TUESDAY
Ball State 22, Western Michigan 17 - Did I pick this game? No, if you are reading for the first time, I did not. I hate the Tuesday games and I don't predict them. Also, it's Thursday already. So I wouldn't take credit for this even if I had an opinion to offer.
THURSDAY
No. 3 Texas at Texas A&M - There's almost no way this happens but I'm dying for the BCS to get fucked up so I'm picking against Texas here and in the Big XII title game. I can believe in the Nebraska upset but this time I'm just going through the motions. There was a time when I really thought A&M's coach was a smart guy who could turn the Packers back into Super Bowl contenders. He might prove to be a very good college coach but he is not off to a great start, being that he was an OC at the higher level and the Big XII is all offense all the time yet Texas A&M isn't even a legit contender for Top 25 status when even conference detritus like OK State can fatten up the record to look like they belong. So there's some work left to do. Realistically? Texas will win by 40. Take this pick with a ton of salt. Literally. Go eat a ton of salt.
FRIDAY
Rutgers at Louisville - Starting off the weekend right! People in New Jersey and Kentucky won't even watch this.
Temple at Ohio - Bernard Pierce for Heisman! Seriously, this is one of the best players in the country and is on track to be one of the best players in the NFL Draft in a couple of years.
Illinois at No. 5 Cincinnati - Yikes. Is this a rivalry game? I would've thought UC vs. Louisvill would be the rivalry game. What if Zooker wins the game? He's got as much talent on his roster, if not more, but he is a generally terrible coach. Is UIU going to fire him or just keep going with the good recruits and horrible reults? Decisions, decisions to make, Ah-ah.
Northern Illinois at Central Michigan
Wyoming at Colorado State
Toledo at Bowling Green
Eastern Michigan at Akron
Buffalo at Kent State
No. 2 Alabama at Auburn - Just like the Texas v. Texas A&M game, I'm not really buying into this pick but mutually assured destruction is awesome.
Nebraska at Colorado - I was considering Colorado to win this one. Wouldn't it be awesome if Hawkins rallies the troops to beat Nebraska and then Nebraska goes out and beats Texas in the Big XII title game? Colorado is pretty goddam terrible, though. And I want Suh to be able to elevate his team now that I'm drinking the Kool-Aid on him being #1 overall in next year's draft.
Memphis at Tulsa
No. 9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia - West Va is a tough place to play late in the fall. Pitt is a really good team and legit top10 going in. West Va is a legit top 25 team, though, with a legit homefield advantage. This is just way 2 legit 2 quit.
Nevada at No. 6 Boise State - Nevada went bonkers, a la Boise State, last week. So this week they get to see what that was like for their opponent. Boise is incredible and the most fun team to watch in college football. Any jackass that doesn't want to see them over the other available options is a sheep or very eccentric. Or both. BSU, best team in the country this year except for maybe TCU. And I hope that's the title game we end up with even though it's damn near impossible for us to get to that point.
SATURDAY
No. 18 Clemson at South Carolina
No. 24 North Carolina at North Carolina State
Syracuse at Connecticut - Go UConn, congrats on the win last week.
Wake Forest at Duke - I'm not gonna lie. This kind of hurts me to choose Duke in anything.
No. 25 Mississippi at Mississippi State
No. 12 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma - Just to show off how fucking stupid things really are. People don't look at precedents when they are railing on about how to fix college football (it's not really broken, even though it is a monopoly, it could just be so much better) and if OK State gets into a major bowl game over Boise State that's a travesty whether the Cowboys win an exciting matchup or not. Spread that wealth or give up the sham that everyone's included. Boomer Sooner all the way.
New Mexico at No. 4 TCU - TCU will go for 70 just to stay ahead of BSU. Mark it 80, dude.
UCF at UAB
Southern Miss at East Carolina
North Texas at Arkansas State
Tulane at Southern Methodist - June Jones was a really good hire by SMU. No jokes here, I just liked him better at Hawaii.
Marshall at UTEP - Remember the Marshalls!
Florida State at No. 1 Florida - Hahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhahahahahahahahahahaha! No, not really. I don'tbuy it for a second. But if 'Bama, Florida, and Texas all lose this week then the BCS will go down in flames this year. Look for the fix to come in shortly, with the "computers" figuring out that Florida and Texas were really the best teams or somehow, some way, Georgia Tech is the best team in the land. No way Boise plays TCU under any circumstances for the national title.
No. 14 Virginia Tech at Virginia
No. 17 Miami (FL) at South Florida - This game seems to me like the worst thing in the world for Jacory Harris. He could bust for 6 INTs against the Bulls. I can't truss it but I'm still rolling with the 'Canes.
Arizona at Arizona State
Boston College at Maryland - Fear the turtle you fucking Boston-baked swine!
Missouri vs. Kansas*
Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee State at Louisiana-Monroe
No. 21 Utah at No. 19 Brigham Young - I don't do well with BYU predictions because I always think they're going to lose and they seldom do that.
Utah State at Idaho
Texas Tech vs. Baylor*
Washington State at Washington - Jake Locker is really athletic but is he seriously an NFL prospect? Stick to baseball, kid.
Arkansas at No. 15 LSU
Tennessee at Kentucky - Georgia is a bunch of suckers for losing so much. I don't think UTenn-Knox is going to fall for this trap. Kentucky still sucks.
Troy at Louisiana-Lafayette
Georgia at No. 7 Georgia Tech - It's rivalry week, OK? I know I'm going to put up bad numbers this week but it'll be worth it for the 1 or 2 upsets I get right.
Rice at No. 23 Houston - Case Keenum, QB, Buffalo Bills. Sounds about right. I think Jim Kelly agrees with me.
New Mexico State at San Jose State - Woof. Somehow this will turn out to be the most entertaining game of the season. Still, I don't want any part of it.
Notre Dame at Stanford - Good lord, Weis, just go away. Maybe you and Mangini can figure out a decided schematic advantage for the Browns.
San Diego State at UNLV - Marshall Faulk and Tony Gwynn vs. Tark the Shark and Randall Cunningham. I'm in San Diego right now and it's tough to concentrate on football.
UCLA at No. 20 USC
Navy at Hawaii - Is this game called the Pearl Harbor bowl or anything like that? I know they play it every year but I'm not usually able to watch it. This year won't be any different, I fear, but I do love the Middies. And they can end the year in the polls if they close out here and with Army. Navy in the Top 25 is just awesome.
Happy swine flu, everybody!
