Week 4 picks (continued)
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Week 4 picks (continued)
Boston College at Clemson:
Boston College is really a better team than they are given credit for, and while I like how Clemson is 2-1 after winning tough games over Texas A&M and Maryland, and how they took Miami into 3OT, I can't help but think they might be playing a little bit over their heads. However, since Boston College's starter is hurt, and they might be forced to use their second stringer, I like Clemson in this matchup.
Michigan State at Illinois
Was Michigan State's win against Notre Dame a fluke? Find out next week, because they're not playing a team that can answer that. MSU by 17.
Colorado Buffaloes at Miami Hurricanes
Miami must not be too happy about getting taken into 3OT by Clemson, but they still got the win. Look for that to continue. Miami by 14.
Purdue Boilermakes at Minnesota Golden Gophers
While the Golden Gophers are 3-0, and Purdue is 2-0, neither team has gotten much of a test. However, expect Purdue to ace this exam in the first Big Ten game since Kyle Orton left. Purdue by 4.
North Carolina Tar Hells at North Carolina State Wolfpack
Defense wins championships. I'll take NC State by 10.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Northwestern Wildcats
Penn State isn't that good, but neither is Northwestern after losing to ASU by about 20 points. If Penn State can keep their offense going and keep up the good defense, they'll win. PSU by a field goal.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio State Buckeyes
The game is in Columbus, and the Buckeye's only loss is to a better than expected Texas team. Iowa hasn't played well on the road, losing a rivalry game to Iowa State. OSU by a touchdown.
East Carolina Pirates at West Virginia Mountaineers
The Eers are 3-0, but they haven't played any really good teams yet (no Hollywood, Syracuse and Maryland aren't that good). East Carolina might be the worst I-A team WVU will face. Mountaineers by 25.
Arkansas Razorbacks at Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide had an explosion on offense, scoring 37 on the new look Gamecocks, while Arkansas got their defense exploded, giving up 70 to USC. Bama is at home, and is playing well. Give me the Crimson Tide by 14.
Eastern Michigan Eagles at Central Michigan Chippewas
After getting blown out by Michigan and barely losing to Cincinnati, the EMU team has shown utter ineptitude in every faucet of the game. Fortunately for them, they'll only lose by ten points or so.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Houston Cougars
Houston isn't that good, and Southern Miss isn't that bad. I like the Golden Eagles in this matchup.
Western Michigan Broncos at Temple Owls
This is Temple's cupcake. Unfortunately for Temply, they are a cupcake. WMU
Kent State Golden Flashes at Ohio Bobcats
The Bobcats shut down Pitt two weeks ago, with one defensive back scoring 14 points. They aren't a bowl team or a MAC contender, but maybe, just maybe, they can claw their way out of the cellar. I'll take the Bobcats in a tight one.
Youngstown State Penguins at Pittsburgh Panthers
This is the game that Pitt fans are viewing with a mixture of elation and fear. Elation that it might be Pitt's first win of the season, but also a nagging fear that the Penguins might humiliate their team worse than they already have been. Pitt is just barely good enough to avoid the major upset.
Tulane Green Wave at Southern Methodist Mustangs
SMU beat TCU, which beat Oklahoma, which beat Tulsa, which beat..... Forget it, it doesn't matter. SMU is a long way from getting back into the big picture. Tulane gets an emotional win.
North Texas Mean Green at Kansas State Wildcats
Bit of useless trivia: North Texas nicknamed their athletic teams the Mean Green in the 1970s, after a very famous alumni named Joe Greene. Not that that will help them against Kansas State.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Auburn Tigers
Auburn's not that good, but they are, by no means, this bad. The Tigers beat up yet another I-AA team.
TCU Horned Frogs at BYU Cougars
After getting demolished by SMU a few weeks back, the Horned Frogs aren't going to take anybody for granted, and will hop along to another win.
FIU Golden Panthers at Arkansas State Indians
Two of the worst teams in the worst conference in college football square off. The world groans. Arkansas State wins. The world groans again.
Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats played Louisville close, and they might be able to get a little respect if they play the Gators close. Alas, no such luck.
Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Cavaliers
Duke's score against Virginia Tech: 0-45 loss
Duke's score against Virginia: 0-45 loss
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Tech Hokies
Speaking of Virginia Tech, they get another classic matchup against the other tech in their division, another tech looking to win the ACC. But it will be Tech that wins this game. Um, Virginia Tech.
Maryland Terrapins at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
No, Wake Forest is not bound for a bowl game. No, Maryland isn't very good either. But yes, Maryland will win this game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Washington Huskies
Poor Tyrone Willingham. Not only did Notre Dame fire him, they are about to humiliate him as well.
Northern Illinois Huskies at Akron Zips
Two top MAC teams battle (speaking of which, how many MAC teams are in Ohio anyways?). Points are scored, passes are thrown, and NIU comes out with a slightly better record than they had going in.
Nevada Wolf Pack at Colorado State Rams
CSU should win pretty easily....
Marshall Thundering Herd at UCF Golden Knights
How many games can one team lose? The record for straight losses in I-A football is held by Northwestern, with 34 straight Ls. UCF comes one game closer to going down in history.
Michigan Wolverines at Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin has had a good start, but they probably aren't quite as good as they look. Still, they might be able to make it close. But Michigan will still win.
Louisville Cardinals at South Florida Bulls
The Big East is a joke, but for one team. And that one team might roll up 70 points on the South Florida Bulls.
Wyoming Cowboys at Mississippi Rebels
The Rebels look to get revenge on a Wyoming team that beat them the last time these two teams met. No such luck.
USC Trojans at Oregon Ducks
USC has been averaging 66.5 points a game, which is almost as good as Texas Tech (68 point per game), but USC, unlike Texas Tech, has played all Division I-A teams. Maybe not good ones, but still. Oh, and there still isn't anybody in the Pac 10 that can beat them. That means you, Oregon.
Troy Trojans at South Carolina Gamecocks
Steve Superior runs about a dozen trick plays, 2 dozen pass plays, and maybe 1 run in the first half. May as well practice those trick plays, as Troy is a good practice game, at least in USC's mind. The University of South Carolina should win.
Indiana State Sycamores at Texas Tech Red Raiders
This win is not good for bowl eligibility, nor will it impress anybody that knows to run up 100 points on a I-AA team with a porous defense. Texas Tech has a sick sense of humor.
Memphis Tigers at Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Yeah, Tulsa gave Oklahoma a decent game, but that doesn't take much nowadays. So, how many yards will the Tigers' all star run for in this win?
Richmond Spiders at Vanderbilt Commodores
Little did Vanderbilt realize that they wouldn't need a Division I-AA opponent to ensure at least one win this year. They'll keep their record spotless for now.
Navy Midshipmen at Rice Owls
In the Navy..... Well, you can beat up on the Owls if you happen to play on their football team.
San Jose State Spartans at San Diego State Aztecs
The Spartans are awful on both sides of the ball, while the Aztecs are only awful on offense. San Diego State wins.
UNLV Rebels at Utah State Aggies
Give me Utah.
Georgia Bulldogs at Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs will win, it's just a matter of which win. Hmm, well, the Georgia Bulldogs will win.
New Mexico Lobos at UTEP Miners
In closer matchups such as this, I like the home team to win, due to the advantage of playing in your own special place.
Hawaii Warriors at Idaho Vandals
This might be Hawaii's only win of the year. If they can win, that is. Sorry, the Vandals will get their ONLY win this year.
Arizona State Sun Devils at Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers don't look so good, maybe it's because ASU just ran half a hundred up on their defense....
Tennessee Volunteers at LSU Tigers
After emerging this season looking to win this SEC and contend for a Rose Bowl berth, 8 days time will turn them into Rose Bowl pretenders and SEC also rans.
