Ah yes…another exciting weekend of football is upon us.  The Pine Rider once again showed his prognosticating prowess last week, despite the Buckeyes taking their “Paris Hilton” frustration out on Michigan State.  Upset picks of BC over VT and TCU over BYU helped my cause in a week where only 4 picks went astray (thanks a lot Wahoos, for showing up to a football game). 

 

On to the picks….

 

#12 Boise State at San Jose St.

This could be the possible “good game no one knows about” game of the weekend.  Both are undefeated in the WAC.  The Spartans get the Broncs at home, the only problem is their 94th in the nation in scoring, which leads us to believe Ian Johnson alone may beat San Jose.

Boise St. 24, San Jose St. 10

#8 Texas Tech at #23 Kansas

The Red Raiders tick me off.  Every year they somehow sneak their way up the polls pummeling opponents with a video game offense.  Texas Tech hasn’t played a ranked team all year, and now they get a true test at Kansas.  Go ahead and mark the Raiders down to not win again until November 29.

Kansas 34, Texas Tech 28

Eastern Michigan at #20 Ball St.

Pay attention to Nate Davis, the #9 passer in the nation.  Ball State should end undefeated, and while they stand no chance of a BCS berth, it’s still a good story.  Just spare us any more David Letterman references.

Ball St. 38, E. Michigan 13

#22 Northwestern at Indiana

A crushing win over Purdue brought some legitimacy to a Wildcat team that, honestly, hasn’t deserved a top 25 ranking.  Their win over Iowa a few weeks ago looks a bit more impressive.  They should handly a Hoosier squad that really isn’t playing up to their potential.

Northwestern 35, Indiana 27

#24 Minnesota at Purdue

Speaking of teams undeserving of the top 25, enter Minnesota.  A nice win at Illinois last week pushed this team into unchartered territory, and I don’t expect them there long.  Purdue’s not very good, especially on defense, but QB Curtis Painter finds a way to keep the Gophers winless at Purdue since 1990.

Purdue 27, Minnesota 24

#4 Oklahoma at Kansas St.

Sam Bradford was seen salivating at practice Thursday.  Why?  Someone told him Kansas State has the 93rd ranked pass defense in the nation.  What’s the over/under on passing yardage for the Sooners in this one, 450? 

Oklahoma 45, Kansas St. 17

Kentucky at #10 Florida

Were it not for a loss to Ole Miss at home this year, I would mark this one as a trap game for Tim Tebow and company.  Kentucky has a stellar defense, but remains very lackluster on offense.  Add to that RB Derrick Locke is out for the season for the ‘Cats, it makes this into an uphill battle from the start.

Florida 28, Kentucky 10

UNLV at #21 BYU

THUD!  That was the sound of BYU’s football team crashing back down to reality.  After getting straight punched in the mouth by TCU, the Cougs look to rebound against a UNLV team that gives up over 32 points a game.  Hey, at least BYU gets to start back up a winning streak.

BYU 34, UNLV 20

#6 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas

I guess ESPN Gameday figured it’d look bad to be in Texas 3 straight weeks, but really THIS is the best game of the day.  Colt McCoy is leading an offense that scores nearly 50 points a game against a D that only gives up about 20.  I can’t figure out why nobody is talking about RB Kendall Hunter from the Cowboys (6.3 yards per carry).  After this game, they will be.

Oklahoma State 35, Texas 33

 #7 Georgia at #13 LSU

These two survived stiff tests last week, and now they get to grind it out against each other.  A loss for LSU would be more costly, as it would likely drop them 2 games behind Alabama in the West.  Georgia will rely heavily on Matthew Stafford to control this game. 

LSU 23, Georgia 20

#16 South Florida at Louisville

It’s unusual to look at the Big East standings and see the Cardinals near the bottom, but there they sit, just above Syracuse.  The good news is they get the Bulls at home, where they’ve handled USF pretty well.  Hunter Cantwell is a quality leader, and may help Kragthorpe pull the upset here.

Louisville 34, USF 31

Virginia at #18 Georgia Tech

Year after year in the ACC, there’s always a team that’s impossible to figure out.  Yes Virginia fans, it’s your team.  How you lose to UConn and Duke by a combined 68 points only to turn around and win 3 straight including last week’s upset of then #18 UNC is beyond me.  Interesting note: UVa has lost only once when Cedric Peerman has scored a touchdown.  Get him the ball, wear down the Tech D, and you’ve got a chance.

Virginia 17, Georgia Tech 14

Virginia Tech at #25 Florida St.

For the sake of the ACC, this needs to be a good game.  If it’s lopsided in any way, the loser is pinned with the “lame ACC team” tag a la Miami and Clemson.  Like every other ACC team, FSU has a strange loss on their record.  Still, look for a good solid game by both teams.

Florida St. 19, Va. Tech 17

Wyoming at #14 TCU

Wyoming has scored 63 points total this season.  TCU allows 10 points a game.  You do the math.

TCU 33, Wyoming 0

Colorado at #15 Missouri

The Tigers are reeling after back-to-back losses.  Look for Chase Daniel and company to get back to their winning ways and cruise to their Nov. 29 meeting with Kansas.

Mizzou 30, Colorado 16

#2 Alabama at Tennessee

If Eric Berry could play QB, RB, WR, and kicker, I’d give the Vols a shot.  This will be a close one just based on it’s great rivalry and tradition.  In the end, the better coach comes out the winner, and that coach is Nick Saban.

Alabama 26, Tennessee 20

#3 Penn St. at #9 Ohio St.

Penn State may very well be the best team in the nation.  They win by an average of 33 points, and have given up more than 17 points in a game only once.  The question is can Daryll Clark handle the frenetic atmosphere of the Horseshoe?  Then again, can Tyrelle Pryor of the Bucks handle the pressure of such a big game?

Penn St. 27, Ohio St. 17

#5 USC at Arizona

USC has a defense that is stacked with future NFL players.  Arizona can keep this one close, and if they do so into the 4th quarter, they certainly can upset USC.  But the Trojans have felt the upset sting once, and likely won’t let it happen again.

USC 39, Arizona 17

UCF at #19 Tulsa

I’m giving UCF the upset just out of pure irritation that Tulsa would schedule a game on a Sunday night, knowing that time slot is reserved for the NFL.

UCF 26, Tulsa 24