- Another bad week last week, but I'm feeling a 75% weekend here.....A few Double Plays this weekend.
Last Week - 8-11
YTD - 42-44-2
DOUBLE PLAYS -
- South Florida -13.5
- Texas Tech -7.5
- Central Florida -13.5
- TCU -24.5
- Oregon +16.5
TRIPLE PLAY
- Missouri -10.5
Thursday
Pittsburgh at South Florida (-13.5) - ESPN - 6:30 pm
As has been written in this space in the past, I hate Pittsburgh. It's well chronicled. South Florida is everything that Pittsburgh isn't. Athletic, fast on offense and defense, have a competent QB, and a great homefield advantage. This game won't even be close. South Florida is going to sneak up on voters this year. Everyone else in the country is going to cannabalize each other, and South Florida is going to roll through their schedule with no problem. Check their schedule sometime.
DOUBLE PLAY - South Florida -13.5
Oregon State at Utah (-11.5) - Versus - 8:00 pm
Oregon State woke up last week. I had them as my sleeper pick in the PAC-10 before the season started, and they let me down until they knocked out USC. Utah should have lost to Air Force, and is a decent team, but not BCS-worthy like everyone thinks. Of the non-BCS teams that could contend for a BCS bowl (BYU, Utah, Boise State, and TCU), Utah looks to be the weakest. I'll take the 11.5 points and bet on the PAC-10 finally showing some nuts against the Mountain West.
Pick - Oregon State +11.5
Friday
Cincinnati (-3.5) at Marshall - ESPN - 7:00 pm
I like Cincinnati a lot. I think Brian Kelly is a great coach, and probably will be at a major program within 2-3 years. I know nothing else about this game. Take Cincinnati.
Pick - Cincinnati -3.5
Saturday
Penn State (-13) at Purdue - ESPN - 11:00 am
Purdue somehow lost by 14 to Notre Dame last week. I guess I overrated Purdue's offense, didn't expect them to only score 21 against a pitiful Notre Dame team. I'm not a huge believer in Penn State. Not convinced that they've played anyone of substance, I don't count an overrated Illinois team. I can see Purdue rising up at home and scoring some points, and keeping it within 2 touchdowns.
Pick - Purdue +13
Iowa at Michigan State (-7.5) - ESPN2 - 11:00 am
Michigan State is not a bad team. They lost a tough game out in California in week 1 and have been unbeaten ever since. They have a stud at RB in Javon Ringer. Iowa is pretty bad, losing to Northwestern, barely beating Iowa State, and losing to Pittsburgh. Michigan State rolls them.
Pick - Michigan State -7.5
Duke at Georgia Tech (-14) - ESPNU - 11:00 am
How Duke is 3-1 is beyond me. I don't care who they've played, to be 3-1 after 4 games is a huge accomplishment for the worst football program in America. Georgia Tech is a good team, and I love their triple option running attack. Duke can't keep up with this team. Georgia Tech should have beaten Virginia Tech and should be undefeated right now. They routed Mississippi State, who only lost to LSU by 10 pts. And also went on the road and beat Boston College, which is always a tough thing to do. They take care of Duke big at home.
Pick - Georgia Tech -14
Indiana at Minnesota (-7) - Big 10 Network - 11:00 am
The parade of Big 10 games continues. Minnesota played Ohio State tough last week, although I'm not sure how pumped Ohio State was for the game. But they still played them within 13 points on the road. Indiana has had some wind let out of their sail these past 2 weeks with losses at home to Ball State and Michigan State, but I still think they're a better team than Minnesota. They bounce back this week with a close game against Minnesota.
Pick - Indiana +7
Oklahoma (-26.5) at Baylor - FSNSW - 11:30 am
This could be the smallest line that has been set in this series in a while. Baylor, while never playing Oklahoma close enough to scare them, (outside of a 37-30 loss in 2005) never really gets hammered at the same time. With athleticism at QB and a great offensive mind in Art Briles, I can see them covering this spread at home.
Pick - Baylor +26.5
Kansas (-12.5) at Iowa State - Versus - 11:30 am
Iowa State is terrible. Kansas is a good team, on the 2nd level of Big 12 contenders. Covering 12.5 points against a bad team like Iowa State should be no big deal.
Pick - Kansas -12.5
Stanford at Notre Dame (-7) - NBC - 2:30 pm
I just can't do it. I can't take Notre Dame at any point this year, if ever. If San Diego State can almost beat Notre Dame at home, Stanford surely can keep it close.
Pick - Stanford +7
Texas Tech (-7.5) at Kansas State - ABC - 2:30 pm
Texas Tech is just waiting to blow someone out of the water. I watched the Kansas State-Lousiville game and couldn't figure out what the love affair with Josh Freeman is. That guy gets so much hype for having such a bag of nothing. He looked terrible. Kansas State lost to a mediocre Louisville team, and Texas Tech is a legit Top 10 team this year. They beat Kansas State big.
DOUBLE PLAY - Texas Tech -7.5
Kentucky at Alabama (-16.5) - CBS - 2:30 pm
I'm still not hopping on the bandwagon. Alabama is good, but they're not championship worthy. John Parker Wilson is possibly the worst 4 year starting QB of all time. I could walk into any High School in the DFW area and find dudes with stronger arms than him. Yes they beat Georgia, but how good is Georgia?? They look to be nothing more than a product of preseason media hype, with no substance behind them. I still hold true to my statement from last week, "Alabama will lose 4 games this year." I'll stand by that. Kentucky has a good defense and will keep this close, as most Alabama games are played within 10 points anyway.
