Beerman’s Picks
by Ben Shapiro, 11/1/01
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 Bowl
Championship Series 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: The pain, the agony.
Aw hell, it's just a game...
This Week: National play-a-patsy week gets underway. Nearly everyone not in the Pac Ten
plays a conference bottom feeder this week, and the pickings are slim
indeed.
Not in Action: #21 Georgia, #22 Syracuse
|
|
Thursday 11/01 |
| #13 BYU
(8-0) vs. Colorado State (4-4) |
| Line:
BYU (-14.5) |
9:45 pm EST
(ESPN2) |
|
They're scoring roughly 2,346 points per game, how can I not
pick BYU to cover? |
| Pick: BYU |
|
| #23
North Carolina (5-3) @ GEORGIA TECH (4-2) |
| Line:
GT (-4) |
7:30 pm EST
(ESPN) |
| UNC is
unstoppable.
*cringe*
That just makes me
feel unclean. Nevertheless, at the rate they're going, the ACC
is going to have a 3-loss champion. |
| Pick: Carolina |
|
|
|
Saturday 11/03 |
|
#1 Nebraska (9-0) @ KANSAS (2-5) |
| Line: UNL(-29.5) |
7:00 pm EST
(FoxSportNet) |
| The
meat of their schedule over with, Nebraska can concentrate on
glamour shots the rest of the way. The Eric Crouch for Heisman
campaign can really get rolling now. |
| Pick: Nebraska |
|
|
| #2
Oklahoma (7-1) vs. Tulsa (1-6) |
| Line: Okie (-41.5) |
3:00 pm EST
(Some FoxSportsNet) |
|
Oklahoma may not be able to top Nebraska, but Tulsa can't even win
in the WAC...and the Sooners are angry. This one was over last
week. |
| Pick: Tulsa |
|
|
| #3
MIAMI (FL) (6-0) vs. Temple (2-5) |
| Line:
Miami (-42.5) |
12:00 pm EST
(Gameplan, ESPN+) |
| So
Oklahoma loses, and is still ranked higher than Miami.
If that doesn't rile Coker enough to offer up Temple as a sacrifice
to the Gods of RUTS, I don't know what will. |
| Pick: Miami |
|
|
|
#4 Michigan (6-1) @ MICHIGAN STATE (4-2) |
| Line:
Michigan (-6) |
3:30
pm EST
(ABC, Gameplan) |
|
Michigan got quite the
scare last week. If they keep that up, sooner or later they're
going to run into someone who beats them. Is the rivalry game
mystique enough for Michigan State to do the deed?
Nope. |
| Pick:
Michigan |
|
|
|
#5 Texas (7-1) @ BAYLOR (2-5) |
| Line:
Texas (-32) |
12:30 pm EST
(Some FoxSportsNet) |
|
The only difference
between James Madison and Baylor, is that one administration knows
their place, and one does not. |
| Pick:
Baylor |
|
|
|
#6 Stanford (5-1) @ #11 WASHINGTON (6-1) |
| Line:
Stanford (-1) |
3:30 pm EST |
|
Anyone want to explain
to me how this one isn't on TV anywhere? |
| Pick:
UDub |
|
|
| #7
Tennessee (5-1) @ NOTRE DAME (3-4) |
| Line:
Tennessee (-7.5) |
2:30 pm EST
(NBC) |
|
It seems pretty much
every year Notre Dame channels the spirit of years past, and manages
to upset someone who's really a far superior program. I have a
funny feeling we're about to see Bob Davie and Company start a run
for the best Big East bowl they can manage... |
| Pick:
Notre Dame |
|
|
|
#8 FLORIDA (6-1) vs. Vanderbilt (2-5) |
| Line:
Florida (-35) |
12:30 pm EST
(Gameplan, JPSports) |
|
I can only attribute
Florida's lofty AP ranking to widespread voter fraud. |
| Pick:
Vandy |
|
|
#9 UCLA
(6-1) @ #12 WASHINGTON STATE (7-1) |
Line:
UCLA (-3.5) |
6:30 pm EST
(Some FoxSportsNet) |
|
So much for UCLA's
defense, eh?
