Week 9 - Smell My Feet

Standings
1) Seeberg              30-11    (0-8 upset)
2) Draper                29-12    (4-4 upset) 
3) Hoying               27-14    (1-7 upset)
3) Schweinfurth     27-14    (1-7 upset)

After an abysmal round of picks last week, we turn our attention to a few better matchups around the nation. Florida State and Utah proved that no undefeated team is safe in any given week, except the Buckeyes (and the Tigers, and the Spartans, and the Bears, and the Rockets), because they're not playing.

Georgia Bulldogs vs. #12 Florida Gators
Draper: While the Cocktail Party has lost luster over the past 5 years, this one should be a good one.  The Gators should be reeling after the dismissal of Will Grier, but they showed up in a big way in Death Valley in a close loss to the Tigers.  The Dawgs had super high hopes that crashed early, but are slowly resurging.  This game has a good chance of determining the SEC East.  While I believe UGA will be playing tough, no Nick Chubb and a surprisingly resilient Gator squad keeps the dream alive in a close one.  Be honest, Richt is known for blowing games like this on a regular basis.  UGA: 20--UF: 27
Hoying: Which Georgia is going to show up in Jacksonville: the one that lost a heartbreaker to Tennessee or the one that got emasculated by Alabama? It's not like Georgia to get outclassed in the World's Largest Drunken Whatever, but this one will depend whether Treon Harrisuspension is able to put last season's nightmarish production behind him. Will Muschamp isn't around to keep the Gators from scoring this time. UGA: 17--UF: 27
Schweinfurth: Interesting that this is an under performing team and an over performing team. To me, these two teams are mirror images of each other. This well be kept close, but I think the Dogs kick a field goal to win. UGA: 20--UF: 27
Seeberg:  Ah yes, somebody pass me a cocktail.  Florida's offense was surprisingly productive in Death Valley, managing 28 points in a loss to LSU.  Greyson Lambert, meanwhile, has been dreadful against the two elite defenses he has played, though one was a set-the-game-back-50-years 9-6 win at Missouri.  Nick Chubb has remained excellent, but the Gator D can feast on a largely one-dimensional offense so the Bulldogs are likely in trouble yet again.  Anybody have 3 losses for Georgia this early in the season?  Well, it's about to be a reality.  UGA: 17--FLA: 28

#14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ #15 Temple Owls
Draper: Another team left for dead when the quarterback was lost for the season...and they refuse to comply.  Yeah, the Irish lost to Clemson in a monsoon, but acquitted themselves quite well versus a team that is steamrolling most competition.  Temple on the other hand is quietly undefeated with a few decent wins.  Can they keep it going when the national eyes are focused on them as Gameday visits Philly?  While Temple has been surprising people all year, I don't think they quite have the horses to take that next giant step as of yet.  It will be a good game, but the better athletes outlast the emotions of the upstarts.  ND: 30--Tem: 20
Hoying: Finally ready for primetime, it's the Temple Owls on ESPN 2, 5, and 6! It would sure be a treat for the Owls to take down the mighty Irish, but they might need a few tricks to do so. Notre Dame has rolled merrily along after a hard-fought comeback fell just short in Death Valley. Temple has the formula for success against Power 5 (+1, sorry BYU) opponents: get to the QB early and often. ND backup DeShone Kizer has been serviceable, but if he goes down 10 times like Sackenberg did, it'll be a long night for the Irish. Somehow I don't think ND's O-line is quite that bad. ND: 27--Tem: 16
Schweinfurth: Temple, as an undefeated team, has been a nice story this year. I just don't see them finishing the season unbeaten (Houston and Memphis will see to that). The Irish have endured a tone of injuries, but are just a deeper team. Notre Dame is much stronger on the O-line so don't expect Temple's pass rush to reek havoc in this one. ND: 35--Tem:21
Seeberg:  Remember when we all buried Penn State in week one after that horrendous loss against Temple?  Might not have been so bad after all (although nearly losing to Maryland was).  At any rate, Temple hasn't played any notable programs since (sorry, Cinci), and the Owls are 7-0 as a result.  Meanwhile, the Golden Domers have thrived with backup QB DeShone Kizer filling in quite nicely.  However, this game needs to be about C.J. Prosise.  Temple's proven pass rush may cause issues at times for the Irish, but I expect Prosise to have a big day and wear the Owls down in the second half despite their nocturnal proclivities.  Wake up the echoes again (sigh).  ND: 35--Tem: 21

