Thursday, October 24
7:30 pm EST
ESPN
pick 'em
N.C. State (#9)
8-0 (Away: 3-0)
Clemson
4-3 (Home: 4-0)
8-0,
only number nine, and not even favored over a mediocre Clemson
team! You'd think N.C. State was in the MAC or something.
Seriously. I realize they've not played the worlds toughest
schedule to date, but even so ... major conference teams normally
get the benefit of the doubt there.
To me, that means that the 'Pack
has to make a statement. Well here's their chance.
Thursday night in front of the whole country, they can make
their case for the Big Time.
Pick: NCSU
Saturday, October 26
12:00 pm EST
ESPN2
-19
Miami (FL) (#1)
6-0 (Away: 2-0)
West Virginia
5 -2
(Home: 3-1)
It
will be interesting to see how well Avon Cobourne can run against
Miami's defensive line. Florida State absolutely manhandled
the Canes two weeks ago, but I suspect their OL is a good bit
better than WVU's.
Pick: U of M
1:00 pm EST
Temple
3-4 (Away: 1-1)
-28.5
Virginia Tech (#3)
7-0 (Home: 4-0)
1998 should be required viewing
for every player on this team. You listening to me Frank?
*lol*
For the record, I have no major
problem with playing in cruise control so long as we keep winning.
Also for the record, I'm tired of this no television nonsense.
It just seems somewhat depressing for me to sit in my basement
early on a Saturday afternoon huddled around my computer listening
to an internet radio feed. Yup, this is my annual "I just
don't feel like driving to Blacksburg" weekend. Oh well,
at least I've got a Saturday night game to look forward to next
week. And beer in my fridge. And in my house the end zones are painted, and there are no bad seats. I don't
actually know what that means, but I'm rambling now so just
bear with me.
Shutting down the Rutgers rushing
game was no mean feat. 116th out of 117 isn't even a challenge.
Temple has a little more oomph. Not much, but a little.
Seems like Tanardo Sharps has been playing there since the Cosby
days, and he knows a trick or two. Now the subplot that
may actually be pretty interesting is how the Untouchables fare
against Temple's 12th ranked rushing defense. Yeah, that's
not a misprint. No one runs on Temple. Of course
that might be because everyone throws on them. 95th national
in pass efficiency defense, it looks like Temple defines the
term "selling out to stop the run."
Now the worst part is, Temple
is going to bring down our BCS ranking a bit more. Win
lose or draw they hurt us. For that sin, they must pay!
Pick: HOKIES!
3:30 pm EST
ABC, Gameplan
Penn State (#17)
5-2 (Away: 1-1)
-4.5
Ohio State (#4)
8-0 (Home: 5-0)
It's
only October and the whole of the Pac Ten is irrelevant.
The ACC is irrelevant (NCSU SOS = SOL). If Penn State
wins today, the entire Big Ten will become irrelevant as well.
Irrelevant to what you ask? the National Championship
picture, that's what. But lets not have a playoff, because
that would lessen the importance of the regular season.
rabble! rabble rabble!
Pick: tOSU
3:30 pm EST
CBS
-5
Georgia (#5)
7-0 (Away: 2-0)
Kentucky
5-2 (Home: 3-1)
Even
if they win their 6th game, Kentucky still won't be bowl eligible
... NCAA sanctions and whatnot. But hey, at 5-2 at least
they can say that the cheating's finally paying off!
Pick: UGA
12:00 pm EST
ABC
Notre Dame (#6)
7-0 (Away: 3-0)
-10
Florida State (#13)
5-2 (Home: 3-0)
This
one's kind of like when China played the Soviet Union in Olympic
basketball. There really are no winners.
Pick: Notre Dame
3:30 pm EST
ABC, Gameplan
Iowa State (#18)
6-2 (Away: 1-1)
-13
Texas (#7)
6-1 (Home: 3-1)
re:
Iowa State - Oklahomacould I
have been more wrong?
/chandlerbing
Pick: Texas
12:00 pm EST
ESPN
Iowa (#14)
7-1 (Away: 4-0)
-3.5
Michigan (#8)
6-1 (Home: 4-0)
See,
I'm not so sure that these rankings aren't backwards.
Iowa's been playing some terrific football, and Michigan has
problems under center. It's the Big House, and it's a
tough joint to play in, but I think Iowa's got the better team
this year. The question is, do they believe it?
