beat their football team for sixty minutes. Horned Frogs win this one big.
TCU 31 UNLV 3

Tulsa (+4.5) at Houston: Houston has won a couple straight since their cold spell. Tulsa has one loss on the season and even in their sub-par performances such as the one last week against UTEP, they seem to find ways to win. Houston should put up some points, but not enough to stop the Golden Hurricane.
Tulsa 35 Houston 31

USC (+28.5) at Stanford: USC is coming off a very disappointing loss to Oregon State and have shown no signs of pulling it together in conference. This is a blessing for the underachieving Trojans, to face off against the winless Cardinal. USC wins, but won't cover the spread.
USC 31 Stanford 10

Rice at UTEP (+8.5): The option offense vs. Mike Price and Jordan Palmer. UTEP is coming off a disappointing loss to Tulsa where they lead 20-6 in the second half only to allow Tulsa to score 24 unanswered. They'll come back at home to win this one fairly handily.
UTEP 31 Rice 17

Virginia Tech (+2.5) at Miami (Florida): This looks to be a game of matchups. While the teams appear to be heading in different directions following Tech's big win over Clemson and Miami's loss to Georgia Tech, I believe that Miami's stingy front seven matches up well against Tech's running game and Miami's vertical threats in throwing matches up well against the Hokies' secondary. Miami wins a tough game at home.
Miami (Florida) 24 Virginia Tech 17

Miami (Ohio) at Western Michigan (+12): The only question I have here deals with the spread. Western Michigan only beat Eastern Michigan by 3 points last week. Like Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio) has one win on the season. With the game being at home, I'm going to go with the Broncos covering the spread.
Western Michigan 31 Miami (Ohio) 17

Arizona at Washington State (+14.5): The Cougars in Pullman are playing better on a weekly basis and should have no problem beating U of A and solidifying themselves in the top 25.
Washington State 31 Arizona 10

San Diego State at Wyoming (+16): SDSU pulled off an upset win over Air Force two weeks ago only to lose to Division I-AA Cal Poly 16-14 this past weekend. While Wyoming were embarrassed by TCU this past weekend, they have been playing better of late and should have no problems in this one.
Wyoming 28 San Diego State 10

Sunday
Southern Miss (+8) at Memphis: The perfect recipe for Southern Miss to bring their losing skid to a halt is to face off against Memphis. If Southern Miss finds a way to lose this game, then Jeff Bower and company are in trouble in Hattiesberg.
Southern Miss 31 Memphis 10

Sports Notes

-Baseball's over? Finally? Thank God! The World Series between the Cardinals and Tigers was the worst rated Series in history! What'd it beat out? Last year's World Series! Ouch! Yeah, baseball needs to make some changes, because it's caught up in scandal and is boring!

-Sportswriters and analysts sure are fair weather, aren't they? Many questioned Bill Parcells' decision to bench Drew Bledsoe in favor of Tony Romo. Romo threw three picks in the second half of last week's Monday night game against the Giants. He had a solid game against the Panthers on Sunday night and all of a sudden, he was the right choice and will lead the Cowboys to the playoffs. They jumped on Matt Leinart's back after he and the Cardinals' near upset win over the Bears on Monday night. He's now 0-4 as a starter following Sunday's loss to the Packers. Some are claiming that the Tennessee Titans' win over Houston on Sunday proves that Houston should've drafted Vince Young with the #1 pick in the draft. Idiots. Houston put up over 420 yards total offense, but turned the ball over too much. Tennessee didn't even put up half that amount. They just allowed Houston to beat themselves. They've been off and on about Washington quarterback Mark Brunell. Until the past couple weeks, many were bashing on Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick. Gotta love these guys. They flip-flop so much that they have to confuse themselves at times. Maybe not, but it sure as heck confuses me!

-What were the Steelers thinking when starting Ben Roethlisberger? The guy barely survived a motorcycle accident, had an emergency appendectomy, and had his second concussion in four months two Sundays ago. They were playing Oakland and Charlie Batch has performed great in his relief efforts this year against Miami and Atlanta. Pitt held Oakland to under 100 yards total offense and lost 20-13! Why? Big Ben threw four picks, two of which were brought in for touchdowns. Both of the Raiders touchdowns were on picks. Big Ben seems cursed this year. What else can happen? I wonder if he's thinking the same thing.

-Why are people harping on Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer's "inconsistent" play? The guy was very efficient on Sunday against the Falcons and is one of the top rated starters in the NFL. You know his biggest problem? Pass protection. In all of 2005, Palmer was sacked a total of 21 times. He's already matched that in 7 games this year. Protect Palmer and he's going to give the Bengals great results. Also, utilize Rudi Johnson more to ease the pressure off Palmer.

-At 1-7, can the Arizona Cardinals be labeled the worst team in football? It's amazing how close they were to beating the undefeated Bears, and yet they follow that with consecutive losses to Oakland and Green Bay. Ouch!

-Where's Reggie Bush? Lawrence Maroney, Jerious Norwood, and maybe even Joseph Addai have impressed me more this year than "the next Gale Sayers." How about those early draft picks? Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Jay Cutler, Vine Young... Several others have been much more impressive thus far.

-Did USC get too cocky? This is a club who beat Arkansas and Nebraska this year 78-24. Those two clubs have a combined record of 13-4. But, they've played lazy in conference and it finally bit them in the backside in Corvallis. When they fell behind 33-10, they finally woke up and almost made a great comeback.

-The Big East has three of the remaining six unbeatens: West Virginia, Louisville, and Rutgers. I'm hoping the Big East gets an unbeaten in the title game against Ohio State. Yeah, I'm already calling for the Buckeyes to beat the Wolverines.

Falcons 29 Bengals 27

The Atlanta Falcons improved to 2-0 against the tough AFC North with their 29-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The wins didn't come without their fair share of tension and drama. A week earlier, it took an overtime session for Atlanta to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-38. It was a rollercoaster again on Sunday, but with not as drastic of turns as the home game a week ago against Pittsburgh.

Rudi Johnson ran all over the Falcons defense on their opening drive and scored a touchdown to take the lead back from the Falcons 7-3. Atlanta had to settle on another Morten Andersen field goal to answer the Bengals touchdown and close the gap to one at 7-6. At this point, it looked like the Falcons not cashing in with touchdowns might finally get the best of them. This was especially the case following the next Bengals possession when Carson Palmer hooked up with Chad Johnson to lead 14-6.

But, as I was to see, this game would be quite similar as the one a week earlier when neither defense could stop the other. Michael Vick answered the Johnson score with a dart of his own to his man Alge Crumpler. Cincy closed the half by driving the ball enough to get into Shayne Graham field goal range to lead 17-13.

The biggest possession of the game was Cincy's opening drive in the second half. Atlanta forced them to punt and from that point forth, they took control of the game. Vick scrambled and connected with Michael Jenkins on a third and long to take a 20-17 lead. Cincy tied the game up with a field goal on their next possession. No problem for Vick and the Falcons. He led the Falcons down the field and dumped a pass off to fullback Justin Griffith for his third touchdown pass. Backup quarterback Matt Schaub mishandled the snap on the extra point, so the lead was at 6, 26-20. Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell brought pressure on the Bengals' in the second half and it paid off for the club. Cincy was forced to punt and Atlanta got into field goal range to take a 29-20 lead. Things got a little too close there at the end. Atlanta played it ultra-conservative and punted with just under four minutes left in the game and then on the first play of the drive, Carson Palmer connected with Chris Henry for a touchdown pass to close the gap to 29-27. Vick and the Falcons moved the ball just enough to put the Bengals in a very tough position to score. Palmer and company had the ball deep in their own territory with 20 seconds left and no timeouts. Defensive end Patrick Kerney swatted the ball away from Palmer and the Falcons recovered to seal the victory.

The win boosts their record to 5-2 on the year and with the Saints' loss to Baltimore, Atlanta is in a first place tie in the NFC South. For the time being, New Orleans does hold the tie-breaker with their win earlier in the year over the Falcons. They do play once more this year, over Thanksgiving weekend in Atlanta.

First off, let me give kudos to offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. I've been extremely critical of him in the past, but he has called excellent games the past two weeks. Let me also give props to the offensive line and the receivers. I've also criticized them, but the offensive line has pass protected just as well as they've opened holes in the running game the past two weeks. Vick was beat up against the New York Giants, sacked 7 times, but has been protected very well since that game, being sacked only three times. One of those sacks was a coverage sack and another was a gimme where Vick just went down to drain time off the clock. So, in the past two games, the O-Line has only been responsible for allowing one sack. The receivers have been catching the football with more regularity and that includes Roddy White. Ashley Lelie started in his place against Cincinnati, but when Roddy entered the game, he made some big catches for the Falcons. Michael Jenkins has been illustrating how badly he wants to start for this team the past couple weeks. Before the Pittsburgh game, only Ashley Lelie had shown me through his fight to get to footballs and his lack of drops that he truly wanted to start and make his presence known. Jenkins has done likewise the past couple weeks. If Roddy White can get jumpstarted starting with the game at Cincy and the other two continue their good work, the receiving corps could be very productive the rest of the way through the season.

Some have complained that the running game has lacked some punch the past couple games. The Falcons have averaged 158 yards on the ground in those two games which would still put them in 1st place on the ground in the NFL. They just haven't been garnering 200+ yards in those games. There's more balance in rushing yards between the likes of Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood, and Michael Vick. Dunn has been effective in pass protection the past couple weeks and Vick checked down to the tailbacks more this past week than he had in a while. Dunn has not run as effectively as he had prior to this new gameplan orchestrated by Knapp, but as I said, the team is still averaging 158 rushing yards in these games and 35 points in those two contests. They've also controlled the clock, typical of a run-oriented offense. They held the ball for approximately 37 minutes on Sunday. I just wonder, as the season wears on, if Norwood will start getting more and more involved in the offense. He's explosive when his hands are on that football. It's a great problem to have, to have too many running threats.

Analysts are obsessed with stats and are shocked with Vick's numbers the past two weeks. He's completed 65% of his passes for 523 yards and 7 touchdowns. Me? I'm not surprised. The common denominator here? Atlanta's winning, which has been Vick's rep. What's the difference? The gameplan, the pass protection, and the receivers. Earlier this year and in the two prior years in the West Coast offense, Vick has led the Falcons to hold the top ranked rushing offense in the league. Lots of Dunn, lots of Duckett/Norwood, and lots of Vick. Atlanta would consistently run the ball early and often and carry that gameplan throughout the four quarters. It's difficult for the quarterback to get into a rhythm, difficult for the receivers to keep their heads in the game, and difficult for the offensive line to adjust to pass protection when they've run blocked for the majority of the game. Now the Falcons are passing early in the game, on 1st downs, and Vick is getting into a rhythm with his receivers, they're staying in the game, and the line is more cohesive in pass protection. When the Falcons run, the line knows that zone blocking scheme all too well and Atlanta has the likes of Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood to run the ball and also, that guy named Vick. It'd be very difficult for any quarterback to find a rhythm if he's only counted on to throw the ball on 3rd and long, given minimal pass protection, and receivers not keeping their heads in the game because of the lack of throws. I don't care how great a quarterback is, it'd be difficult to put up gaudy passing statistics with those ingredients.