North Carolina Tar Heels @ #23 Pittsburgh Panthers
Draper:  Wheeeeeeee...classic ACC showdown between 6-1 teams.  Are either of these teams any good...probably not, but someone's gotta win.  Winner of this game has a great chance to represent the ACC Coastal in Charlotte if they can defeat the Duke juggernaut.  I'll be honest, I know very little about these teams, but neither is anything special.  Usually, I lean to the home team in such cases, but Pitt has squeaked out all their wins.  Yes, the Panther loss is better (last second FG loss to Iowa) but the wins...trash.  Who cares! UNC: 27--Pitt: 24
Hoying: And you thought the ACC Atlantic division race was exciting, with Clemson and...Clemson vying for a spot in Playoffs 2: The Search for More Money. No, dear readers, the Coastal division is where the real action is! See powerhouses like North Carolina and Pittsburgh square off in forgotten Thursday night games for the right to face THE DUKIES in a de facto divisional championship. We know that UNC is B1G caliber, thrashing Illinois at home, and Pitt is not, losing to Iowa on a 80 or so yard FG in Iowa City. Still, I picked Pitt to win the Coastal before the season started and I'm much too stubborn to change my mind now. UNC: 20--Pitt: 21
Schweinfurth: ACC ROFLcopter game of the week. Pitt's been playing well so I'll roll with them. UNC: 17--Pitt: 28
Seeberg:  In case you haven't noticed (and judging by the attendance, you haven't- thanks Bob), both of these squads have just one blemish and the 2 combined losses are by just 7 points.  Both teams have road wins at Georgia Tech and home wins against Virginia by relatively similar scores as well, so it's likely there won't be much separating these two teams.  Both have well-balanced offensive units and the Tar Heels move the ball a bit better but have done so against slightly inferior competition than Pitt has faced (2 FCS programs vs. 1, Pitt's lone loss was at undefeated Iowa).  Quite frankly, I think this game is a toss-up no matter how you look at it, so I literally flipped a coin.  UNC wins!  UNC: 31--Pitt: 28

#10 Stanford Cardinal @ Washington State Cougars
Draper: Stanford has really come into their own after the early loss to Northwestern dominating the ground game in the Pac 12.  Mike Leach has finally developed the Wazzu team into a viable threat in the Pac 12 due to his deep thoughts about mystery of life.  With that being said, the Cougs haven't faced a defense or a ground game of this caliber.  I wish game day would have shown up to WSU after the years and years of flying their colors in the background, but Stanford should grab total control of the North this week.  Stan: 38--WSU: 24
Hoying: From ACCtion to PACtion. Stanford might need a few more points than the 6 they trotted out against Northwestern to start the season, but that shouldn't be a problem as long as they play Stanford Football (TM). Cap'n Leach will do his best to make the Stanford D walk the plank in Pullman with his efficient Cougar offense, but the Cardinal have stepped up big in 2 consecutive prove-it games over the past two weeks. Kevin Hogan has a big day against a suspect Wazoo D, and the Cougs are left to wonder if having Gameday on campus would've provided the boost they needed to return to their 2002-03 peak of relevance. Stan:45--WSU: 23
Schweinfurth: The Stanford Steamroller is chugging along again. Hogan looks like the QB we all though he was at the start of the season. Mike Leach is known for offense, not defense and it will show through. Stanford keeps on (steam)rolling. Stan: 42--WSU: 21
Seeberg:  I have 11 misses on the season and without going back through all of my picks I am positive at least half involved a PAC-12 team.  Can't figure out what's going on out west this season.  I do know that WAzoo has played better than expected this season, but Stanford has been basically lights out since their abysmal start against Northwestern.  The Cougars have some offensive firepower to keep it close for awhile, but the Cardinal pull away comfortably in the second half.  Stan: 45--WSU: 27

Upset Special
Draper: Texas Tech over Oklahoma State
Hoying: West Virginia over TCU
Schweinfurth: Auburn over Ole Miss
Seeberg:  UMass over Ball State

Week 13...

Michigan State Spartans vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
Gomer: As awesome as it would be to see the Buckeyes earn a berth to the Rose Bowl on Saturday, I just can't see it happening, at least not when it depends on Brian Hoyer. Penn State's defense is superior to Ohio State's especially when it comes to getting pressure on the QB and Brian Hoyer is the type of QB that can, and will, crumble against that kind of defensive pressure. The balanced "Spread HD" attack of Clark and Royster and "do-it-all" Williams will be too much for the Spartans defense. MSU: 16 - PSU: 30

Chief: The battle for a guaranteed share of the Big 10 Championship takes place outside of Columbus this weekend. The Spartans come in with one of their greatest teams in recent history led by stellar back Javon Ringer. PSU also sports one of the best Nittany Lion teams as well that’s strong in all aspects. I like the Lions to take care of Sparty at home fairly decisively. Aaron Maybin will wreak havoc on the backfield and the PSU will stuff the MSU running game just as OSU did. JoePa gets sent off to the retirement home smelling roses. MSU: 17—PSU: 34