Boston College is really a better team than they are given credit for, and while I like how Clemson is 2-1 after winning tough games over Texas A&M and Maryland, and how they took Miami into 3OT, I can't help but think they might be playing a little bit over their heads. However, since Boston College's starter is hurt, and they might be forced to use their second stringer, I like Clemson in this matchup.
Michigan State at Illinois
Was Michigan State's win against Notre Dame a fluke? Find out next week, because they're not playing a team that can answer that. MSU by 17.
Colorado Buffaloes at Miami Hurricanes
Miami must not be too happy about getting taken into 3OT by Clemson, but they still got the win. Look for that to continue. Miami by 14.
Purdue Boilermakes at Minnesota Golden Gophers
While the Golden Gophers are 3-0, and Purdue is 2-0, neither team has gotten much of a test. However, expect Purdue to ace this exam in the first Big Ten game since Kyle Orton left. Purdue by 4.
North Carolina Tar Hells at North Carolina State Wolfpack
Defense wins championships. I'll take NC State by 10.
Penn State Nittany Lions at Northwestern Wildcats
Penn State isn't that good, but neither is Northwestern after losing to ASU by about 20 points. If Penn State can keep their offense going and keep up the good defense, they'll win. PSU by a field goal.
Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio State Buckeyes
The game is in Columbus, and the Buckeye's only loss is to a better than expected Texas team. Iowa hasn't played well on the road, losing a rivalry game to Iowa State. OSU by a touchdown.
East Carolina Pirates at West Virginia Mountaineers
The Eers are 3-0, but they haven't played any really good teams yet (no Hollywood, Syracuse and Maryland aren't that good). East Carolina might be the worst I-A team WVU will face. Mountaineers by 25.
Arkansas Razorbacks at Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide had an explosion on offense, scoring 37 on the new look Gamecocks, while Arkansas got their defense exploded, giving up 70 to USC. Bama is at home, and is playing well. Give me the Crimson Tide by 14.
Eastern Michigan Eagles at Central Michigan Chippewas
After getting blown out by Michigan and barely losing to Cincinnati, the EMU team has shown utter ineptitude in every faucet of the game. Fortunately for them, they'll only lose by ten points or so.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Houston Cougars
Houston isn't that good, and Southern Miss isn't that bad. I like the Golden Eagles in this matchup.
Western Michigan Broncos at Temple Owls
This is Temple's cupcake. Unfortunately for Temply, they are a cupcake. WMU
Kent State Golden Flashes at Ohio Bobcats
The Bobcats shut down Pitt two weeks ago, with one defensive back scoring 14 points. They aren't a bowl team or a MAC contender, but maybe, just maybe, they can claw their way out of the cellar. I'll take the Bobcats in a tight one.
Youngstown State Penguins at Pittsburgh Panthers
This is the game that Pitt fans are viewing with a mixture of elation and fear. Elation that it might be Pitt's first win of the season, but also a nagging fear that the Penguins might humiliate their team worse than they already have been. Pitt is just barely good enough to avoid the major upset.
Tulane Green Wave at Southern Methodist Mustangs
SMU beat TCU, which beat Oklahoma, which beat Tulsa, which beat..... Forget it, it doesn't matter. SMU is a long way from getting back into the big picture. Tulane gets an emotional win.
North Texas Mean Green at Kansas State Wildcats
Bit of useless trivia: North Texas nicknamed their athletic teams the Mean Green in the 1970s, after a very famous alumni named Joe Greene. Not that that will help them against Kansas State.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Auburn Tigers
Auburn's not that good, but they are, by no means, this bad. The Tigers beat up yet another I-AA team.
TCU Horned Frogs at BYU Cougars
After getting demolished by SMU a few weeks back, the Horned Frogs aren't going to take anybody for granted, and will hop along to another win.
FIU Golden Panthers at Arkansas State Indians
Two of the worst teams in the worst conference in college football square off. The world groans. Arkansas State wins. The world groans again.
Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats played Louisville close, and they might be able to get a little respect if they play the Gators close. Alas, no such luck.
Duke Blue Devils at Virginia Cavaliers
Duke's score against Virginia Tech: 0-45 loss
Duke's score against Virginia: 0-45 loss
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Tech Hokies
Speaking of Virginia Tech, they get another classic matchup against the other tech in their division, another tech looking to win the ACC. But it will be Tech that wins this game. Um, Virginia Tech.
Maryland Terrapins at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
No, Wake Forest is not bound for a bowl game. No, Maryland isn't very good either. But yes, Maryland will win this game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Washington Huskies
Poor Tyrone Willingham. Not only did Notre Dame fire him, they are about to humiliate him as well.
Northern Illinois Huskies at Akron Zips
Two top MAC teams battle (speaking of which, how many MAC teams are in Ohio anyways?). Points are scored, passes are thrown, and NIU comes out with a slightly better record than they had going in.
Nevada Wolf Pack at Colorado State Rams
CSU should win pretty easily....
Marshall Thundering Herd at UCF Golden Knights
How many games can one team lose? The record for straight losses in I-A football is held by Northwestern, with 34 straight Ls. UCF comes one game closer to going down in history.
Michigan Wolverines at Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin has had a good start, but they probably aren't quite as good as they look. Still, they might be able to make it close. But Michigan will still win.
Louisville Cardinals at South Florida Bulls
The Big East is a joke, but for one team. And that one team might roll up 70 points on the South Florida Bulls.
Wyoming Cowboys at Mississippi Rebels
The Rebels look to get revenge on a Wyoming team that beat them the last time these two teams met. No such luck.
USC Trojans at Oregon Ducks
USC has been averaging 66.5 points a game, which is almost as good as Texas Tech (68 point per game), but USC, unlike Texas Tech, has played all Division I-A teams. Maybe not good ones, but still. Oh, and there still isn't anybody in the Pac 10 that can beat them. That means you, Oregon.
Troy Trojans at South Carolina Gamecocks
Steve Superior runs about a dozen trick plays, 2 dozen pass plays, and maybe 1 run in the first half. May as well practice those trick plays, as Troy is a good practice game, at least in USC's mind. The University of South Carolina should win.
Indiana State Sycamores at Texas Tech Red Raiders
This win is not good for bowl eligibility, nor will it impress anybody that knows to run up 100 points on a I-AA team with a porous defense. Texas Tech has a sick sense of humor.
Memphis Tigers at Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Yeah, Tulsa gave Oklahoma a decent game, but that doesn't take much nowadays. So, how many yards will the Tigers' all star run for in this win?
Richmond Spiders at Vanderbilt Commodores
Little did Vanderbilt realize that they wouldn't need a Division I-AA opponent to ensure at least one win this year. They'll keep their record spotless for now.
Navy Midshipmen at Rice Owls
In the Navy..... Well, you can beat up on the Owls if you happen to play on their football team.
San Jose State Spartans at San Diego State Aztecs
The Spartans are awful on both sides of the ball, while the Aztecs are only awful on offense. San Diego State wins.
UNLV Rebels at Utah State Aggies
Give me Utah.
Georgia Bulldogs at Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs will win, it's just a matter of which win. Hmm, well, the Georgia Bulldogs will win.
New Mexico Lobos at UTEP Miners
In closer matchups such as this, I like the home team to win, due to the advantage of playing in your own special place.
Hawaii Warriors at Idaho Vandals
This might be Hawaii's only win of the year. If they can win, that is. Sorry, the Vandals will get their ONLY win this year.
Arizona State Sun Devils at Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers don't look so good, maybe it's because ASU just ran half a hundred up on their defense....
Tennessee Volunteers at LSU Tigers
After emerging this season looking to win this SEC and contend for a Rose Bowl berth, 8 days time will turn them into Rose Bowl pretenders and SEC also rans.
"To give anything less than the best is to sacrifice the gift." -Steve Prefontaine