The offense is definitely headed in the right direction. Special teams have been solid. Morten Andersen has brought consistency to the kicking game and Michael Koenen continues to punt and kickoff well. Outside of this past weekend, the return game has been solid for the Falcons. Where my worries reside is on the defensive side of the ball.

In the past three games, Atlanta has allowed 92 points and surprisingly, have gone 2-1 in that span. What's the problem? I think Atlanta has made some adjustments since the Giants tore them up on the ground, so the problems lie in the pass rush and the secondary. While DeAngelo Hall and Lawyer Milloy have been solid, Chris Crocker has been shaky and Jason Webster has been burned time after time after time this year. I can only hope and pray that rookie Jimmy Williams matures and replaces Webster by the end of the year. What could help Webster? A steady pass rush. Ed Donatell relies too heavily on the front four to get heat on the quarterback. This might be more efficient if John Abraham was healthy and playing, but he's not. The O-Line can therefore double up Patrick Kerney and a fairly inexperienced end is counted on to make a move and get pressure on the quarterback. With Abraham out of the lineup, Ed Donatell must call blitzes with more regularity. Notice what happened against Cincinnati? In the first half, hardly any pressure was exerted on Carson Palmer and he burned the Falcons early and often, en route to 17 first half points. In the second half, Donatell called many more blitzes, Palmer got hit and rattled, and the Bengals had more problems offensively. Outside of the late long touchdown pass to Chris Henry, the Bengals only scored a field goal. Ed, buddy, without Abraham in the lineup, blitz more!

Up next for the Falcons is an away game against the Detroit Lions. Detroit is coming off a bye week and have only one win under their belt. They have, however, been competitive in most every game. Atlanta is 2-1 in Vick's three starts against the Lions. They defeated Detroit in the annual Thanksgiving game at Ford Field. I believe the offense will perform well and that Warrick Dunn will be more productive than he has been the previous two weeks. Where I'm worried is again on defense. After winning two big games, one at home against the defending Super Bowl Champs and one on the road against the defending AFC North Champs, how motivated will that defense be at stopping Jon Kitna and Roy Williams compared to Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward or Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson? We'll have to wait and see. I'm optimistic about the game, but not overly optimistic for the very reason I just stated. If Atlanta can improve in their pass rush and pass defense, they'll be a very tough team to bring down in the second half of the season.

Week 8 NFL Picks and Results

Sunday
Houston at Tennessee: This is a tough pick and not because either team is good. It's hard for me to go against Houston here with how well they played last weekend against Jacksonville. Who in their rightened mind would've picked Houston to win that game 27-7?
Houston 24 Tennessee 17
Tennessee 28 Houston 22 (0-1)

Jacksonville at Philadelphia: Outside of MAYBE Indianapolis, no other team in football leans on their quarterback's passing more than Philadelphia. This showed last week when his three interceptions came back to haunt the Eagles. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses to teams with a combined record of 4-8. Jacksonville has slipped mightily since their 2-0 start and Philly has had difficulty staying consistent and closing out games. This will be a battle of wills. Who wants it more? At home, I'm going to go with the Eagles.
Philadelphia 24 Jacksonville 14
Jacksonville 13 Philadelphia 6 (0-2)

Atlanta at Cincinnati: Go figure, the week I pick against the Falcons and they score 41 points against the Steelers. The run defense improved heavily against Pittsburgh compared to two weeks ago against the Giants. Cincinnati tailback Rudi Johnson got off to a great start this season, but has simmered some in the past couple games. The key matchup on that side of the ball will be Atlanta's defensive backs against the receivers of Cincinnati. While Atlanta played well against the run last week, they couldn't stop the pass. With the improved gameplan by Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp, the improved run defense, and the Bengals not having found a rhythm yet offensively, I'm going with the Falcons on the road.
Atlanta 24 Cincinnati 21
Atlanta 29 Cincinnati 27 (1-2)

Tampa Bay at NY Giants: First, the Giants had the overly hyped Manning matchup to start the season. Now they have the Barber matchup, which won't be talked about nearly as much. The G-Men can't take Tampa for granted, as the Bengals and Eagles have done the past couple weeks. Being on the streak they're on and playing at home, I don't think they will. Tampa will play them tough, but New York should come out of it with the win.
NY Giants 21 Tampa Bay 10
NY Giants 17 Tampa Bay 3 (2-2)

San Francisco at Chicago: Grossman better play better than he did against the Cardinals. In that game, he turned the ball over 6 times by his lonesome. To do that in successive games against two of the worst teams in the league would not be good. It's the Bears, though. Grossman could probably turn it over 8 times against the 49ers and Chicago would still find a way to win.
Chicago 28 San Francisco 10
Chicago 41 San Francisco 10 (3-2)

Arizona at Green Bay: With their dreadful performance a week ago and Denny Green's job perhaps on the line, Arizona should come out ready to play in this game. The key question will be, which defense will show up to play? Arizona's is more likely to show up than the Packers', so I'm going with the Cards in this one.
Arizona 28 Green Bay 24
Green Bay 31 Arizona 14 (3-3)

Seattle at Kansas City: Where's Kansas City at this year (outside of the obvious answer: Missouri)? They got pummeled by Pittsburgh two weeks ago, 45-7. They then rebounded and beat San Diego 30-27 last weekend. The Chiefs may get over the .500 hump after this game, because they're playing the Seahawks at the right time. Matt Hasselbeck is out of the lineup and Shaun Alexander is questionable. With the game at Arrowhead, that just ices it for me.
Kansas City 24 Seattle 10
Kansas City 35 Seattle 28 (4-3)

Baltimore at New Orleans: Where do I go with this one? Both teams are coming off byes. I don't believe New Orleans will be able to run much on the Baltimore front seven. Baltimore's offense has been anything but efficient this year. In other words, it should be a tight, low-scoring defensive battle. Whomever makes the least amount of mistakes will probably pull out the W. Some crazy things have been happening in New Orleans this year, but I'm going with the Ravens in this one.
Baltimore 17 New Orleans 14
Baltimore 35 New Orleans 22 (5-3)

St. Louis at San Diego: There are a lot of distractions in San Diego right now. They're beaten up on defense and awaiting word on Shawn Merriman's appeal. Both teams are coming off last second losses, St. Louis to Seattle two weeks ago and San Diego to Kansas City last week. With Marc Bulger playing the best of any NFC quarterback (in my opinion) and all the distractions on the Chargers' side, I'm going with the Rams.
St. Louis 24 San Diego 17
San Diego 38 St. Louis 24 (5-4)

Pittsburgh at Oakland: Oakland won a game! Surprise! Surprise! Well, enjoy it while it lasts fellas, because that "streak" is going to snap at one. It doesn't matter who Pittsburgh starts at quarterback, whether it's Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, or Chris Berman. Willie Parker will run all over the Raydaaaaazzz defense and don't expect much offense from Oakland and Pitt's defense was torn to shreds last week.
Pittsburgh 28 Oakland 3
Oakland 20 Pittsburgh 13 (5-5)

NY Jets at Cleveland: Cleveland has played pretty tough defensively this year, but can't score much on offense. They're a downgrade of the Denver Broncos this year. NY has been a pleasant surprise in the disappointing AFC East and should pull out a road win here.
NY Jets 21 Cleveland 14
Cleveland 20 NY Jets 13 (5-6)

Indianapolis at Denver: Will Denver's defense be able to stop Indy's offense enough that their own offense can score the amount of points needed to win the game? Will Denver's offense be able to match Indy's offense point by point, even if it is low-scoring? I don't think so.
Indianapolis 24 Denver 17
Indianapolis 34 Denver 31 (6-6)

Dallas at Carolina: I'd like to go with Dallas here, because even at 4-3, "experts" and "analysts" are gaga over Carolina, even though they're currently in 3rd place in their own division. But, with all the distractions and indecision in Dallas right now, all I can say is, good luck to Tony Romo meeting Julius Peppers and Michael Rucker face-to-face on the road in his first NFL start.
Carolina 24 Dallas 10
Dallas 35 Carolina 14 (6-7)

Monday
New England at Minnesota: This will probably not be the most exciting Monday night game ever televised, but it should be close. With the momentum from their 31-13 win at Seattle a week ago and the game at home, I'm giving the slight edge to the Vikes here.
Minnesota 21 New England 17
New England 31 Minnesota 7 (6-8)

Week 8 Record: 6-8 (.429)
Overall Record: 71-43 (.623)

Week 9 College Football Newsletter

College Football just gets more and more fun by the week, doesn't it? There were surprises, close calls, and one colossal upset along the way. Impressive comebacks were made, streaks were snapped, and we're one week closer to finding out what the bowl matchups will be.

The Bonehead Call of the Week
This goes to the Tennessee Volunteers' offensive coordinator. Fairly late in their game with South Carolina and up at the time, they called a quarterback draw for Erik Ainge at around the Gamecock 10-yard line. Erik Ainge is more similar in running speed and elusiveness to Kurt Warner than Donovan McNabb. He went nowhere (as expected) and injured his ankle in the process. He had to be replaced on the Vols' next drive. How long will this injury keep Ainge out of the lineup? I haven't heard the latest, so I don't know. But who in their rightened mind calls a quarterback draw with a QB slower than their own place kicker when they're already up late in the ball game? As Jim Carrey might say, "Stoooo-pa-hid."

The Bonehead Play of the Week
This was also involved in the SEC matchup between Tennessee and South Carolina. South Carolina started with the ball around their own 10-yard line, down 31-24, with slightly under a minute to play and no timeouts. After a short out route that gained 8 yards and kept the clock ticking, Gamecocks' quarterback Newton threw a ball that was tipped. No Volunteer could've caught the football. The ball hit the ground, the clock stopped, and SC had a 3rd and 2 from the 18 with just under half a minute left, right? Wrong. An offensive lineman caught the tipped pass and tried to make like Reggie Bush down the sideline. Only, he never got that far. He was stopped for a loss on the play and the clock ticked down to under 10 seconds before the Gamecocks could call another play. Newton threw the ball just past midfield and it was picked off to seal the 31-24 victory for Tennessee. The O-Lineman cost SC at least twenty seconds. It may not have mattered, but that was one of the worst one-minute drill showcases I've witnessed in quite some time.

The Conference Yo of the Week
The Pac 10's two week streak has now been broken. I'm dishing this out to the SEC. If one likes hard hits, great athletes, and competitive games, then one would have loved the SEC this past weekend. Florida and Georgia more than lived up to the hype, with the Gators holding off the late-surging 'Dawgs 21-14. I have already mentioned Auburn's tough 23-17 victory over Mississippi. Tennessee also received a scare in their 31-24 win over South Carolina. Heck, even Kentucky and Mississippi State had a battle with one another, with the Wildcats triumphant in the end 34-31. There were also three non-conference games, in which the SEC went 3-0. Arkansas, Alabama, and Vanderbilt outscored their opponents 127-41.

