Beerman’s Picks
by Ben Shapiro, 10/19/01
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. I don't pick winners (that's too easy), I pick against the spread. All
picks are for entertainment purposes only. For the most current TV information,
click on over to TV
Guide
Last Week: One down, three to go.
This Week: Kind of a slow week actually.
The airwaves are littered with unranked teams, and there is only one intra-top-25
matchup. I might have to find something productive to do this Saturday. Oh the
humanity!
Not in Action: #1 Miami (FL), #4 Virginia Tech, #7 Florida, #9 Michigan,
#24 Purdue
|
| Thursday 10/18 |
| #18 WASHINGTON STATE
(6-0) vs. Montana State (4-2) |
| Line: no line
(I-AA) |
10:00 PM EST |
| So this is how Washington State
rewards us for being voted in to the top-25? By playing JMU? *blech* |
| Pick: Wazzou |
|
|
| Friday 10/19 |
| #10 FRESNO STATE
(6-0) vs. Boise State (3-3) |
| Line: Fresno (-14.5) |
8:00 PM EST |
| It was a close one, but for Fresno
State it's all downhill after making it by Colorado State last week. If they win out, I bet they get top-6 in both opinion polls, but their SOS
will bring them down to ... I'm guessing #8 ... in the BCS |
| Pick: FSU |
|
|
| Saturday 10/20 |
| #2 OKLAHOMA (6-0)
vs. Baylor (2-3) |
| Line: Oklahoma (-35) |
3:00 PM EST |
| Oklahoma. By as much or as little as they
want. |
| Pick: Ooooooooooooklahoma |
|
|
| #3 NEBRASKA (7-0)
vs. Texas Tech (3-2) |
| Line: UNL (-24) |
7:00 PM EST
(Most of FoxSportNet) |
| Long story short: All that matters here is that
Nebraska avoids injuries and is ready for next week against OU. |
| Pick: Huskers |
|
|
| #5 OREGON (6-0) vs.
Stanford (3-1) |
| Line: Oregon (-7.5) |
3:30 PM EST
(ABC, GamePlan) |
| Oregon seems to have emerged from their early
season shell. (Ducks have shells?) I think this game will prove that.
The Ducks are going to win, and I suspect they're going to win BIG. |
| Pick: Ducks |
|
|
| #6 UCLA (5-0) vs.
California (0-5) |
| Line: UCLA (-27.5) |
10:00 PM EST
(FoxSportsNet) |
| It's not a bye week, but it's close! Oh, and for the record: Of all the remaining unbeatens, UCLA worries
me the most. I just have this nasty feeling that this could be their year. |
| Pick: UCLA |
|
|
#8
TEXAS (5-1) vs. #17 Colorado (5-1) |
Line:
Texas(-10) |
3:30 PM EST
(ABC, GamePlan) |
| And this is just the sort of
mid-major game that Mack Brown does tend to win. I like the Buffs and all, but I
don't know if they can pull this one off. But
last week's trouncing of Okie State (and Chris Simms 5 TDs) had "I don't care! We're a good team, and we're going to prove it by rolling up stats on a crappy
opponent!" written all over it in petulant orange letters.
I think Colorado keeps it close. |
| Pick: Buffs |
|
|
| #11
Tennessee (3-1) @ ALABAMA (3-3) |
| Line: Tennessee
(-2) |
3:30 PM EST
(CBS) |
| Listen. I know this is a big
rivalry game. And I know Tennessee has not exactly been dominant this season.
