Each week this season, I will be posting a column previewing the upcoming weekend's Big East and Top-25 match-ups. All rankings are from the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Picks are against the spread (that means I'm not picking winners, just the line), and are for entertainment purposes only.

Last Week: Bill Roth called it "Upset Saturday" and I got my clock cleaned. Due to a last-minute change of heart, I didn't even get my upset pick! Alas, I shoulda stuck with my gut and picked UCLA. Mad props to Dave Meyer! One man team indeed!

This Week: IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!

Not In Action This Week: #13 Purdue, #16 Notre Dame, #17 Georgia, #22 Auburn, #24 South Carolina

#21 COLORADO STATE (-7.5) vs. Brigham Young

The sentimental side of me wants to see LaVelle Edwards get just one more bowl bid before he retires, but I think that's a wish doomed for unfufillment. Colorado State is too good, and BYU just doesn't have the stuff this year. Tis a shame…

Pick: CSU

#1 Oklahoma (-38) @ BAYLOR

Sold American! I believe, I believe! OU could send in their second teamers, those same backups could have a bad game, and the Sooners would still beat da Bears.

Baylor's offense "exploded" last week for 14 points against Texas…just enough so that they covered the spread. Typical!

Pick: Baylor

#2 Virginia Tech (+8) @ #3 MIAMI (FL)

Holy BIG GAMES Batman! I mean seriously, #2 vs. #3. The Big East championship is on the line. A shot at a national title is potentially on the line. An entire year of abuse to be heaped on opposing fans is on the line. This is big business! Win, and we're Big East champs. 9-0 and in day 1,869 of possession of the Canes' pride. No matter what may happen against suprising (6-3!) UCF or lowly Wahoo State, we'd be going to a BcS bowl.

Make no mistake, the Canes are fallible. The secondary has been disappointing, and the defensive line has not lived up to the hype. The offense has been spectacular (#1 in scoring in the nation) despite the deafening silence of Santana Moss in the passing game. Most importantly, they still tend to play an undisciplined style of ball. Turnovers nearly cost them the FSU game.

Our secondary will have to improve. My opinion is that UPitt has a (little bit) better passing game than Miami, but the Canes have a far better running game to provide balance. We're going to have to slow that down or it could be a long day.

IT'S GONNA BE JIHAD BAYBEE!!!

Pick: Hokies!

#4 FLORIDA STATE (-19) vs. #10 Clemson

And in the other showcase game of the day, Bowden Bowl II kicks off in Tallahassee. *Yawn* I mean FSU is going to stomp all over Clemson. Bowden Jr. will rustle up a few points, and it might be fun to watch for a while, but if there's one thing more difficult to do than to hand FSU their first loss, it's trying to hand them a second one. Just doesn't happen. Trying to is like getting involved in a land war in Asia. It's one of the classic blunders!

Pick: F$U

#5 Florida (-19) @ VANDERBILT

OK, so maybe the visor took some abuse last week. But the Gators won, and that's all that counts. They'll win this week too, and by a whole lotta points!

Pick: Gators

#6 NEBRASKA (-31.5) vs. Kansas

At 4-4, Kansas is looking almost respectable. Here's a hint: They're not. Nebraska's going to crush them, make them bleed, and generally work through a whole lot of anger that should probably be reserved for the B-12 title game.

Pick: Huskers

#7 WASHINGTON (-7) vs. Arizona

OK, now this is just silly. Look down one spot, and tell me why UDub is still ranked higher than Oregon?

Pick: Huskies

#8 Oregon (-9) @ WASHINGTON STATE

Why does a coach go for a two-point conversion in only the second overtime? It just doesn't make much sense. Oregon fans took a collective quack of relief. A big one. Lucky Ducks :o)

Wazzou's gonna get worked.

Pick: Ducks

#9 Texas Christian (-11.5) @ SAN JOSE STATE

San Jose State is 6-3, and likely TCU's only remaining threat to an undefeated season.

Pick: SJSU

#11 SOUTERN MISSISSIPPI (-14) vs. Louiseville

With loss here, Louiseville likely headed for 6-5 on the season.

Pick: U of L

#12 Michicken (-7.5) @ #23 NORTHWESTERN

If Northwestern wins today, there's a very real chance that the Big Ten could fail to end up with a single top-10 team at the end of the season. I think we'll be saved that fate, as not only should Michicken win this one (they teach them "knock it down!" at UM), but Purdue shouldn't lose again this year.

Pick: Northwestern

#14 Oregon State (-6) @ CALIFORNIA

Wow! Running for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. That Simonton kid's pretty good, eh?

Pick: OSU-Northwest

#15 KANSAS STATE (-18) vs. Iowa State

Danger Will Robinson! ISU is 6-2, and played aTm tougher than KSU did. The (now) Mildcats just haven't looked the same since OU took em down…

Pick: ISU

#18 Mississippi State (-7.5) @ KENTUCKY

I'm pretty sure that the SEC West race won't be decided until sometime during the 2001 season. I mean, for crying out loud, Bama is still in the mix. Kentucky, however, is not in the mix for much of anything except next year's recruiting.

Pick: MSU

#19 OHIO STATE (-14) vs. Michigan State

tOSU needs an offensive line and a QB if they're going to get past B-10 also-ran status. Michigan State needs more than that, so they should go down fairly quietly.

Pick: OSU-Midwest

#20 Texas (-10.5) @ TEXAS TECH

Trivia bit of the day. Texas coach Mack Brown's brother, Watson, is the head coach at UAB. Right now UAB is (also) 6-2 with games left at Cinci, hosting Southern Miss, and at Army. Texas has The Raiders this weekend, then travels to Kansas, and hosts aTm in their finale. Care to guess who is going to have bragging rights at Christmas?

Pick: Red Radiuhs

#25 Texas A&M (-16) @ OKLAHOMA STATE

OK, evidently Texas A&M does have the guns on offense to keep up with Kansas State. Or, at least their defense is good enough to render the point moot.

Pick: OSU-Southwest

WEST VIRGINIA (+2) vs. Syracuse

Until Cuse can prove that they can win on the road, I can't pick them. On the other hand, WVU QB Brad Lewis is likely out. Then again, Troy Nunes has more success completing passes to the opposition than to his own receivers. This could be ugly, and I'm not talking good ugly.

Pick: WVU

BOSTON COLLEGE (-9.5) vs. Temple

4-4, with BC, UPitt, and Syracuse left. Does Temple actually go bowling this year? I doubt it. Wouldn't that be something tho? You do, of course, realize that Temple's taken two of the previous three against BC? Didn't think so…

Pick: Temple

PITTSBURGH (-8) vs. North Carolina

Go Pitt go. Win one for the Big East. Take a chunk out of FSU's schedule strength, and finish 8-3, will yah? UNC is … disappointing … this year, and unless they're too drained from last week, the Panthers should whup em good!

Pick: UPitt

Game of the Week to Watch: Duh! Tho FSU-Clemson isn't a bad alternate…

Upset Special: I'd pick us, but I've not been too lucky with these …so I pick Temple over BC.

Last Week: 9-12

Season to Date: 102-100

Upset Special: 3-7