The Conference Yo No of the Week
I might as well just designate this award for the Big Ten every week. Even though I think the ACC has been worse as a whole than the Big Ten, I also believe that the ACC has provided more entertaining and competitive ball games. Let's see here. Ohio State shutout Minnesota 44-0. Penn State shutout Purdue 12-0. Indiana annihilated Michigan State 46-21 (it wasn't even that close). Michigan played half asleep against Northwestern in their 17-3 win. Wisconsin almost gave one away to Illinois before they woke up and got their act together. Finally, Iowa had a four quarter battle against Northern Illinois. There was only one great game in-conference and that was between 8-1 Wisconsin and 2-7 Illinois. Many other teams disappointed.

Game(s) of the Week
I picked five games out of the lot last weekend, because like Pringles, I couldn't pick just one. There even more great games this weekend, so I'm counting down the top ten.

10. Virginia 14 NC State 7- Yeah, I know, not a lot of scoring. Not very exciting right? Well, if you enjoy Hawaii vs. Boise State games, then no, probably not. There were plenty of hard hits, plenty of suspense, and a great deal of action down the stretch. It was a must win for both clubs and even though both teams have some work to do just to go bowling, UVA now has some momentum going and has the better shot of the two to finish with six wins.

9. Oklahoma State 41 Nebraska 29- It had all the makings of a great game. It was fantastic for three quarters. Nebraska led at that point 23-20. But, Okie State put on their jet packs and flew in the fourth quarter to dominate the final fifteen minutes. If it hadn't of been for a late score by Nebraska, Okie State would've scored 41 of the final 48 points and shutout the Huskers in the second half. It was still a fairly entertaining game, though, for the most part.

8. Georgia Tech 30 Miami (Florida) 23- Tech had to focus after getting demolished by Clemson 31-7 two weeks ago. Miami, meanwhile, had to just keep their heads in the game following the on-field fiasco against FIU two weeks ago and the near loss to winless Duke last weekend. Miami came out ready to play early and led 10-0. GT quarterback Reggie Ball looked to be in yet another inconsistent funk, but he finally found a way to get the ball to the Johnsons (Calvin, especially) and Tech's defense was up to the challenge in the second half for the seven point victory.

7. Florida 21 Georgia 14- Many were calling for a Gator blowout, but not me. While I have labeled UGA as overrated since week 1 of the season, I will admit that they have a quick and athletic defense that can keep them in games. Even though I didn't see how UGA's offense would score enough to win, I felt that the 'Dawgs' defense would play well enough to keep them in the game. Florida looked good early and led 21-0. But, Georgia clawed their way back into the game. It was a tough game for Georgia fans to watch for three quarters, but it was a nail-biting fourth quarter for Florida fans. I'm sure they're quite content that the game didn't last another 15 minutes.

6. Tennessee 31 South Carolina 24- Even though I awarded both the Bonehead Call and the Bonehead Plays of the Week to coaches and players in this game, it was still an entertaining sixty minutes of football, full of runs. Early on, Tennessee appeared to be the better of the two clubs and looked to be in full control. But as the Coach Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend." Carolina came right and even took the lead, if even only briefly. The 'Vols then dominated again to take a 31-17 lead and again appeared to be in total control. Spurrier had other things in mind, though. His Gamecocks had a quick strike score to close the gap to 31-24 and had an opportunity with under a minute left to tie the game, but fell victim to very poor execution in that final minute.

5. Auburn 23 Mississippi 17- While I thought Ole Miss' defense would keep the final score somewhat respectable, I did not expect a seesaw battle like this. Auburn quarterback Brandon Cox got pressured all game. Tailback Kenny Irons was bottled up for the most part. This had all the makings of an upset. But, just like in the South Carolina game, Auburn received just enough breaks and made just enough plays to pull out the tough road victory.

4. Wisconsin 30 Illinois 24- Even when Illinois led 21-3 early on, I had a feeling the game was far from over. Illinois has had a big problem this year in closing out games. They led against Penn State just a week prior but fell apart in the 4th quarter. Head coach Ron Zook plays so many freshmen, it's probably just a matter of time before they finally learn how to play for sixty minutes, so that they can better close out games. Wisconsin just played sloppy early on. Every time I flipped to this game, the Illini had either just scored or were about to score due to sloppy execution by the Wisconsin offense or special teams. The BAH-gers should be counting their lucky stars after this game.

3. Maryland 27 Florida State 24- This was definitely the less hyped of the two primetime ESPN games. But, in terms of entertainment and alterations in momentum, this had the Tennessee/South Carolina game beat. Florida State even had an opportunity to tie the game on the last play, the Cimersia's field goal was blocked to seal the Terps' victory.

2. Oregon State 33 USC 31- The first three quarters was entertaining for the simple fact that unbeaten and third ranked USC was getting spanked. I don't care how big of a blowout it is, if an Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Texas, or Florida is getting handled on television, I'm going to be there eating popcorn and enjoying the slaughter. But, as usual, the Trojans wouldn't go away without a fight. Quarterback John David Booty led the charge as USC rattled off 21 consecutive points to bring them to with two at 33-31. If not for their failed two-point conversion, the game would've most certainly headed to overtime with a shocked Beaver squad and a jacked up USC team. The Beaver victory snapped the Trojans' 27-game Pac 10 winning streak. Teams typically play, what, eight conference games in a season? So, that's three consecutive seasons worth right there along with the first three in season #4. Quite amazing!

1. Texas 35 Texas Tech 31- Yeah, just like in the previous game, I had quite the grin on my face when Texas Tech went up 21-0 in the first quarter. But, Texas chipped away. They cut the lead to 24-14 at halftime, 31-28 in the 4th before Texas took the lead for good at 35-31. Tech had their opportunities down the stretch. They had a couple 4th and shorts in Longhorn territory, but failed to convert. Even though Texas doesn't appear to be an excellent football team, they are finding ways to win as they've illustrated the past two weekends.

Biggest Disappointment of the Week
Oklahoma 26 Missouri 10. Missouri is scary when they're in a groove on offense, but they're quite self-destructive when they're not. Against A&M, they were careless with the football and it came back to bite them. The same held true against OU. Turnovers killed Mizzou. Were they looking ahead to the potential Big XII North title game next week with Nebraska? But why would anyone look past Oklahoma? Did they take the Sooners a tad lightly because of the injured Adrian Peterson? Perhaps this question better sums it up, are the Tigers as good as they looked early in the season? Probably not. OU's defense, meanwhile, has picked up the slack in Peterson's absence and will be a force to be reckoned with down the stretch.

Kudos
Comebacks. There were several of them over the weekend. It started on Friday night between Tulsa and UTEP. Mike Price's Miners lead 20-6 in the 2nd half, but Tulsa went on to score the final 24 points en route to a 30-20 victory. Texas Tech lead Texas 21-0 in the first quarter before the Longhorns outscored the Red Raiders 35-10 the rest of the way through the contest to win 35-31. Oklahoma State trailed Nebraska 16-0 early before scoring 41 of the next 48 points in their 41-29 victory over the Cornhuskers. Wisconsin trailed Illinois 21-3 early in that ball game before outscoring the Illini 27-3 the rest of the way through to beat Illy 30-24. Even USC must be commended in their loss on Saturday. The Trojans trailed Oregon State 33-10 late in the third quarter before scoring 21 straight points to fall 33-31.

No Kudos
Ugly Wins. Some teams on Saturday appeared to either be off, hung over, or not very motivated and the results showed. Unbeaten Michigan beat lowly Northworstern (whose lost to Division I-AA New Hampshire 34-17) by the score of 17-3. Iowa lead Northern Illinois 17-14 before scoring a touchdown late to seal the deal 24-14. Auburn got lucky again, this time by beating 2-7 Mississippi 23-17. If not for a late run by Wisconsin at home, they would've fallen to the Fightless Illini. Wisconsin wound up winning the game 30-24. Finally, the worst one loss team in all of football, Wake Forest, almost fell to the 1-7 North Carolina Tar Heels. It was back and forth throughout, but Wake scored last to win 24-17.

Player of the Week
Following Thursday's game between Virginia Tech and Clemson, an immediate candidate emerged for this award. Even though I looked, I didn't find anyone else more deserving than he throughout all the weekend's games. Virginia Tech tailback Branden Ore wins it this week. He took it right to the then 7-1 Clemson Tiger defense. Not only did the guy rush for 203 yards and two scores, he was a workhorse. The guy carried the ball 37 times.

Surprise of the Week
Virginia Tech 24 Clemson 7. What? Me surprised that Va Tech won a Thursday night game at home? Yes, actually. Clemson was 7-1 and had just laid the smack down on Georgia Tech 31-7 a few days prior where their tandem in the backfield rushed for well over 200 yards on the stingy Jackets' front seven. Tech was recently beaten by those same Yellow Jackets as well as the BC Eagles by a combined score of 60-30. Their offense has looked out of sync all year. The quarterback has appeared about as aware as a dodo bird. The playcalling on offense has been about as complex as a Frank Solich quarterback draw offense. So, yeah, I was very surprised by the result. Clemson may have been riding in too high from their dominating victory over Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech probably felt they had more to prove and wanted redemption for their poor showings earlier in the year. VT had more to gain last Thursday night and Clemson had more to lose. That showed on the field. It'll be interesting to see how both teams respond, especially Virginia Tech. Will they do what Clemson did following their big win over Georgia Tech next Saturday at Miami? Or will they build off this big victory and win three straight over solid competition?

The runner-up for this award must receive notice. The then 0-8 Temple Owls beat 4-4 Bowling Green by the final score of 28-14. Temple came into the game losers of 20 straight, the longest such streak in Division I-A. Congrats to the Owls!

Nebraska Game (from an unbiased person's viewpoint)
Ehh, where do I start? How about just that, the start? Nebraska started the game very well, in large part due to tailback Brandon Jackson. On his first nine carries, Jackson tallied 99 yards. He rushed for 182 in the game. Nebraska led the game 16-0 at one point, but it all went downhill from there.

Oklahoma State held the ball for only 25 minutes, running off 62 plays in those 25 minutes. Even though Nebraska ran off more plays and held the ball for ten more minutes than the Cowboys, OSU made the most of their opportunities. OSU accounted for 267 yards on the ground and 229 through the air which totaled 496 yards. The real scary part is when one busts out the calculator and does some math. OSU averaged eight yards per play, 6.5 per run, and eleven per pass. Three OSU players averaged seven yards per rush or better (all had eight or more rushes). The Cowboys' two leading receivers averaged approximately 22 and 28 yards per reception. OSU had their sloppy moments, but when their heads were in the game, they couldn't be stopped. Quarterback Bobby Reid was sharp. His only interception was due to wideout Adarius Bowman not making the catch.