Now WSU beat Stanford, which whupped UCLA last week. Now I
understand that transitivity doesn't necessarily apply to football,
but why is Washington State a home underdog?
I like the Cougs,
straight up. |
| Pick:
Wazzou |
|
|
|
#10 OREGON (7-1) vs. Arizona State (4-3) |
| Line:
Oregon (-11) |
10:15 pm EST
(FoxSportsNet) |
|
Is there a better way
to stump for an at-large Fiesta Bowl bid than by going to Tempe and
beating up the Sun Devils? I don't think so. |
| Pick:
Ducks |
|
|
|
#14 PURDUE (5-1) vs. #16 Illinois (6-1) |
| Line:
Purdue (-3) |
12:00 pm EST
(ESPN) |
|
Purdue is not a better
team than us. Period. |
| Pick:
Illinois |
|
|
|
#15 Virginia Tech (6-1) @ PITTSBURGH (2-5) |
| Line:
VT (-18.5) |
12:00 pm EST
(Gameplan, ESPN+) |
|
There are mistakes,
and then there are weaknesses. Had we played a harder
schedule, we may have been able to avoid some of the former.
Then again, perhaps more of the latter would have been exploited,
and we could have two or even three losses right now. There's
really no way to tell.
It's a loss.
Deal with it. Learn from it and move on.
Squash Pitt. |
| Pick:
Hokies |
|
|
|
#17 MARYLAND (7-1) vs. Troy State (4-3) |
| Line:
Maryland (-23) |
1:00 pm EST |
|
"POP" goes the bubble.
Maryland gets their
eighth win, Troy State gets another six figures for their athletic
department. College fans across the nation utter a collective
*yawn*. |
| Pick:
TSU |
|
|
|
#18 Florida State (5-2) @ CLEMSON (5-2) |
| Line:
FSU (-8) |
3:30 pm EST
(ABC, Gameplan) |
|
Bowden Bowl III.
Both teams are
enduring disappointing seasons. Both teams have brutal
schedules down the stretch. Both teams need to win this game
in the worst way.
I'm probably going
to watch it, but only because I think it's going to be the only game
on. Having DirecTV without the full complement of Game Plan
match-ups is just a tease... |
| Pick:
Clemson |
|
|
|
#19 SOUTH CAROLINA (6-2) vs. Wofford (3-4) (I-AA) |
| Line:
No line (I-AA) |
1:00 pm
EST |
|
No competition, no
line, no comment... |
| Pick:
USC |
|
|
|
#20 Texas A&M (7-1) @ TEXAS TECH (4-3) |
| Line:
Texas Tech (-3.5) |
2:00 pm EST
(PPV) |
|
Another top-25
underdog to an unranked opponent. If I hadn't already called
my upset ... |
| Pick:
Texas A&M |
|
|
|
#24 COLORADO (6-2) vs. Missouri (3-4) |
| Line:
Colorado (-13) |
3:00 pm
EST |
|
I'll be deep in the
cold, cold ground before I recognize Missoura! |
| Pick:
Colorado |
|
|
|
#25 MISSISSIPPI (6-1) vs. Arkansas (4-3) |
| Line:
Ole Miss (-6) |
7:00 pm
EST
(ESPN2) |
|
Moving into the top-25
doesn't seem to be a good career move for SEC-West teams.
Let's see how Ole Miss manages it... |
| Pick:
Mississippi |
|
|
|
WEST VIRGINIA (2-5) vs. Rutgers (2-5) |
| Line:
WVU (-17.5) |
1:00 pm
EST |
|
West Virginia is just
having one of those seasons. I fully expect them to win, but I
think a cover might be a bit too tall of an order. |
| Pick:
Rutgers |
|
|
| Miscellania... |
| Game of the Week to Watch:
The good games are all in the P-10 this week, so I guess FSU-Clemson by
default. Last Week:
7-11
Season To Date: 90-86-1
Upset Special: WSU over
UCLA (3-6) |
