Standings
1) Schweinfurth 26-12 (3-6 upset)
2) Draper 25-13 (2-7 upset)
3) Hoying 24-14 (1-8 upset)
Miami Hurricanes @ Florida State Seminoles
Draper: A top ten matchup in November with your standard 21+ point spread. The Noles are riding high while the Canes just can't seem to lose no matter how much they try. Duke Johnson is the real deal in the backfield for Miami, but that's pretty much the only position at which they have an advantage. Famous Jameis is doing serious work, and I don't see a let down in Miami week. This is a very heated rivalry that has cooled a bit recent years, but don't let this trick you...these guys hate each other. When I was at FSU, the Noles took 3 of 4 from the Gators and lost 3 of 4 to the Canes (2 to heartbreaking missed field goals). I want blood. Noles step on the gas and keep it going for a blowout. UM: 20--FSU: 52
Hoying: This year we might see a glimpse of what was once one of the top rivalries nationwide. The Noles and the Canes haven't come into this game with 0 combined losses since 2003 (not counting the few times they've met in the season opener). Unfortunately, one of these teams seems to be a complete mirage. Whereas Florida State has rolled merrily along, crushing Clemson on the road and destroying almost everyone else on their schedule, Miami has struggled mightily, sneaking past a mediocre Florida team at home and needing last-minute scores to dispatch bad North Carolina and Wake Forest squads. Give the Hurricanes credit for doing what it takes to get to November undefeated, but their Golden season ends now. Nastily. UM: 17--FSU: 34
Schweinfurth: This game was interesting to me...until I watched Miami struggle last week. Don't get me wrong, Duke Johnson is really good, but the rest of that offense is not very good. Florida State's offense can make any defense look silly. Miami's defense isn't quite the "U" defense that dominated opponents and I think Florida State is absolutely for real this year. Total domination by the 'Noles this week.
UM: 13--FSU: 42
Michigan Wolverines @ Michigan State Spartans
Draper: A little hint for you...little brother is quietly having a really nice season. Michigan had the preseason hype, but Dantonio's Spartans are nasty on defense and quietly moving through the Legends. Yes, they play ugly, yes, they win ugly, but they are winning. The offense is predominantly walrusball, but the defense is an immovable object. Sparty had a Sparty YES moment before halftime last week that Bollman certainly drew up in the kitchen (tipped pass that should have been intercepted twice completed for a TD on 4th down with no time left in the half). The Wolverines have been supremely unimpressive outside of their tight end Funyons (yeah, I don't know the actual name, but this is better). When does the little brother supplant the big? How much domination is needed? UM: 13--MSU: 20
Hoying: While I don't give a damn for the whole state this game's being played for, it does have huge implications for the final Legends division race. The Wolverines are coming off a bye to face a Spartan squad that put up an impressive 14 points against one of the worst defenses in the country (see game prediction #4 for the identity of this mystery team). However, for Michigan to win this game, they'll have to move the ball against arguably the nation's best defense. The Spartan front 7 are sure to give Michigan's RBs Fitz, so this one will fall squarely on the shoulders of Tom Harm...er, Devin Gardner. In two road games thus far, #98 has put up a combined 28/53 for 351 yards, 3 TDs, and 4 INTs. And that was against winless UConn and the same Penn State that gave up 2+ TDs to 3 different Buckeyes last week. Yikes. Get ready to eat some dirt, Shoelace II. UM: 10--MSU: 13
Schweinfurth: This has always been one of my favorite B1G rivalries through the years. This game is down right nasty and always produces a close, entertaining game. I really like the Spartan defense, I really don't like the Spartan's offense (*cough* Walrus *cough*). Michigan I just don't get. Gardner just can't go a game without forgetting what color jersey he should be throwing to (hint: white jerseys this week). After watching some of the teams in the Legends Division, this game is most definitely the Legends Division championship game. I don't expect Michigan State's offense to do much but that defense is going to give them great field position all day long (plus maybe a pick six). I'll even throw Bollman a fish for maybe an offensive touchdown. This game is closer on the scoreboard than it really should be but Sparty YES!!
UM: 9--MSU: 24
Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Draper: Two nice looking teams without a win of note between them. Kingsbury has the Red Raiders clicking on offense with terrific freshman QB play and OSU has quietly been sneaking around in the Big 12. I haven't seen much of these teams other than to form the opinion that they're nice teams around the 15-20 ranking...nothing elite, but good teams. I'll go with the home team in a close one. The Texas Tech fans usually go a little crazy close to Halloween. OSU: 35--TT: 38
Hoying: What a terrific matchup! How about that great win Oklahoma State had over...well, what about Texas Tech's...huh...at least they kept it close with Oklahoma! Moral victories! Anyway, the Red Raiders do pass the eye test, as new HC Kliff Kingsbury has managed to maintain the old air raid offense while instituting a decent defense as well. Tech hasn't beaten Okie State since they darn near won the Big 12 title in 2008, but this year the streak ends. The Red Raiders stay in the title hunt while the Cowboys quietly slip away. OSU: 24--TTU: 45
Schweinfurth: Hey, did anyone notice that Kliff Kingsbury looks like Ryan Gosling? Honestly the only thing I know about these teams are the coaches. Neither team has really played a great schedule and both are back loaded with the best Big XII teams. It's at Texas Tech so I'll take the home team in a shootout.
OSU: 38--TTU: 45
THE Ohio State Buckeyes @ Purdue Boilermakers
Draper: Bad....really bad. That's Purdue. Good...potentially really good. That's OSU. With that being said, Troy Smith, Terrelle Pryor, and Braxton Miller have a grand total of 0 wins in West Lafayette. I think that changes this year. Ryan Kerrigan is walking on for Purdue and this OSU team is....not the pile of crap from 2 years ago. Another big day for Hyde and Miller on the ground as the Bucks start running the clock out early. The motivation is there to avenge past losses in Ross-Ade so I doubt will see a let down. Hyde for 150, Braxton throws for 200 and runs for 100, then it's time for Kenny G. Comfortable win, but not as big as last week. There's just no reason. I want to see if the defense keeps it up for 2 weeks in a row. OSU: 55--PU: 24
Hoying: Purdue is an appalling dump heap, overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, mangled up in tangled-up knots. Buckeye Nation wishes that first-year coach Darrell Hazell could be having a better season, but they hope even harder that his signature win doesn't come this weekend, against a team the Boilers have tagged 4 of the last 6 times they've visited scenic West Lafayette. What can be said about a game like this? Ohio State is better than Purdue in every way. Unless this has become some kind of "helmet game" for our esteemed men of the scarlet and gray, this contest should make last week's Penn State debacle look like a nail-biter. Get used to it. OSU: 52--PU: 16
Schweinfurth: It seems like forever since the Buckeyes have won in West Lafayette. Those losses included such Ohio State QBs as Troy Smith, Terrel Pryor, and yes, even Braxton Miller. The common denominator: Urban Meyer was NOT the head coach. This Buckeye team is laser focused now and that showed last week. This Purdue team is some kind of bad. If the Bucks can drop over 600 yards of offense on Penn State, just think of what can they do to the Boilermaker defense. I really expect this to be a "name your score" game. I think we see another flat dominant performance by the offense and a couple of INTs from the defense. OSU: 63--PU: 17
Upset Special
Draper: Tennessee over Missouri
Hoying: Iowa over Wisconsin
Schweinfurth: Washington St. over Arizona St.
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