Many like to point the finger at the quarterback when the offense doesn't run smoothly. While Zak Taylor struggled in his "efficiency" in the second half and completed 21 of 39 passes in the game, it was not all Taylor's fault. The blame has to go around. First off, does anyone know how many drops there were? Was Taylor erratic sometimes? Yeah. But when he did fire the ball in an area where the receiver could make the catch, the receiver would many times not follow through and make the grab. Taylor was pressured a great deal as well. He was sacked five times and hit a load of others. I don't care how "accurate" a quarterback is, he's not going to be too accurate throwing from his backside. Also, what about the playcalling? I was critical of Callahan against USC for the simple fact that he stuck to the run even though it wasn't effective. The Huskers ran the ball more than 30 times in the game and didn't even account for 70 yards. Good luck winning a game with that formula. But, NU was very effective running the football in this game. Brandon Jackson ran the ball 21 times for 182 yards and two scores. Most of these carries were in the first half when, by golly, NU led. Go with what works. LaDanian Tomlinson broke the all-time rushing record for a game while at TCU. Do you think the coaching staff suddenly decided to throw the deep ball three consecutive times after LT broke the 300-yard mark in the third quarter? I don't think so.

Before the game, I said that if I was Okie State and won the coin toss, I'd receive, because if OSU got out to a lead, it may force Callahan to abandon the run game. For whatever reason, it appears as if Billy Boy panics when down in the game and regardless of how effective the running game may have been previously, he all but neglects it for the rest of the game.

But Taylor and the offense are receiving too much criticism. They did score 29 points, didn't they? What about the defense? Who allowed 41 on Saturday? If the defense even played average on Saturday, Nebraska would've probably won the ball game. But, NU's defense seems to live and die by the amount of pressure they exert on the opposing team's quarterback. Adam Carriker had a solid game on Saturday, but where was everyone else? Bobby Reid is dangerous enough as it is when he feels pressure. When the guy isn't pressured? Look out! The linebackers' heads weren't in the game and need I even say it? Neither was Andre Jones'. That guy gets burned more frequently than a nude Scandinavian nomad in Death Valley, California.

Defense wasn't the only problem on Saturday. Special Teams were "special" allright, so special, that it may be pronounced "spehshal." OSU had solid kickoff returns in the first half and NU made some bonehead decisions on returns. Frantz Hardy. Between his drops and mental errors on special teams, it's a wonder why he gets so much playing time. The kicking game didn't impress many, outside of blind deaf individuals in the crowd. Congdon shanked an extra point following NU's final score and had another blocked. He also missed a field goal. Perhaps that's why Callahan has been a bit coy on attempting field goals this year.

Through all this, Nebraska still has a shot to win the Big XII North. With Missouri falling (hard) to Oklahoma on Saturday and Nebraska doing likewise, the two teams will meet up in Lincoln next Saturday at 3-2 in conference. The winner will thereby control their own destiny to the Big XII title game to get smoked by the Big XII South team. I shouldn't rush to judgment, but based on what I've seen thus far, comparing the Big XII South to the Big XII North is like comparing the SEC to the MAC.

So, what can Nebraska do to improve? First off and most importantly, Nebraska must control the line-of-scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Zak Taylor is not a Vince Young where the line can be soft and Vince can make something out of nothing. Taylor needs time in the pocket to read the defense, step up, and make the throw. The O-Line has to do a better job of giving him that necessary time. On defense, the same is true. The front four have to penetrate the line with more consistency, break up the running game, and get pressure on the quarterback. The secondary has been the weak spot of the defense. If no pressure is exerted on the quarterback, then that QB will have all day to burn the before-mentioned Andre Jones and company. Mental mistakes have to be trimmed. I have seen far too many dropped balls (ahem: Hardy!) this season. While Maurice Purify has appeared to be the most consistent at catching balls thrown his way this season, even he has had his problems the past couple games. Matt Herian needs to get more involved in the offense. I heard his name ONCE on Saturday and that was when he almost made a tremendous one-handed catch in the 4th quarter. Also, no more running back by committee. Brandon Jackson has earned the right to be the full-time starter. It's allright to give him some rest here and there, but as far as I'm concerned, Jackson is the #1 guy and should receive the bulk of the carries on a weekly basis. When it comes to playcalling, go with what works and don't panic. If the opposition scores a quick touchdown to go up by 7, then that's not a big deal. Panicking and playing up-tempo would only be to the opponent's liking. It's very important to attempt to get the opposition to alter their play style to yours as opposed to the other way around. This is how and why the Colts beat the Broncos yesterday. Denver had relied on their defense all year up to this point and the Colts have done anything but. The game resulted in a shootout which favored the Colts and they won because of it. If Denver had held Indy's potent offense in check and kept the scoring to a minimum, Denver would've most likely won the football game.

Solich Update
How 'bout them Bobcats? Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats defeated 5-2 Kent State 17-7 on Saturday to improve to 4-1 in the MAC conference and a bowl eligible 6-3 overall.

Gill Update
Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls, as could be expected, got throttled by the Boston College Eagles on Saturday 41-0. It was an out-of-conference game, so the Bulls remain 0-5 in the MAC and are now 1-7 overall.

Rant of the Week: Rematch
Following USC's loss, I'm already hearing of an insane potential scenario at the end of the year. Unless Ohio State or Michigan collapse in a game leading up to their showdown, they'll meet up with one another undefeated and ranked #1 and #2 in the polls. If that happens, the winner of that game will play in the National Championship. With there being no Big Ten Championship Game like in some other conferences, that will be, in essence, the Big Ten Title Game. Some are claiming that the LOSER of that game may have a shot to play in the National Championship for a rematch. If that happens, I will not watch the National Championship. I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. A couple years ago, the BS committee paired Florida State and Miami (Florida) in a rematch. As a fan, I do not want to see any rematches. Sorry. That takes away from some of the mystery involved in the run-up to the title game and gives an edge to the team who lost the first time. Whether Ohio State or Michigan wins in that Big Ten finale, they should not have to win two times against one another to prove that they're the champion. How many potential problems could this lead to? What if they split? Who do you award the title to? What, If Ohio State won game 1 decisively by the score of 38-21 but lost in what was coined the National Championship 24-21, Michigan is then awarded the trophy? Give me a break. The winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game (assuming they're unbeaten at the time) should be awarded a birth in the National Championship game and the other an at-large birth in another BS game. Whoever wins the OSU/UM game proved their point. They beat their opponent and now deserve another in the title game. If a Big East team goes undefeated, then they should be given a shot at the title game. If that doesn't occur, then a one-loss SEC team deserves a shot. I will be EXTREMELY disappointed if two teams square off with one another in their final two games of the season. I truly hope that the analysts who've said that it's a definite possibility are wrong in their predictions.

My Top 119 Poll
1. Ohio State (9-0): 185.4
2. Michigan (9-0): 173.8
3. Louisville (7-0): 172.8
4. Florida (7-1): 166.0
5. Boise State (8-0): 164.8
6. West Virginia (7-0): 163.7
7. Rutgers (8-0): 161.9
8. Texas (8-1): 160.8
9. USC (6-1): 159.3
10. Tennessee (7-1): 159.1
11. California (7-1): 157.4
12. Auburn (8-1): 154.9
13. Clemson (7-2): 153.8
14. Notre Dame (7-1): 153.3
15. LSU (6-2): 151.8
16. Boston College (7-1): 148.5
17. Wisconsin (8-1): 147.5
18. Texas A&M (8-1): 147.2
19. Arkansas (7-1): 144.8
20. Oklahoma (6-2): 144.4
21. BYU (6-2): 141.0
22. Tulsa (7-1): 140.6
23. Missouri (7-2): 140.0
24. Georgia Tech (6-2): 139.9
25. Hawaii (6-2): 136.4
25. Pittsburgh (6-2): 136.4
27. Virginia Tech (6-2): 136.3
28. Washington State (6-3): 133.3
29. Oregon (6-2): 132.4
30. Nebraska (6-3): 131.5
31. Oklahoma State (5-3): 130.2
32. Iowa (6-3): 125.1
33. Penn State (6-3): 124.2
34. TCU (5-2): 123.8
35. Wake Forest (7-1): 123.5
36. Oregon State (5-3): 123.3
37. Maryland (6-2): 121.7
38. Alabama (6-3): 121.5
39. Western Michigan (6-2): 121.3
40. Ohio (6-3): 120.4
41. Houston (6-3): 119.2
42. South Carolina (5-3): 118.6
43. Central Michigan (5-3): 115.0
44. Georgia (6-3): 114.8
45. Texas Tech (5-4): 114.5
46. Navy (5-3): 113.3
47. Florida State (4-4): 111.4
48. Arizona State (5-3): 110.3
48. Nevada (5-3): 110.3
50. Cincinnati (5-4): 110.2
51. Miami (Florida) (5-3): 107.9
52. Kansas State (5-4): 107.5
53. UCLA (4-4): 105.3
54. Middle Tennessee State (5-3): 104.8
55. East Carolina (4-4): 104.3
56. Utah (5-4): 104.1
57. Washington (4-5): 103.6
58. Indiana (5-4): 103.1
59. Southern Mississippi (4-4): 103.0
60. South Florida (5-3): 102.4
61. Northern Illinois (5-4): 102.1
62. Louisiana-Lafayette (4-3): 101.9
63. San Jose State (5-2): 101.5
64. Kent State (5-3): 101.2
65. Michigan State (4-5): 99.9
66. Purdue (5-4): 99.7
67. Wyoming (4-5): 99.2
68. UTEP (4-4): 98.4
69. Air Force (3-4): 98.0
70. Kentucky (4-4): 96.1
71. Connecticut (3-5): 94.6
72. Minnesota (3-6): 94.5
72. Virginia (4-5): 94.5
74. Baylor (4-5): 94.3
75. New Mexico (5-4): 93.8
76. Vanderbilt (4-5): 93.6
77. SMU (4-4): 92.2
78. Kansas (4-5): 88.6
79. Syracuse (3-6): 88.4
80. North Carolina State (3-5): 88.1
81. Arkansas State (5-3): 86.2
82. Colorado State (4-4): 82.2
83. Bowling Green (4-5): 82.1
84. Army (3-6): 79.3
85. Tulane (3-5): 78.8
86. Akron (3-5): 77.8
86. Rice (3-5): 77.8
88. Arizona (3-5): 77.3
88. UAB (3-5): 77.3
90. Marshall (3-5): 77.0
91. Idaho (4-5): 75.6
92. Mississippi (2-7): 75.2
93. Troy (3-4): 74.4
94. Illinois (2-7): 73.4
95. Iowa State (3-6): 72.8
96. Ball State (3-6): 70.8
97. Florida Atlantic (3-5): 70.7
98. Toledo (3-6): 70.4
99. Mississippi State (2-7): 70.2
100. New Mexico State (2-6): 68.5
101. North Texas (2-6): 62.8
102. Central Florida (2-6): 62.7
103. Northwestern (2-7): 60.8
104. Fresno State (1-6): 59.7
105. Louisiana Tech (2-6): 59.5
106. Colorado (1-8): 57.9
107. North Carolina (1-7): 57.8
108. San Diego State (1-6): 54.7
109. Louisiana-Monroe (1-7): 52.9
110. Memphis (1-7): 49.9
111. UNLV (1-7): 48.7
112. Eastern Michigan (1-7): 47.3
113. Miami (Ohio) (1-8): 44.2
114. Florida International (0-8): 44.0
115. Utah State (1-7): 42.8
116. Buffalo (1-7): 41.3
117. Stanford (0-8): 40.0
118. Temple (1-8): 36.8
119. Duke (0-8): 33.9