Pick: Iowa
12 :30
pm EST
Jefferson Pilot
-3.5
LSU (#10)
6-1 (Away: 1-1)
Auburn
4-3 (Home: 3-1)
After
a couple of quarters to get into the swing of things, the LSU
offense actually looked better without Matt Mauck last
week. Good thing too, because it looks like he's out for
quite a while... Auburn
is just hurting. All the breaks seem to be falling against
them. I'd say that they're due to turn it around, but
LSU's defense is not the sort that teams typically break out
of slumps against. And really? That's fine by me.
Pick: LSU
10:00 pm EST
Fox Sports Net
-11.5
Washington State (#11)
6-1 (Away: 2-1)
Arizona
3-4 (Home: 3-1)
Losers
of three straight after a strong start, Arizona is also 0-3
against ranked opposition, and 0-3 in the Pac-10. Washington
State is riding high, and there's really no reason why they
should have too much trouble here. Right?
Pick: Zona
3:30 pm EST
ABC, Gameplan
-1.5
Southern California (#16)
5-2 (Away: 1-2)
Oregon (#12)
6-1 (Home: 4-1)
One
defensive collapse, and now Oregon are home underdogs?
Bah! Bubble burst, undaunted
ducks drive on!
Pick: Oregon
7:45 pm EST
ESPN
Alabama
5-2 (Away: 1-1)
-3
Tennessee (#15)
4-2
(Home: 4-1)
Talk
about two teams going in opposite directions. Home field
is about the only thing the Vols have going for them here.
Bama's pumped, talented, well coached, and have even come up
with a way around their NCAA bowl sanctions. Yup, they
close their season with a trip to the Big Island to take on
Hawaii. Not bad.
Pick: Bammer
3:00 pm EST
-16
Air Force (#19)
6-1 (Away: 2-0)
Wyoming
1-6 (Home: 1-2)
That
first sigh of relief you just heard came straight from the BCS
head honchos. Air Force was one halfway decent passing
game away from glory. The
second sigh you heard came from the AFA locker room after they
realized who they got to play this weekend.
Pick: Air Force
1:30 pm EST
Fox Sports Net
(regional)
Texas Tech
5-3 (Away: 3-2)
-6
Colorado (#20)
5 -2
(Home: 3-2)
Guess
who's back? g-g-g-guess who's back?
I was wrong. Colorado isn't
like VT, they're like Syracuse ... or at least how Syracuse
usually is. They've got talent, but can't quite put it
all together early enough to matter nationally. So now
they've got two loses and are playing well enough that everyone
else in the B-12 is terrified.
Pick: Buffs
3:00 pm EST
-31
Kansas State (#21)
5-2 (Away: 0-1)
Baylor
3-4 (Home: 3-1)
If
I had to choose between the sun coming up tomorrow, and Kansas
State RUTSing some hapless conference cellar dweller ... I'm
betting on the Cats.
Pick: KSU
4:00 pm EST
Ball State
3 -4
(Away: 1-3)
-21
Bowling Green (#22)
6-0 (Home: 4-0)
Bowling
Green just keeps plugging along. Their defense is losing
more players every week, and their coach actually took out ads
in the student newspaper looking for warm bodies to practice
against. It would be neat
to see, but I don't think the Falcons can hold on all year.
Today shouldn't be too bad though.
Pick: BSU
10:00 pm EST
Washington
4-3 (Away: 1-1)
-3.5
Arizona State (#25)
6-2 (Home: 4-1)
Arizona
State threw for 500+ yards against Oregon last week, at Outzen
stadium (aka check your audibles at the door). Washington
comes in with the worst pass defense in the Pac Ten. Heck,
they managed to make Carson Palmer look good last week.
This could get ugly.
Pick: ASU
12:00 pm EST
ESPN+, Gameplan
Boston College
4-2 (Away: 0-1)
-4
Pittsburgh
5 -2
(Home: 3-1)
And
the battle for Big East #3 is joined. Personally, I don't
care who wins so long as BC can beat Notre Dame next weekend.
You hear that Panthers? I don't want to see any injuries!
Pick: UPitt
1:30 pm EST
Rutgers
1-6 (Away: 0-3)
(off)
Syracuse
1-6 (Home: 1-2)
I don't
think that it's even hypothetically possible to lose to both
Temple and Rutgers in the same season. I mean I'm pretty
sure that it's written into the Big East charter that either
the Owls or the Scarlet Knights must finish in last place each
year. The reason that there
is no line on this game should be obvious. Total and complete
apathy. The bookies figure they're doing the public a
service by not fouling their betting sheets with this nonsense.
Pick: Cuse