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati
Gomer: This game is pretty much the Big East championship, although funny things can happen in the waning weeks of the season (ask Rich Rodriguez). I don't really like either of these teams, but Brian Kelly is a superior coach to "The Stache" (Dave Wannstedt) and that in conjunction with the home field will be enough to put Cincy over the edge in this one and send them BCS bowling... although, I don't know a Cincy fan who's about to travel halfway across the country to see the Bearcats, whatevs. Pitt: 7 - UC: 20

Chief: A huge Big East battle in the confines of Nippert Stadium will go a long way to seeing which of these perennial also-rans has a shot at a BCS Bowl. Cincinnati has been a surprise story all year with their multitude of injuries, but they keep chugging along under ‘soon-to-be-elsewhere’ coach Brian Kelly. Pitt seems to go through the motions every week and never look like they’ve turned the corner of mediocrity. A great team wouldn’t have needed 4 OT to dispatch Notre Dame. Go Red, Go Black, Go Bearcats, FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Pitt: 10—UC: 24

Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Gomer: A true Southwestern shootout looms. This game should be awesome, and a showcase of many future NFL-ers. Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell will be on showcase primarily, and the winner of this game, who makes the least mistakes, will be in the driver's seat for the Heisman Trophy. An OU victory will really throw the BCS into a tizzy, because many pundits, including myself, will not be in favor of OU being ranked ahead of the Longhorns. TTU's defense is far better than I thought, their O-line is outstanding, and the all-around talent is very good. OU has a more balanced offense which is the #1 reason I'm going to pick the Sooners in this marquee match-up. Boomer Sooner! TTU: 34 - OU: 42

Chief: Every week comes with the nation picking against my Red Raiders and every week, they emerge unscathed. TTU will have their hands full trying to enter Norman and take down the Sooners whose record is (something like) 59-2 at home under Stoops. I’m sticking with my boys here and staying with the Red Raider wagon. Both teams are chugging along, but there’s something magical coming out of Lubbock. Look for over 1000 total yards in the game in which 2 (or possibly 3) Heisman finalists take the field. The Texas Texh offensive line again makes the difference as the Raiders start looking to Miami. Harrell to Crabtree over and over while Bradford impresses…but not enough. TTU: 45—OU:41

Michigan vs. Ohio State
Gomer: Wow, wow, wow, the last game of the regular season already. It always amazes me how fast the season goes by, and another one bites the dust. This is the worst Michigan in the history of college football, and that's saying a lot about the ALL-TIME WINNINGEST PROGRAM IN NCAA HISTORY. A Buckeye loss is not only unimaginable, but would be the greatest upset in the history of the rivalry. On the flip side, Ohio State is playing for a share of the Big Ten title, their 4th straight, and an unprecedented 5th straight victory over the state up north. It will be a thrilling day in Ohio Stadium, where we get to see 'Little Animal', Jenkins, Boeckman, Freeman, and (in my opinion) 'Beanie' one last time. The weather will be perfect for a gridiron battle (of spread offenses) where the men will be separated from the boys, and the Men of the Scarlet and Gray will emerge victorious from the trenches after battling the Maize and Blue to a bitter pulp. UM: 20 - OSU: 34

Chief: Throw out the records, it’s still ‘The Game’. Rich Rodriguez comes rolling into Columbus with excuses abounding. Telling his fans to ‘Get a Life’? That tops the list of things you think but don’t say in Ann Arbor. His backup QB is starting, and who knows who starts in the backfield (Minor should be healthy). The Buckeye faithful can’t be caught here looking ahead because this is still Michigan. They have a great defensive line and who knows what could happen if we aren’t prepared. Luckily for us, the sweatervest cares not for any other game and will have the troops fired up. This game is for a share of the Big 10 title and this senior class is looking for the clean sweep (4 straight). It may not be the season they wanted, but it is what it is, and there’s no sweeter way to leave than to send the Wolverines home crying to mama. The Bucks don’t look past (even thought their fans are) and take care of business. Beanie for 150, Laurinitis with 10 tackles, Jenkins with a pick, and close it out with senior captain Todd Boeckman leading a final scoring drive. GO BUCKS!! BEAT BLUE!! UM: 10—OSU: 41

West Virginia vs. Louisville: Gomer:WVU - Chief:WVU
BYU vs. Utah: Gomer:Utah - Chief:Utah
Oregon State vs. Arizona: Gomer:Ariz - Chief:OSU
Iowa vs. Minnesota: Gomer:Minnesota - Chief:Iowa
Florida State vs. Maryland: Gomer:Maryland - Chief:FSU
Illinois @ Northwestern: Gomer:Illinois - Chief:Illinois