Week 9 College Football Picks and Results

Thursday
Clemson (+5) at Virginia Tech: Something deep down is telling me to go with the Hokies at home in a Thursday night game, but I just can't do that. Clemson is even due for a let-down after their dominating 31-7 win against Georgia Tech. This game may be closer than I would've expected a couple weeks ago, but Clemson's playing so well, it's hard for me to see them losing an ACC game anytime soon.
Clemson 28 Virginia Tech 21
Virginia Tech 24 Clemson 7 (0-1) (0-1)

Friday
UTEP at Tulsa (+14): This should make for an entertaining Friday night matchup, much more so than West Virginia's 37-11 win over UConn last week. UTEP's offense should keep them in the game, but I think Tulsa will pull this one out at home.
Tulsa 31 UTEP 21
Tulsa 30 UTEP 20 (1-1) (1-1)

Saturday
Nebraska (+5.5) at Oklahoma State: This has all the makings of a trap game for the Cornhuskers. This comes between two home games with Texas and Missouri. Okie State will be able to score against the NU defense, but their defense probably won't be able to stop NU's either. As long as NU doesn't turn the ball over and beat themselves, they should come out on top.
Nebraska 35 Oklahoma State 28
Oklahoma State 41 Nebraska 29 (1-2) (1-2)

Colorado at Kansas (+2): The 'Buffs offense has shown up once this year, two weeks ago in their 30-6 win against Texas Tech. Kansas is one of the better 3-5 teams out there, with two overtime losses to the likes of Toledo and Nebraska, a three point loss to Texas A&M, a one point loss to Baylor, and a ten point loss to Oklahoma State. This one shouldn't be too close and that'll only help KU.
Kansas 21 Colorado 13
Kansas 20 Colorado 15 (2-2) (2-2)

Iowa State at Kansas State (+5): It's going to be difficult for me to pick ISU the rest of this season. They're 3-5 with those three wins coming against UNLV (1-6) by 6, Toledo (2-6) by 2 in triple overtime, and Division I-AA Northern Iowa (0-8, according to my system) by 1. That's right, they've beaten three teams with records of 3-20 by a combined 9 points. With the game in Manhattan and ISU not having a defense, I'm going with the Wildcats.
Kansas State 28 Iowa State 21
Kansas State 31 Iowa State 10 (3-2) (3-2)

Oklahoma at Missouri (+2): OU passed their first test with Adrian Peterson last week against the 1-7 Colorado Buffaloes. What a first test that was! Things won't be so easy this time around in Columbia. OU's offense won't be able to match Mizzou's offense and should fall short on the road.
Missouri 28 Oklahoma 21
Oklahoma 26 Missouri 10 (3-3) (3-3)

Texas (+11) at Texas Tech: Texas Tech simply isn't as solid as they have been the past couple years and it's a shame, because they haven't played as weak a schedule as they have been notorious for in recent years. Texas is coming off a big road win in Lincoln and should have no problem in Lubbock.
Texas 42 Texas Tech 24
Texas 35 Texas Tech 31 (4-3) (3-4)

Texas A&M (+4.5) at Baylor: It seems like every week I go against A&M and every week, I'm proven wrong. The game in Waco against the 4-4 Bears will be no cakewalk, but I'm finally going to pick the Aggies. Watch, they lose.
Texas A&M 24 Baylor 17
Texas A&M 31 Baylor 21 (5-3) (4-4)

Northern Illinois at Iowa (+17): While I think Iowa should win this game at home, reports say that Drew Tate will not play, so I don't believe the Hawkeyes will cover the spread. The other game that Tate didn't start was against Syracuse and it took a great goalline stand in double overtime by the 'Hawks defense to proclaim victory against the Orange.
Iowa 21 Northern Illinois 14
Iowa 24 Northern Illinois 14 (6-3) (5-4)

Northwestern at Michigan (+34): Must I even comment about this game? Northwestern was up 38-3 against the fellas from East Lansing last week in the 3rd quarter and couldn't hang on to the lead. Michigan will dominate at home.
Michigan 42 Northwestern 7
Michigan 17 Northwestern 3 (7-3) (5-5)

Michigan State (+7) at Indiana: Yes! Finally, I get to pick an upset! Sure, Michigan State pulled off the biggest comeback in Division I-A history last week against Northwestern. But, to lose 4 straight previously and to be down 38-3 to Northwestern in the first place? Indiana beat Iowa two weeks ago, got drummed by Ohio State last weekend. With this game in Bloomington and Terry Hoeppner keeping things upbeat as always, I see as upset in this one.
Indiana 28 Michigan State 24
Indiana 46 Michigan State 21 (8-3) (6-5)

Minnesota at Ohio State (+27): Minnesota is 3-5 with wins against Temple and Division I-AA North Dakota State by a single point last week. The GO-phers are lacking the confidence and motivation to do much right now, especially at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes should have a field day on offense and no problems on defense either.
Ohio State 42 Minnesota 14
Ohio State 44 Minnesota 0 (9-3) (7-5)

Penn State (+3.5) at Purdue: 4-4 teams butt heads in the MSU/Indy game and a pair of 5-3 teams butt heads here. It should be a pretty close and entertaining game, but I've been less impressed by Purdue this year than Penn State. Even on the road, I'm going with JoPa and the Nittany Lions.
Penn State 28 Purdue 21
Penn State 12 Purdue 0 (10-3) (8-5)

Illinois at Wisconsin (+21): Wisconsin has picked up right where they left off when Barry Alvarez retired. Redshirt freshman tailback P.J. Hill has been the big surprise. Wisconsin seems like the Denver Broncos of college football. It doesn't matter who they place back there, he's going to rack up plenty of yards for the BAH-gers. Oh, yeah, and expect them to have their way with the Fightless Illini at home.
Wisconsin 38 Illinois 14
Wisconsin 30 Illinois 24 (11-3) (8-6)

Akron (+5.5) at Toledo: Following Toledo's loss to then 0-6 Eastern Michigan last week, I will have trouble picking the Rockets from here on out. What happened to them? Did Bruce Gradkowski mean that much to the offense? The Zips should get back to .500 with this game. Akron 28 Toledo 17
Toledo 35 Akron 20 (11-4) (8-7)

Florida International at Alabama (+36): That's a mighty high spread for Alabama. How many times have they even scored 36 points in a game this year? Once that I can remember. Florida International didn't even allow that many points to Miami (Florida). Because of those factors, I'm going against the spread in this one.
Alabama 31 Florida International 3
Alabama 38 Florida International 3 (12-4) (9-7)

Arkansas State (+8) at Florida Atlantic: Arkansas State is picking up right where they left off last season, when they went to the New Orleans Bowl. They're 5-2 right now and well on their way to 6-2 after this win.
Arkansas State 24 Florida Atlantic 14
Florida Atlantic 29 Arkansas State 0 (12-5) (9-8)

Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas (+36.5): If the game only lasted the 20 minutes that typical "NCAA Football '07" games last, Louisiana-Monroe may have a chance to make it close. Ahh, forget about it. They'd need to set the quarter to a minute a piece in order to accomplish that. 'Backs win this one big.
Arkansas 52 Louisiana-Monroe 3
Arkansas 44 Louisiana-Monroe 10 (13-5) (9-9)

Auburn (+18.5) at Ole Miss: While I have no qualms about picking Auburn to win this game, I do have some doubts that they'll cover the spread. The game is in Oxford and Ole Miss has played well defensively this season. I think I'll go against the spread in this one.
Auburn 24 Ole Miss 7
Auburn 23 Ole Miss 17 (14-5) (10-9)

BYU (+8) at Air Force: The Falcons are coming off a very disappointing loss to then 0-5 San Diego State. Meanwhile, BYU, since their two heartbreaking loss to start the season against Arizona and Boston College, have plowed their opposition into the ground. I expect it to be no different in this one. It'll be an entertaining game to watch. Talk about two completely different philosophies on offense. But in the end, BYU should have the upperhand.
BYU 35 Air Force 24
BYU 33 Air Force 14 (15-5) (11-9)

Buffalo at Boston College (+35): Boston College likes to play their games close. They beat Central Michigan by 7 early on, beat BYU by 7 in overtime. Their biggest victory, in terms of margin, was against Division I-AA Maine. BC won that game 22-0. Keeping all that in mind, I'm going to pick against the spread in this one.
Boston College 35 Buffalo 7
Boston College 41 Buffalo 0 (16-5) (11-10)

Bowling Green (+19.5) at Temple: Here it is! The Owls have a chance! A home game against a MAC team! Yes! Wait, wasn't that the scenario last week in their loss to Northern Illinois? Hmm. Allright, so I got a little excited there. How long's Temple going to stay in Division I-A? Bowling Green 35 Temple 14
Temple 28 Bowling Green 14 (16-6) (11-11)

Syracuse at Cincinnati (+6.5): Yeah, I picked against Cincy on Sunday night and paid for it. Cincy may very well be better than their record indicates. They're 4-4 with those losses coming against Pittsburgh (6-2), Ohio State (8-0), Virginia Tech (5-2), and Louisville (7-0) and those opponents are a combined 26-4 (.867). Syracuse has been a pain in the backside to most teams and should pose that problem here as well, but at home, Cincy should come out on top. Cincinnati 17 Syracuse 10
Cincinnati 17 Syracuse 3 (17-6) (12-11)

New Mexico at Colorado State (+6.5): CSU started the year hot, but against very poor competition. New Mexico is going in the opposite direction following their season-opening loss to Division I-AA Portland State. With the teams heading the way they are, I'm going with the Lobos on the road in Fort Collins.
New Mexico 28 Colorado State 24
New Mexico 20 Colorado State 19 (18-6) (13-11)

Georgia at Florida (+14): Even though I think Georgia is the most overrated team in the SEC, I don't see the Gators covering the spread here. What Georgia has is a very good defense. It won't be good enough to stop the Gators all together, but it should be good enough to keep them in the game.
Florida 21 Georgia 14
Florida 21 Georgia 14 (19-6) (14-11)

Florida State (+5) at Maryland: Two more mediocre teams in the mediocre ACC. Florida State has the more talent, but does that matter anymore? FSU has no running game and even that's being polite. The Terps might be one of the worst, if not the worst two-loss team left in college football. I can't see them saying that after this weekend, because they'll be at three losses. Florida State 24 Maryland 17
Maryland 27 Florida State 24 (19-7) (14-12)

Miami (Florida) at Georgia Tech (+6): Miami got lucky last weekend against Duke? Yeah, Duke! Tech, meanwhile, got slaughtered by Clemson. Neither team is entering the game on a good note. With the game being played in Atlanta and Calvin Johnson playing a bit angry after being shutout last week against the Tigers, I look for Georgia Tech to come out with the victory at home.
Georgia Tech 21 Miami (Florida) 17
Georgia Tech 30 Miami (Florida) 23 (20-7) (14-13)