Pick - Kentucky +16.5
Illinois at Michigan (-2.5) - ESPN2 - 2:30 pm
Illinois, while nothing special, has an athletic QB who should give Michigan problems. Michigan played out of their minds in the 4th quarter last week, and have shot their load. Illinois comes in and wins easily.
Pick - Illinois +2.5
SMU at Central Florida (-13.5) - CBSCS - 2:30 pm
There are 2 teams you should bet against every week, SMU and North Texas. And if either of those teams are on the road? Make them Double Plays. SMU is terrible. UCF has a great homefield advantage and too much speed.
DOUBLE PLAY - Central Florida -13.5
Navy at Air Force (-6) - Versus - 3:00 pm
A good, American game right here. Air Force should have beaten Utah. Navy beat Wake Forest. Both are decent teams. I know nothing else, except that I bet it's a close game.
Pick - Navy +6
Auburn (-4) at Vanderbilt - ESPN - 5:00 pm
Vandy is the most surprising 5-0 team in the nation right now. They have a good QB and a good offense overall. They will definitely fall back to being Vanderbilt at some point this year, but I can see them pulling an upset here. Auburn has played 1 road game this year, at Mississippi State, and that was the 3-2 barnburner. With that info, and with how Auburn always plays close games (14-12 last week vs. Tennessee), give me the home team with the points and the momentum of an undefeated season.
Pick - Vanderbilt +4
San Diego State at TCU (-24.5) - MTN - 5:00 pm
TCU is a damn good team. Don't look at last week's result and draw conclusions. Oklahoma is on another level compared with the rest of the nation. TCU plays suffocating defense, has a good enough offense to put up 30 points every week in the Mountain West, and is very well coached. They will take out their frustration on SDSU.
DOUBLE PLAY - TCU -24.5
UConn at North Carolina (-7) - ESPN2 - 6:00 pm
North Carolina showed me a ton last weekend, winning on the road with a backup QB playing. They were definitely on my radar before the year, as I picked them as the winner of the ACC. Like last week, I think they show again that the QB injury isn't going to affect them. Butch Davis is too good of a defensive coach to let UConn beat them. That QB for UConn is terrible throwing the ball, seriously looks like a girl shot-putting it. Butch is salivating right now.
Pick - North Carolina -7
Texas (-13.5) at Colorado - FSNSW - 6:00 pm
Texas looks really strong this year. A fast, nasty defense. A QB playing at an historically efficient level. A dominating offensive line. And the luxury of being overlooked and underhyped. Texas has proven they don't play well when the target is on their back. All of that being said, Colorado is a different team at home. They have a history of playing top teams tough at home (see: Oklahoma's loss last year in Boulder). I think they keep it very close, but Colt McCoy will lead UT on a game-winning drive in the 4th quarter.
Pick - Colorado +13.5
Maryland (-13.5) at Virginia - ESPNU - 6:00 pm
Any team that loses 31-3 to Duke I have to bet against on a weekly basis. Virginia is terrible and Maryland isn't great, but they're good enough to beat them by 2 touchdowns.
Pick - Maryland -13.5
Washington at Arizona (-21.5) - Versus - 6:30 pm
Washington is 0-4 somehow. With perhaps the most talented QB in the conference, they've looked pretty bad this year. They've been blown out, they've lost heartbreakers, etc. It's been a terrible year so far for Washington, and the season is only 5 weeks old. It's going to be a long, painful season. Arizona has won big in 3 of their 4 games, with only a strange loss to New Mexico mixed in there. They are not a bad team. But I think Washington is going to put together a good game at some point soon, I believe in Jake Locker too much.
Pick - Washington +21.5
Oregon at USC (-16.5) - ABC - 7:00 pm
Oregon has a great offense, and is really talented, on both sides of the ball. They've only lost at home to a pretty good Boise State team. USC has proven to be very average and methodical on offense, and not as good as I thought they would be on defense. It seems you can run at them and overpower them. Oregon averages 300 yards rushing a game through 5 games and will be able to run on USC and keep it close. Bare-minimum USC lets teams hang around, their offense just doesn't blow anyone out.
DOUBLE PLAY - Oregon +16.5
Rice at Tulsa (-14) - CBSCS - 7:00 pm
This game could be 70-70 late in the 4th, with the last team holding the ball winning. Tulsa averages over 600 yards a game on offense, and Rice just scored 77 points in 3 quarters last weekend. This could be one of the most underratedly exciting games of the weekend.
Pick - Rice +14
CROWN GAME
Missouri (-10.5) at Nebraska - ESPN - 8:00 pm
Missouri is clicking on all cylinders. Their offense is damn near unstoppable. I see them going undefeated and meeting an undefeated Oklahoma team in the Big 12 Title Game, producing the most exciting Conference Championship game the Big 12 has ever seen. Nebraska severely disappointed me last weekend by laying an egg on offense at home to a mediocre Virginia Tech team. The Nebraska defense also couldn't slow down an average VT offense, and will get absolutely hammered by the best offense in the Big 12. The 30 year winning streak in Lincoln vs. Missouri ends in horrible fashion this week. This is the best bet of the weekend.
TRIPLE PLAY -
MISSOURI 56
NEBRASKA 21
