Wednesday, November 17, 2010

College Football Preview Volume 12

Aloha... Let's get to the games... even on a slow day in college football...
  • Ohio State @ Iowa - 3:30 ABC - This one lost alot of luster with Iowa going down in Evanston last week, but Ohio State needs the game badly, and this is probably the highest-level game of the weekend... I feel that Ohio State and Wisconsin are 2 of the best 3 1-loss teams in the country (with Nebraska), and that will bear out here.... the Buckeyes take care of business and set up the annual showdown next week in the 'Shoe...
  • Nebraska @ Texas A&M - 8:00 ABC - Speaking of Nebraska... this is huge for them... I feel as though if Nebraska runs the table, they'll be the highest ranked one-loss team having won this game on the road against a good opponent AND beaten either OU or Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game, and subsequently, they'd play for the BCS title in a scenario where a 1-loss team would do so... so yeah... anyway, Taylor Martinez and company will score at will, and I still don't trust A&M, who's still capable of laying a stinkbomb like the 30-9 home loss to Missouri...
  • Boise State @ Fresno State - Friday 9:30 ESPN - One of the tougher tests all year for Boise... Pat Hill always has Fresno ready to play, and that giant killer label they've acquired over the years stands here... Boise is still a significant favorite in the game, but with this, and a looming game with Nevada, an undefeated season isn't the slamdunk that many seem to feel it is... Kellen Moore gets it done here though...
  • Virginia Tech @ Miami - 3:30 ESPN - I'm trying to figure out how Miami is ranked... anyway... the homefield advantage is pretty non-descript for Miami in that they can't seem to draw a crowd, and VT has it going right now, and appears to be head-and-shoulders above anyone else in the ACC... that continues here... Miami's offense is unstable, and VT has the better coach, the better QB, and that's generally a recipe for success, even on the road...
  • Wisconsin @ Michigan - 12:00 ESPN - This suddenly looks like a semi-competitive game... the Michigan offense has shown it can keep them in games, and playing at home, it's a different unit... Wisconsin will grind, grind, grind, but they are more of a big-play offense than in previous years (as evidenced by 83 points last week)... I don't think they'll blow the doors off here, but I'm convinced they'll run for 200+ yards, keep Denard Robinson off the field, and probably win a 7-13 point game... Not the automatic win it may seem to be though.. not with Shoelace on the field and Bret Bielema (the secret weapon for any Wisconsin opponent) at the helm...

THE PICKS! (31-27-1 YTD, 5-1 last week)... the kid is hot, son... lol....

  • Fresno State +30.5 over Boise State... This seems obscenely high to me... especially in a conference game... they'll still lose by 17-20... but that's a win
  • Wisconsin -4.5 over Michigan... They're just better, and this line is at least a field goal too low...
  • Virginia Tech -2.5 over Miami... same rationale as the game above...
  • Nebraska -3 over A&M.... and a 3rd straight game with similar rationale... road favorites! lol...
  • Ohio State -3 over Iowa... and a 4th for good measure...

Enjoy the slate everyone... next week is the big time showdown week, but these lay-in-the-weeds slates are usually entertaining...

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