Idaho at Hawaii (+25.5): With Hawaii comes a lot of points. Idaho has had a decent year under Dennis Erickson in his debut season for the Vandals. Erickson and his crew, like many visitors, will probably get too caught up in the nice weather, babes, and Hawaii environment to win this one.
Hawaii 49 Idaho 24
Hawaii 68 Idaho 10 (21-7) (14-14)

Central Florida at Houston (+18): I have little doubt that Houston will pull this one out, but am not certain on the spread. Given the fact that Houston ended their snide last week by beating UTEP by 17 and that UCF is not playing well (to be nice), I'm going to go with Houston big in this one.
Houston 45 Central Florida 21
Houston 51 Central Florida 31 (22-7) (15-14)

Ohio at Kent State (+6.5): This is actually a big MAC game. It's odd to say that, being a matchup between Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats and the Kent State Golden Flashes. I don't know about the spread. I think the game will be closer than that. But, I'm going to give the edge to KSU because of their home-field advantage.
Kent State 28 Ohio 24
Ohio 17 Kent State 7 (22-8) (16-14)

Kentucky (+2) at Mississippi State: I'm secretly pulling for Croom's Bulldogs in this game, but I don't see it happening. They don't have enough on offense to win this one.
Kentucky 24 Mississippi State 17
Kentucky 34 Mississippi State 31 (23-8) (17-14)

Middle Tennessee State at Louisiana-Lafayette (+3): A big Sun Belt game between MTSU and the Rajun' Cajuns? Yeah. MTSU comes in at 4-3 and Louisiana-Lafayette at 4-2. MTSU has played better competition out of conference this year and while it was ugly on the field for the Blue Raiders in those losses, I think that tough competition will pay dividends for them in this game to pull off the upset on the road.
Middle Tennessee State 24 Louisiana-Lafayette 21
Middle Tennessee State 34 Louisiana-Lafayette 20 (24-8) (18-14)

Memphis at Marshall (+6.5): Who's worse? That should be the key question. Memphis enters the game at 1-6 and Marshall at 2-5. Ouch! DeAngelo Williams is gone from Memphis and I've already noted in the past who's no longer at Marshall. With the game at home, I'm giving the slight edge to the Thundering Herd. If you like close games, this may be entertaining. If you like quality close games, then you may want to stay far away from this one.
Marshall 28 Memphis 24
Marshall 41 Memphis 27 (25-8) (18-15)

Ball State at Miami (Ohio) (+4): Miami was a favorite over Buffalo when the Red Hawks hadn't won a game. They're now a favorite over Ball State with just that one win over Buffalo to their credit still. The "experts" knew something last time. I think I'll follow in their footsteps this time as well.
Miami (Ohio) 31 Ball State 24
Ball State 20 Miami (Oho) 17 (25-9) (18-16)

NC State (+1) at Virginia: Two more mediocre teams from the mediocre ACC. How many mediocre clubs are in the conference? NC State has had more ups and downs this season than Terrell Owens has had over the past two years. Virginia started off the season horribly, but are playing better ball of late with their freshman quarterback Sewell garnering playing experience. With the game in Charlottesville and the improved play of UVA, I'm going with the Cavs at home.
Virginia 21 NC State 17
Virginia 14 NC State 7 (26-9) (19-16)

New Mexico State at Nevada (+18): New Mexico State will be able to put points up on the board, but don't expect them to snap their losing streak to Division I-A teams on the road against a pretty decent Nevada squad. I think NMSU will beat the spread, however.
Nevada 38 New Mexico State 28
Nevada 48 New Mexico State 21 (27-9) (19-17)

Notre Dame (+14) at Navy: The Irish have snuck by some opponents this season. They got lucky against Georgia Tech, Michigan State, and UCLA just last weekend. Navy presents a bit of a challenge to the Irish defense with their unusual style of play. Even then, I think ND's pool of talent is too big and physical for Navy to handle.
Notre Dame 28 Navy 14
Notre Dame 38 Navy 14 (28-9) (20-17)

Louisiana Tech at San Jose State (+9.5): I'm very hesitant on this game. SJSU is 4-2 but has played one of the weakest schedules to this point in Division I-A. Louisiana Tech is on the opposite end of the spectrum, having played one of the toughest. Coming off a win last week, I'm giving the edge to the Bulldogs. I'm shocked that the Spartans are such a heavy favorite. Louisiana Tech 24 San Jose State 21
San Jose State 44 Louisiana Tech 10 (28-10) (20-18)

East Carolina at Southern Miss (+5.5): If one likes defense, they should tune into this one. ECU and Southern Miss have stingy defenses this year and this is a big game for the two teams in Conference USA. ECU is 3-4 and Southern Miss 4-3 following their drubbing at the hands of Virginia Tech. With the game in Hattiesberg, I give the slight edge to Southern Miss, but it's not a very confident pick.
Southern Miss 17 East Carolina 14
East Carolina 20 Southern Miss 17 OT (28-11) (21-18)

Wyoming at TCU (+6): Wyoming is finally learning how to win football games! Following their 1-4 start with heart-breaking losses all four times, the Cowboys have reeled off four consecutive victories to even their record at 4-4. TCU has been anything but great following the hype they received in the pre-season. Like the previous game between ECU and Southern Miss, expect this to be tight and low-scoring all throughout. But, I'm giving the edge to the Cowboys to win their fourth straight.
Wyoming 21 TCU 17
TCU 26 Wyoming 3 (28-12) (21-19)

Tennessee (+5) at South Carolina: The 'Vols have looked great at times this season and not so at others, with their one-point win over Air Force and last week's ugly win against the Crimson Tide. Because the Gamecocks are not run-dominated on offense and not particularly dominant on defense, I think it'll be much more difficult for Carolina to force the 'Vols to play as ugly as 'Bama made them play last week. I give the edge to Tennessee and think they'll cover the spread.
Tennessee 28 South Carolina 17
Tennessee 31 South Carolina 24 (29-12) (22-19)

North Texas at Troy (+9): Who to pick in this one? Wait, Troy is a nine-point favorite? What? Yeah, I think the Trojans will probably win, but not by 9. North Texas has been disappointing this season, but still have a stud at tailback.
Troy 21 North Texas 14
Troy 14 North Texas 6 (30-12) (23-19)

Army at Tulane (+5.5): Much different styles on offense for these two clubs. With the game at home, Tulane playing better of late, and Army not playing quite as well, I'm giving the edge to the Green Wave.
Tulane 28 Army 17
Tulane 42 Army 28 (31-12) (24-19)

Washington State at UCLA (+1): Wazzu gets no love. What, since UCLA almost beat Notre Dame, they're the one-point favorite? Wazzu just beat Oregon at Autzen by 11. Following USC and Cal, I'm now starting to believe that Washington State is the third best team in the Pac 10. Washington State 24 UCLA 21
Washington State 37 UCLA 15 (32-12) (25-19)

USC (+12) at Oregon State: The Trojans had a week off to think about their three close Pac 10 victories. The Trojans should come out fresh and ready for this one and shut critics up for a week. USC 28 Oregon State 14
Oregon State 33 USC 31 (32-13) (25-20)

UNLV at Utah (+20): Both teams are heading in the wrong direction. Utah is now 4-4 following two consecutive losses. This could be the perfect game for the Utes to rebound against lowly 1-6 UNLV. The Rebs have lost some close ones, including a 16-10 defeat at the hands of Iowa State. I think Utah will win at home, but not by what the spread indicates.
Utah 24 UNLV 10
Utah 45 UNLV 23 (33-13) (25-21)

Vanderbilt (+10.5) at Duke: Vandy was hung over last week following their big win in Athens over Georgia. They had their week to be high. Now they have a chance to get back on the winning track against the winless Blue Devils. The Commodores should do just that.
Vanderbilt 24 Duke 10
Vanderbilt 45 Duke 28 (34-13) (26-21)

Wake Forest (+8.5) at North Carolina: Two words: Carolina stinks. That's about all there is to say. They're 1-6, got shutout 23-0 against 3-5 Virginia, and head coach Bunting is on his way out after the season. Wake had a week off and should put it to the Tar Heels, well, what's left of them.
Wake Forest 28 North Carolina 10
Wake Forest 24 North Carolina 17 (35-13) (26-22)

Arizona State at Washington (+1): UW has had some rough losses this year. They got hosed by the refs for one last play against USC and lost a game in overtime last week to Cal. I think ASU is starting to roll offensively again and should find a way to pull this one out.
Arizona State 31 Washington 24
Arizona State 26 Washington 23 OT (36-13) (27-22)

Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan (+15): This is the last game to pick and I don't feel like writing much. Western Michigan is solid defensively and should have no problems winning this one at home.
Western Michigan 38 Eastern Michigan 21
Western Michigan 18 Eastern Michigan 15 (37-13) (27-23)

Sunday
UConn at Rutgers (+19): It's hard for me to take Rutgers by three touchdowns here. They're not a high-scoring team. They're run-dominated on offense with their underrated dual-back system of Ray Rice and Brian Leonard. I think Rutgers should have no problems pounding UConn on the ground, but I don't see them covering the rather large point spread.
Rutgers 31 UConn 14
Rutgers 24 UConn 13 (38-13) (28-23)

Week 9 Record For the Win: 38-13 (.745)
Overall Record For the Win: 310-102 (.752)
Week 9 Record Vs. the Spread: 28-23 (.549)
Overall Record Vs. the Spread: 209-203 (.507)

NFL "Analyst" Deficiencies

How can we call them "analysts?" I could tell a 5-year kid to pick one of two teams in a matchup and (s)he could probably do just as well as these guys.

I was watching NFL Live the other day with Trey Wingo, Eric Allen, and Mark Schlereth. They ranked the top 5 NFC teams. Keep in mind that Chicago is one of two unbeatens left in the NFL (along with Indianapolis). Eric Allen ranked the Bears #2. He ranked the 6-0 Bears #2. Both Schlereth and Allen ranked the 4-3 Carolina Panthers #2 or #3. Ahead of the the 5-1 New Orleans Saints, 4-2 New York Giants, 4-2 Atlanta Falcons, 4-3 Philadelphia Eagles, 4-2 St. Louis Rams, 4-2 Seattle Seahawks, etc. The only team in that group with as many losses as the Panthers is Philly.

Then on 1st and 10, both Woody Paige and Skip Bayless predicted the Panthers to win the NFC South. At this point in time, the Panthers are 3rd in the division behind the 4-2 Falcons and the 5-1 Saints. They have already lost to the Falcons in-division this year at home.

I thought that these guys were off the Panther bandwagon. Before the season, I heard about how the Panthers were the best team in the NFC, by a long shot. They then lost their first two games without Steve Smith and lost last weekend (with Steve Smith) against Cincinnati. If this team is 8-7 with one game left and no shot at making the playoffs, will "analysts" still think they're the 2nd/3rd best team in the conference and have the best chance of any NFC club to make the Super Bowl. I don't know about these guys...

