11-22-08 College Football Picks

Another 3-3 week for me as I still remain one game below the .500 mark.  Only a few complaints from the excuses department this week.  USC blew it!  How in the world do you let Stanford score a touchdown on the final play from scrimmage?  This cost them the spread as they only won by 22 (instead of 23).  On top of that, I will never pick a UNC football game ever again.  I feel like Butch Davis reads this column every week and tells his team to go out and make (amsteffe) cringe.  Due to time constraints this week I am going to be a little brief, so bare with me.  I owe RJ Warner a pick between the Oklahoma/Texas Tech game this week, and will hold true to my promise.

Come with me on my quest to get above .500…Conf: ACC
Game: Miami @ Georgia Tech
Line: Georgia Tech -3.5

Analysis: Miami is thriving under head coach Randy Shannon after the beating of Virginia Tech last Thursday. GT has tailed off in the last few weeks, but still have alot to play for. No one wants to face this Georgia Tech offense, but I believe the Canes’ have the speed to keep up with anyone in the ACC. Miami is on a roll right now and they’re trying to restore prominence to “the U”. They control they’re own destiny in their division and I look for them to take down the Yellow Jackets in the ATL Thursday night. If not, three points is within reason for Miami.
Pick: Miami +3.5

Conf: Big 12
Game: Texas Tech @ Oklahoma
Line: Oklahoma -7

Analysis: Real simple here, we all know this is going to be a shootout. We all know these teams don’t play a lick of defense. You can pick apart the defensive standings of these two teams in conference, but it doesn’t really matter in the Big 12. The reason I’m picking Texas Tech is because I think 7 points is too much for either team to get in this game. I see this game finishing in the range of a 45-41 score, but not much more than that. (Definitely not by more than a touchdown.) Therefore, I will take Texas Tech, and if they lose by a TD, it’s still a push and I can live with that.
Pick: Texas Tech +7

Conf: Big East
Game: Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Line: Cincinnati -5

Analysis: The reason I’m picking this game is solely because of the line. Not the offensive or defensive lines, but the spread line. I was almost positive this line would come out at about 3 points, but no. Five points, really? That is a sketchy line and I will take Pitt here all day long. They’re running game is still churning, and I don’t think Cincy has the strength to keep up with the Panthers. This is going to be a cold, grind-it-out game, with major implications in the Big East. I’ll take the Panthers experience here.
Pick: Pittsburgh +5

Conf: Big Ten
Game: Iowa @ Minnesota
Line: Iowa -6

Analysis: I’m going to roll with Iowa here. Their ground game keeps on pounding teams and I don’t think Minnesota can handle that big Hawkeye offensive line. Shonn Greene is going to look like superman running on that Minnesota turf. Also, check this, the Gophers have lost their last two games at home by at least a touchdown. It’s no secret that Minnesota is a much improved team, but they struggle against traditional Big Ten teams with power running games (i.e. Michigan).
Pick: Iowa -6

Conf: Pac-10
Game: Oregon State @ Arizona
Line: Arizona -2.5

Analysis: None needed. Analyzing games in this conference is like fishing without a line. You can cast as much as you want, but you’re probably not going to reel anything in. This whole conference reminds me of an old George Carlin quote, “A few winners, a whole lotta losers”. On a serious note, I see Arizona winning this game, and ending the dread of having to watch Penn State kill the Beavers in the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Arizona -2.5

Conf: SEC
Game: Ole Miss @ LSU
Line: LSU -4.5

Analysis: If you’ve read any of my posted articles, you can see the love I have for Ole Miss. I am a proud alum and can’t wait to be in Baton Rouge this weekend for the game. Although you may write this pick off as bias and move on, hear this: Ole Miss always plays the Tigers tough. I repeat, Ole Miss will always play the Tigers tough. This is a relatively unknown rivalry game, and is one of the hardest hitting in the South. The Magnolia Bowl is always a tough game for both teams and I see the Rebels turning the corner this year. There is just certain teams that the Rebs’ will always play tough no matter what (i.e. Florida, Auburn, and LSU). Take the Rebels this Saturday.
Pick: Ole Miss +4.5