Thursday, November 4, 2010

CFB Preview Volume 10

Kind of a weird weekend... the biggest matchup is in the Mountain West (huh?)... and Baylor is in one of the more crucial conference battles... where am I?...
  • TCU @ Utah - 3:30 CBS College Sports - What network is that?!... It's admittedly a tragedy that this game isn't on national TV.. it pits 2 top-5 teams in a de facto elimination game/conference title game... and while I understand wholly why CBS (who owns the rights to this game) wouldn't move LSU/Alabama from the 3:30 timeslot... we can't get this on ESPN? Travesty... anyway... TCU's defense is among the best in the country, and while it will have it's hands full with Utah, I like Andy Dalton's experience for TCU, and Utah hasn't really been tested quite yet... but at what point do we acknowledge that the winner of this game has played a better schedule than Boise and will be undefeated?...
  • Alabama @ LSU - 3:30 CBS - Typical SEC west slugfest... I can't possibly pick LSU in this game because they're coached by Les Miles and quarterbacked by the Jefferson/Lee duo.. but I'm looking forward to seeing that LSU defense against Ingram/Richardson/Jones and company... I'd still pick Alabama to beat anyone in the country (save Oregon, I'd have to think about that one), and that's not changing here...
  • Washington @ Oregon - 3:30 ABC/ESPN2 - This would be so much more interesting if Jake Locker was playing... but it wouldn't necessarily be any more competitive... Oregon fans can rest easy another week... they aren't losing to a backup QB at Autzen stadium...
  • Arizona @ Stanford - 8:00 ABC - This is a great game that no one is talking about... Stanford's only loss? To Oregon... and Arizona is a 1-loss team that still plays Oregon... this game matters... Stanford's offense is very impressive with Andrew Luck, and it's efficient all the time... Arizona has a fast defense (that exposed Iowa), and the ability to make plays... I'll default to Stanford b/c they are at home and have the better QB...
  • Baylor @ Oklahoma State - 12:30 - I don't even know if this is on TV... but it matters... with Oklahoma losing to Missou, both of these teams have a chance at the Big 12 south title... Yes, Baylor... Robert Griffin is a top-10 QB nationally for Baylor... the guy makes plays... and OK State can always score points... it'll be entertaining at least... and the winner is alive and well, only needing to beat OU (no small feat) to win the South...
  • Arkansas @ South Carolina - 7:00 ESPN - One team wings it all over the lot (Arkansas), the other has the freshman all-american RB and the better defense (SC)... South Carolina needs this one alot more with the SEC East within reach, and I like them in the game... mostly because I'll never pick Bobby Petrino and Ryan Mallett if I can help it...
  • Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech - 7:30 ESPN (Thursday) - This game gets national billing due to the timeslot... VT is playing the best football in the ACC in my opinion and they've won 6 in a row, looking like the team we thought they'd be pre-Boise and James Madison... Georgia Tech has been ugly at times (more than not, really) and have a defense that can't be relied upon... there are whispers of the competition catching up to Paul Johnson's offense, and while I don't support that claim, they aren't getting the explosion they got last year... I think alot of it has to do with the complete inability to have a passing threat in 2010... and VT's defense will be ready... I like the Hokies...
  • Illinois @ Michigan - Noon ESPN - This is the make-or-break game... Illinois is hot.. Michigan is not... and with a loss here, 6-6 looks like the optimal record for the Wolverines...needless to say that's not a universe I want to live in... Denard and company did enough to win the PSU game, but the defense (again) let them down... Illinois has scored 40+ in their last two games... and I don't feel good about this one... at all...
THE PICKS! (22-23-1 Entering the weekend)
  • Baylor +7.5 over OK State - I don't love either side... but 7.5 points and Robert Griffin? Sign me up...
  • Northwestern +6 over Penn State - Letdown game for PSU... and I think NW is the better team
  • Oklahoma - 3 over Texas A&M - College Station will be rocking... but the Aggies aren't very good...
  • Illinois +3 over Michigan - My head says they win outright...
Enjoy the slate!

1 comment:

travis said...

bad post...