Week 8 NFL Predictions

Sunday
Houston at Tennessee: This is a tough pick and not because either team is good. It's hard for me to go against Houston here with how well they played last weekend against Jacksonville. Who in their rightened mind would've picked Houston to win that game 27-7?
Houston 24 Tennessee 17

Jacksonville at Philadelphia: Outside of MAYBE Indianapolis, no other team in football leans on their quarterback's passing more than Philadelphia. This showed last week when his three interceptions came back to haunt the Eagles. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses to teams with a combined record of 4-8. Jacksonville has slipped mightily since their 2-0 start and Philly has had difficulty staying consistent and closing out games. This will be a battle of wills. Who wants it more? At home, I'm going to go with the Eagles.
Philadelphia 24 Jacksonville 14

Atlanta at Cincinnati: Go figure, the week I pick against the Falcons and they score 41 points against the Steelers. The run defense improved heavily against Pittsburgh compared to two weeks ago against the Giants. Cincinnati tailback Rudi Johnson got off to a great start this season, but has simmered some in the past couple games. The key matchup on that side of the ball will be Atlanta's defensive backs against the receivers of Cincinnati. While Atlanta played well against the run last week, they couldn't stop the pass. With the improved gameplan by Offensive Coordinator Greg Knapp, the improved run defense, and the Bengals not having found a rhythm yet offensively, I'm going with the Falcons on the road.
Atlanta 24 Cincinnati 21

Tampa Bay at NY Giants: First, the Giants had the overly hyped Manning matchup to start the season. Now they have the Barber matchup, which won't be talked about nearly as much. The G-Men can't take Tampa for granted, as the Bengals and Eagles have done the past couple weeks. Being on the streak they're on and playing at home, I don't think they will. Tampa will play them tough, but New York should come out of it with the win.
NY Giants 21 Tampa Bay 10

San Francisco at Chicago: Grossman better play better than he did against the Cardinals. In that game, he turned the ball over 6 times by his lonesome. To do that in successive games against two of the worst teams in the league would not be good. It's the Bears, though. Grossman could probably turn it over 8 times against the 49ers and Chicago would still find a way to win.
Chicago 28 San Francisco 10

Arizona at Green Bay: With their dreadful performance a week ago and Denny Green's job perhaps on the line, Arizona should come out ready to play in this game. The key question will be, which defense will show up to play? Arizona's is more likely to show up than the Packers', so I'm going with the Cards in this one.
Arizona 28 Green Bay 24

Seattle at Kansas City: Where's Kansas City at this year (outside of the obvious answer: Missouri)? They got pummeled by Pittsburgh two weeks ago, 45-7. They then rebounded and beat San Diego 30-27 last weekend. The Chiefs may get over the .500 hump after this game, because they're playing the Seahawks at the right time. Matt Hasselbeck is out of the lineup and Shaun Alexander is questionable. With the game at Arrowhead, that just ices it for me.
Kansas City 24 Seattle 10

Baltimore at New Orleans: Where do I go with this one? Both teams are coming off byes. I don't believe New Orleans will be able to run much on the Baltimore front seven. Baltimore's offense has been anything but efficient this year. In other words, it should be a tight, low-scoring defensive battle. Whomever makes the least amount of mistakes will probably pull out the W. Some crazy things have been happening in New Orleans this year, but I'm going with the Ravens in this one.
Baltimore 17 New Orleans 14

St. Louis at San Diego: There are a lot of distractions in San Diego right now. They're beaten up on defense and awaiting word on Shawn Merriman's appeal. Both teams are coming off last second losses, St. Louis to Seattle two weeks ago and San Diego to Kansas City last week. With Marc Bulger playing the best of any NFC quarterback (in my opinion) and all the distractions on the Chargers' side, I'm going with the Rams.
St. Louis 24 San Diego 17

Pittsburgh at Oakland: Oakland won a game! Surprise! Surprise! Well, enjoy it while it lasts fellas, because that "streak" is going to snap at one. It doesn't matter who Pittsburgh starts at quarterback, whether it's Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, or Chris Berman. Willie Parker will run all over the Raydaaaaazzz defense and don't expect much offense from Oakland and Pitt's defense was torn to shreds last week.
Pittsburgh 28 Oakland 3

NY Jets at Cleveland: Cleveland has played pretty tough defensively this year, but can't score much on offense. They're a downgrade of the Denver Broncos this year. NY has been a pleasant surprise in the disappointing AFC East and should pull out a road win here.
NY Jets 21 Cleveland 14

Indianapolis at Denver: Will Denver's defense be able to stop Indy's offense enough that their own offense can score the amount of points needed to win the game? Will Denver's offense be able to match Indy's offense point by point, even if it is low-scoring? I don't think so.
Indianapolis 24 Denver 17

Dallas at Carolina: I'd like to go with Dallas here, because even at 4-3, "experts" and "analysts" are gaga over Carolina, even though they're currently in 3rd place in their own division. But, with all the distractions and indecision in Dallas right now, all I can say is, good luck to Tony Romo meeting Julius Peppers and Michael Rucker face-to-face on the road in his first NFL start.
Carolina 24 Dallas 10

Monday
New England at Minnesota: This will probably not be the most exciting Monday night game ever televised, but it should be close. With the momentum from their 31-13 win at Seattle a week ago and the game at home, I'm giving the slight edge to the Vikes here.
Minnesota 21 New England 17

Week 9 College Football Predictions

Thursday
Clemson (+5) at Virginia Tech: Something deep down is telling me to go with the Hokies at home in a Thursday night game, but I just can't do that. Clemson is even due for a let-down after their dominating 31-7 win against Georgia Tech. This game may be closer than I would've expected a couple weeks ago, but Clemson's playing so well, it's hard for me to see them losing an ACC game anytime soon.
Clemson 28 Virginia Tech 21
Virginia Tech 24 Clemson 7 (0-1) (0-1)

Friday
UTEP at Tulsa (+14): This should make for an entertaining Friday night matchup, much more so than West Virginia's 37-11 win over UConn last week. UTEP's offense should keep them in the game, but I think Tulsa will pull this one out at home.
Tulsa 31 UTEP 21

Saturday
Nebraska (+5.5) at Oklahoma State: This has all the makings of a trap game for the Cornhuskers. This comes between two home games with Texas and Missouri. Okie State will be able to score against the NU defense, but their defense probably won't be able to stop NU's either. As long as NU doesn't turn the ball over and beat themselves, they should come out on top.
Nebraska 35 Oklahoma State 28

Colorado at Kansas (+2): The 'Buffs offense has shown up once this year, two weeks ago in their 30-6 win against Texas Tech. Kansas is one of the better 3-5 teams out there, with two overtime losses to the likes of Toledo and Nebraska, a three point loss to Texas A&M, a one point loss to Baylor, and a ten point loss to Oklahoma State. This one shouldn't be too close and that'll only help KU.
Kansas 21 Colorado 13

Iowa State at Kansas State (+5): It's going to be difficult for me to pick ISU the rest of this season. They're 3-5 with those three wins coming against UNLV (1-6) by 6, Toledo (2-6) by 2 in triple overtime, and Division I-AA Northern Iowa (0-8, according to my system) by 1. That's right, they've beaten three teams with records of 3-20 by a combined 9 points. With the game in Manhattan and ISU not having a defense, I'm going with the Wildcats.
Kansas State 28 Iowa State 21

Oklahoma at Missouri (+2): OU passed their first test with Adrian Peterson last week against the 1-7 Colorado Buffaloes. What a first test that was! Things won't be so easy this time around in Columbia. OU's offense won't be able to match Mizzou's offense and should fall short on the road.
Missouri 28 Oklahoma 21

Texas (+11) at Texas Tech: Texas Tech simply isn't as solid as they have been the past couple years and it's a shame, because they haven't played as weak a schedule as they have been notorious for in recent years. Texas is coming off a big road win in Lincoln and should have no problem in Lubbock.
Texas 42 Texas Tech 24

Texas A&M (+4.5) at Baylor: It seems like every week I go against A&M and every week, I'm proven wrong. The game in Waco against the 4-4 Bears will be no cakewalk, but I'm finally going to pick the Aggies. Watch, they lose.
Texas A&M 24 Baylor 17

Northern Illinois at Iowa (+17): While I think Iowa should win this game at home, reports say that Drew Tate will not play, so I don't believe the Hawkeyes will cover the spread. The other game that Tate didn't start was against Syracuse and it took a great goalline stand in double overtime by the 'Hawks defense to proclaim victory against the Orange.
Iowa 21 Northern Illinois 14

Northwestern at Michigan (+34): Must I even comment about this game? Northwestern was up 38-3 against the fellas from East Lansing last week in the 3rd quarter and couldn't hang on to the lead. Michigan will dominate at home.
Michigan 42 Northwestern 7

Michigan State (+7) at Indiana: Yes! Finally, I get to pick an upset! Sure, Michigan State pulled off the biggest comeback in Division I-A history last week against Northwestern. But, to lose 4 straight previously and to be down 38-3 to Northwestern in the first place? Indiana beat Iowa two weeks ago, got drummed by Ohio State last weekend. With this game in Bloomington and Terry Hoeppner keeping things upbeat as always, I see as upset in this one.
Indiana 28 Michigan State 24

Minnesota at Ohio State (+27): Minnesota is 3-5 with wins against Temple and Division I-AA North Dakota State by a single point last week. The GO-phers are lacking the confidence and motivation to do much right now, especially at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes should have a field day on offense and no problems on defense either.
Ohio State 42 Minnesota 14

Penn State (+3.5) at Purdue: 4-4 teams butt heads in the MSU/Indy game and a pair of 5-3 teams butt heads here. It should be a pretty close and entertaining game, but I've been less impressed by Purdue this year than Penn State. Even on the road, I'm going with JoPa and the Nittany Lions.
Penn State 28 Purdue 21

Illinois at Wisconsin (+21): Wisconsin has picked up right where they left off when Barry Alvarez retired. Redshirt freshman tailback P.J. Hill has been the big surprise. Wisconsin seems like the Denver Broncos of college football. It doesn't matter who they place back there, he's going to rack up plenty of yards for the BAH-gers. Oh, yeah, and expect them to have their way with the Fightless Illini at home.
Wisconsin 38 Illinois 14

Akron (+5.5) at Toledo: Following Toledo's loss to then 0-6 Eastern Michigan last week, I will have trouble picking the Rockets from here on out. What happened to them? Did Bruce Gradkowski mean that much to the offense? The Zips should get back to .500 with this game.
Akron 28 Toledo 17

Florida International at Alabama (+36): That's a mighty high spread for Alabama. How many times have they even scored 36 points in a game this year? Once that I can remember. Florida International didn't even allow that many points to Miami (Florida). Because of those factors, I'm going against the spread in this one.
Alabama 31 Florida International 3

Arkansas State (+8) at Florida Atlantic: Arkansas State is picking up right where they left off last season, when they went to the New Orleans Bowl. They're 5-2 right now and well on their way to 6-2 after this win.
Arkansas State 24 Florida Atlantic 14

Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas (+36.5): If the game only lasted the 20 minutes that typical "NCAA Football '07" games last, Louisiana-Monroe may have a chance to make it close. Ahh, forget about it. They'd need to set the quarter to a minute a piece in order to accomplish that. 'Backs win this one big.
Arkansas 52 Louisiana-Monroe 3

Auburn (+18.5) at Ole Miss: While I have no qualms about picking Auburn to win this game, I do have some doubts that they'll cover the spread. The game is in Oxford and Ole Miss has played well defensively this season. I think I'll go against the spread in this one.
Auburn 24 Ole Miss 7

BYU (+8) at Air Force: The Falcons are coming off a very disappointing loss to then 0-5 San Diego State. Meanwhile, BYU, since their two heartbreaking loss to start the season against Arizona and Boston College, have plowed their opposition into the ground. I expect it to be no different in this one. It'll be an entertaining game to watch. Talk about two completely different philosophies on offense. But in the end, BYU should have the upperhand.
BYU 35 Air Force 24

Buffalo at Boston College (+35): Boston College likes to play their games close. They beat Central Michigan by 7 early on, beat BYU by 7 in overtime. Their biggest victory, in terms of margin, was against Division I-AA Maine. BC won that game 22-0. Keeping all that in mind, I'm going to pick against the spread in this one.
Boston College 35 Buffalo 7

Bowling Green (+19.5) at Temple: Here it is! The Owls have a chance! A home game against a MAC team! Yes! Wait, wasn't that the scenario last week in their loss to Northern Illinois? Hmm. Allright, so I got a little excited there. How long's Temple going to stay in Division I-A?
Bowling Green 35 Temple 14

Syracuse at Cincinnati (+6.5): Yeah, I picked against Cincy on Sunday night and paid for it. Cincy may very well be better than their record indicates. They're 4-4 with those losses coming against Pittsburgh (6-2), Ohio State (8-0), Virginia Tech (5-2), and Louisville (7-0) and those opponents are a combined 26-4 (.867). Syracuse has been a pain in the backside to most teams and should pose that problem here as well, but at home, Cincy should come out on top.
Cincinnati 17 Syracuse 10

New Mexico at Colorado State (+6.5): CSU started the year hot, but against very poor competition. New Mexico is going in the opposite direction following their season-opening loss to Division I-AA Portland State. With the teams heading the way they are, I'm going with the Lobos on the road in Fort Collins.
New Mexico 28 Colorado State 24

Georgia at Florida (+14): Even though I think Georgia is the most overrated team in the SEC, I don't see the Gators covering the spread here. What Georgia has is a very good defense. It won't be good enough to stop the Gators all together, but it should be good enough to keep them in the game.
Florida 21 Georgia 14

Florida State (+5) at Maryland: Two more mediocre teams in the mediocre ACC. Florida State has the more talent, but does that matter anymore? FSU has no running game and even that's being polite. The Terps might be one of the worst, if not the worst two-loss team left in college football. I can't see them saying that after this weekend, because they'll be at three losses.
Florida State 24 Maryland 17

Miami (Florida) at Georgia Tech (+6): Miami got lucky last weekend against Duke? Yeah, Duke! Tech, meanwhile, got slaughtered by Clemson. Neither team is entering the game on a good note. With the game being played in Atlanta and Calvin Johnson playing a bit angry after being shutout last week against the Tigers, I look for Georgia Tech to come out with the victory at home.
Georgia Tech 21 Miami (Florida) 17

Idaho at Hawaii (+25.5): With Hawaii comes a lot of points. Idaho has had a decent year under Dennis Erickson in his debut season for the Vandals. Erickson and his crew, like many visitors, will probably get too caught up in the nice weather, babes, and Hawaii environment to win this one.
Hawaii 49 Idaho 24

Central Florida at Houston (+18): I have little doubt that Houston will pull this one out, but am not certain on the spread. Given the fact that Houston ended their snide last week by beating UTEP by 17 and that UCF is not playing well (to be nice), I'm going to go with Houston big in this one.
Houston 45 Central Florida 21

Ohio at Kent State (+6.5): This is actually a big MAC game. It's odd to say that, being a matchup between Frank Solich's Ohio Bobcats and the Kent State Golden Flashes. I don't know about the spread. I think the game will be closer than that. But, I'm going to give the edge to KSU because of their home-field advantage.
Kent State 28 Ohio 24

Kentucky (+2) at Mississippi State: I'm secretly pulling for Croom's Bulldogs in this game, but I don't see it happening. They don't have enough on offense to win this one.
Kentucky 24 Mississippi State 17

Middle Tennessee State at Louisiana-Lafayette (+3): A big Sun Belt game between MTSU and the Rajun' Cajuns? Yeah. MTSU comes in at 4-3 and Louisiana-Lafayette at 4-2. MTSU has played better competition out of conference this year and while it was ugly on the field for the Blue Raiders in those losses, I think that tough competition will pay dividends for them in this game to pull off the upset on the road.
Middle Tennessee State 24 Louisiana-Lafayette 21

Memphis at Marshall (+6.5): Who's worse? That should be the key question. Memphis enters the game at 1-6 and Marshall at 2-5. Ouch! DeAngelo Williams is gone from Memphis and I've already noted in the past who's no longer at Marshall. With the game at home, I'm giving the slight edge to the Thundering Herd. If you like close games, this may be entertaining. If you like quality close games, then you may want to stay far away from this one.
Marshall 28 Memphis 24

Ball State at Miami (Ohio) (+4): Miami was a favorite over Buffalo when the Red Hawks hadn't won a game. They're now a favorite over Ball State with just that one win over Buffalo to their credit still. The "experts" knew something last time. I think I'll follow in their footsteps this time as well.
Miami (Ohio) 31 Ball State 24

NC State (+1) at Virginia: Two more mediocre teams from the mediocre ACC. How many mediocre clubs are in the conference? NC State has had more ups and downs this season than Terrell Owens has had over the past two years. Virginia started off the season horribly, but are playing better ball of late with their freshman quarterback Sewell garnering playing experience. With the game in Charlottesville and the improved play of UVA, I'm going with the Cavs at home.
Virginia 21 NC State 17

New Mexico State at Nevada (+18): New Mexico State will be able to put points up on the board, but don't expect them to snap their losing streak to Division I-A teams on the road against a pretty decent Nevada squad. I think NMSU will beat the spread, however.
Nevada 38 New Mexico State 28

Notre Dame (+14) at Navy: The Irish have snuck by some opponents this season. They got lucky against Georgia Tech, Michigan State, and UCLA just last weekend. Navy presents a bit of a challenge to the Irish defense with their unusual style of play. Even then, I think ND's pool of talent is too big and physical for Navy to handle.
Notre Dame 28 Navy 14

Louisiana Tech at San Jose State (+9.5): I'm very hesitant on this game. SJSU is 4-2 but has played one of the weakest schedules to this point in Division I-A. Louisiana Tech is on the opposite end of the spectrum, having played one of the toughest. Coming off a win last week, I'm giving the edge to the Bulldogs. I'm shocked that the Spartans are such a heavy favorite.
Louisiana Tech 24 San Jose State 21

East Carolina at Southern Miss (+5.5): If one likes defense, they should tune into this one. ECU and Southern Miss have stingy defenses this year and this is a big game for the two teams in Conference USA. ECU is 3-4 and Southern Miss 4-3 following their drubbing at the hands of Virginia Tech. With the game in Hattiesberg, I give the slight edge to Southern Miss, but it's not a very confident pick.
Southern Miss 17 East Carolina 14

Wyoming at TCU (+6): Wyoming is finally learning how to win football games! Following their 1-4 start with heart-breaking losses all four times, the Cowboys have reeled off four consecutive victories to even their record at 4-4. TCU has been anything but great following the hype they received in the pre-season. Like the previous game between ECU and Southern Miss, expect this to be tight and low-scoring all throughout. But, I'm giving the edge to the Cowboys to win their fourth straight.
Wyoming 21 TCU 17

Tennessee (+5) at South Carolina: The 'Vols have looked great at times this season and not so at others, with their one-point win over Air Force and last week's ugly win against the Crimson Tide. Because the Gamecocks are not run-dominated on offense and not particularly dominant on defense, I think it'll be much more difficult for Carolina to force the 'Vols to play as ugly as 'Bama made them play last week. I give the edge to Tennessee and think they'll cover the spread.
Tennessee 28 South Carolina 17

North Texas at Troy (+9): Who to pick in this one? Wait, Troy is a nine-point favorite? What? Yeah, I think the Trojans will probably win, but not by 9. North Texas has been disappointing this season, but still have a stud at tailback.
Troy 21 North Texas 14

Army at Tulane (+5.5): Much different styles on offense for these two clubs. With the game at home, Tulane playing better of late, and Army not playing quite as well, I'm giving the edge to the Green Wave.
Tulane 28 Army 17

Washington State at UCLA (+1): Wazzu gets no love. What, since UCLA almost beat Notre Dame, they're the one-point favorite? Wazzu just beat Oregon at Autzen by 11. Following USC and Cal, I'm now starting to believe that Washington State is the third best team in the Pac 10.
Washington State 24 UCLA 21

USC (+12) at Oregon State: The Trojans had a week off to think about their three close Pac 10 victories. The Trojans should come out fresh and ready for this one and shut critics up for a week.
USC 28 Oregon State 14

UNLV at Utah (+20): Both teams are heading in the wrong direction. Utah is now 4-4 following two consecutive losses. This could be the perfect game for the Utes to rebound against lowly 1-6 UNLV. The Rebs have lost some close ones, including a 16-10 defeat at the hands of Iowa State. I think Utah will win at home, but not by what the spread indicates.
Utah 24 UNLV 10

Vanderbilt (+10.5) at Duke: Vandy was hung over last week following their big win in Athens over Georgia. They had their week to be high. Now they have a chance to get back on the winning track against the winless Blue Devils. The Commodores should do just that.
Vanderbilt 24 Duke 10

Wake Forest (+8.5) at North Carolina: Two words: Carolina stinks. That's about all there is to say. They're 1-6, got shutout 23-0 against 3-5 Virginia, and head coach Bunting is on his way out after the season. Wake had a week off and should put it to the Tar Heels, well, what's left of them.
Wake Forest 28 North Carolina 10

Arizona State at Washington (+1): UW has had some rough losses this year. They got hosed by the refs for one last play against USC and lost a game in overtime last week to Cal. I think ASU is starting to roll offensively again and should find a way to pull this one out.
Arizona State 31 Washington 24

Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan (+15): This is the last game to pick and I don't feel like writing much. Western Michigan is solid defensively and should have no problems winning this one at home.
Western Michigan 38 Eastern Michigan 21

Sunday
UConn at Rutgers (+19): It's hard for me to take Rutgers by three touchdowns here. They're not a high-scoring team. They're run-dominated on offense with their underrated dual-back system of Ray Rice and Brian Leonard. I think Rutgers should have no problems pounding UConn on the ground, but I don't see them covering the rather large point spread.
Rutgers 31 UConn 14