But has anyone in Vegas actually watched Alabama play? They're awful. |
| Pick: Vols |
|
|
| #12
WASHINGTON (4-1) vs. Arizona (3-3) |
| Line:
Washington (-14) |
6:30 PM EST
(FSW2) |
| This one could be trouble...for
both teams actually. Washington has their pick
of two injured quarterbacks. Not fun. Arizona has dropped three straight (in
ugly fashion) after a promising 3-0 start. I don't think either team really wants
much to play this game. |
| Pick: Zona |
|
|
| #13
BYU (6-0) vs. Air Force (4-1) |
| Line:
BYU (-12.5) |
5:45 PM EST
(ESPN2) |
| BYU is an upset
waiting to happen. I don't want to start an SOS argument, but Air Force will be the
first team that the Cougs play with a winning record. The first team they played
that had any wins at all was New Mexico last week, and they almost beat em! |
| Pick: AFA |
|
|
| #14
MARYLAND (6-0) vs. Dook (0-6) |
| Line: Maryland
(-25) |
1:00 PM EST
(GamePlan, JP Sports) |
| It's gotten so bad in Durham, that
Jeff George was seen working out during practice this week. |
| Pick: Maryland |
|
|
| #15
CLEMSON (4-1) vs. North Carolina (4-3) |
| Line: Clemson
(-7.5) |
12:00 PM EST
(ESPN2) |
| North Carolina is running roughshod
through the ACC right now. There's really no other way to describe it. And
Dantzler? Criminey! Last week was a game for the ages. I'm not usually a
fan of watching ACC ball, but this could very well be the most entertaining game of the
weekend. |
| Pick: UNC |
|
|
| #16
SOUTH CAROLINA (5-1) vs. Vanderbilt (1-4) |
| Line: USC-SE
(-16.5) |
7:00 PM EST |
| Thank yoooooooooooou Arkansas!
That should about do it for any SEC teams having an easy shot at the Rose Bowl this
year. |
| Pick: South Carolina |
|
|
| #19
GEORGIA (4-1) vs. Kentucky (1-5) |
| Line: UGA
(-22.5) |
12:30 PM EST
(GamePlan, JP Sports) |
| So if the NCAA drops the hammer on
Kentucky, do you suppose they'll rename Hal Mumme Boulevard? |
| Pick: UK |
|
|
| #20
NORTHWESTERN (4-1) vs. Penn State (0-4) |
| Line: NW (-11) |
3:30 PM EST
(ABC, GamePlan) |
| You could spot Penn State a twelfth
defender, and they still couldn't keep up with the Wildcats. |
| Pick: Northwestern |
|
|
| #21
AUBURN (5-1) vs. Louisiana Tech (3-2) |
| Line: Auburn (-13.5) |
2:00 PM EST |
| Auburn #21? OK, I mean I
guess I can't argue with that. But that puts Syracuse #20 in my book. |
| Pick: War Eagle |
|
|
| #22
Florida State (3-2) @ VIRGINIA (3-3) |
| Line: FSU-SE
(-12) |
7:30 PM EST
(ESPN) |
| I don't know which I'd rather see:
Wahoo State going down in ignominious defeat to an obviously flawed Seminole squad ... or
FSU dropping out of the top-25 entirely. |
| Pick: Wahoowah |
|
|
| #23
Toledo (5-0) @ BALL STATE (1-4) |
| Line: Toledo
(-23) |
2:00 PM EST |
| Toledo's been stuck right around
#23 for about a month now, and I think they need to lay down a good old fashioned woodshed
beating if they want to get noticed again. |
| Pick: Toledo |
|
|
| #25
GEORGIA TECH (4-2) vs. N.C. State (3-2) |
| Line: GT
(-12.5) |
3:30 PM EST
(ABC, GamePlan) |
| On a weekend starved for quality
matchups, when pretty much all the worthwhile games are in the 3:30 ABC timeslot, this
snoozefest is the one being broadcast in my home viewing area. Can you FEEL the excitement? |
| Pick: NCSU |
|
|
| SYRACUSE
(5-2) vs. Temple (2-3) |
| Line: Syracuse
(-16.5) |
1:30 PM EST |
| Good good good. The Orangemen
are starting to get some notice n the national scene. That win over Auburn has
turned out to be bigger than I think any of us believed at the time. I'm awfully glad we play them in Lane this year... |
| Pick: Cuse |
|
|
| BOSTON
COLLEGE (4-2) vs. Pittsburgh (1-4) |
| Line: BC (-9.5) |
12:00 PM EST
(GamePlan, ESPN+) |
| It would be nice if the Big East
could manage another team or two in the top-25. Go Eagles! |
| Pick: Eagles |
|
|
| RUTGERS
(1-5) vs. Navy (0-5) |
| Line: Rutgers
(-1.5) |
3:30 PM EST
(GamePlan) |
| New Slogan: "Rutgers football,
sleeping with the fishes." |
| Pick: Navy |
|
|
| Miscellania... |
| Game of the Week to Watch: Texas -
Colorado Last Week: 13-8
Season To Date: 72-64-1
Upset Special: Air Force over BYU (2-5)
|
