COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL PREDICTIONS

     After a November of utter chaos, somehow things magically worked themselves out once again in the BCS's final year. After a year of work, 70 of the nation's best team received the ultimate gift, one more opportunity to throw on the helmet and pads! I've been slacking on keeping up with my predictions due to the weeks leading up to Finals week, but exams have now passed and I plan to return to writing for the next three weeks. Starting with bowl predictions!

New Mexico Bowl: Washington State @ Colorado State: The Cougars scraped up just enough regular season wins to becone bowl eligible and meet up in Albuquerque with the Colorado State Rams who received an at large bid from the Mountain West. On paper it may be tempting to pick the power conference school here but let's not forget this Colorado State team only trailed Alabama by 11 in the 4th quarter at Tuscaloosa. Washington State is no joke either, they played Auburn in week 1 and only lost by a touchdown. Colorado State is also closer to home, and probably more excited about being invited to a bowl game. I believe Colorado State is better defensively and that will be the difference maker in the season's first bowl game.     Colorado State 31 Wasu 27

Las Vegas Bowl: #20 Fresno State vs #25 USC:     While both teams are happy to be in Vegas, both teams probably would have hoped for a little more. Fresno State was arguably one win away from playing in a BCS bowl game, choking and giving up 62 points in a Friday night game against San Jose State. USC is no longer the perennial national title contender that we remember them as in the rest of the 2000s. Things looked better for USC down the stretch, winning 5 of its last 6 including a victory over Pac-12 champ Stanford. USC has been rather successful in bowls, and therefore I like them to continue that tradition against Fresno State.    USC 27 Fresno 24

Potato Bowl: Buffalo vs San Diego State: (Yawn). Seriously will their parents even be watching? Buffalo has a slightly better resume here, of their 4 losses two are to teams playing in BCS bowls (Ohio State and Baylor) and another is to conference champ Bowling Green. People overlook the fact that Buffalo was a home victory away from playing for a MAC title. The Aztecs went 6-2 in the Mountain West, which is supposedly the next best thing to power conference football. However I feel like the MAC is on the upswing and an opportunity to beat a Mountain West school will provide some much needed motivation.    Buffalo 29 SDST 20

New Orleans Bowl: Tulane vs LA. Lafayette: This game really doesn't impress me either. Neither team did anything impressive in its regular season schedule, so I think I'm just gonna give ULL the benefit of playing in their home state.   ULL 31 Tulane 24

Beef O' Brady's Bowl: Eastern Carolina vs. Ohio: I like the Pirates here. They finished the regular season 9-3, and two of their three losses were by 5 points or less. Furthermore their non-conference schedule consisted of three ACC games, two of which they won. Meanwhile Ohio didn't surprise anyone, beating their weak conference opponents in getting stomped against their good opponents. ECU wins.    ECU 49 Ohio 17

Hawaii Bowl: Boise State vs Oregon State: Again we have 2 teams who had more optimistic visions of 2013 at the year's first chapter. The Beavers limp into this bowl game under a 5 game losing streak and fortunate to receive an invitation to Hawaii. Boise State also has had a rough time adjusting to life in the Mountain West. Oregon is one of the only teams with a losing conference record to receive an invitation. Boise is undergoing a coaching change. While neither team's road here was pretty, spending Christmas Eve in Hawaii is pretty damn nice. This is really a toss up in my opinion, but I think I'll take Oregon State in a game of no defense because all losing streaks must come to an end at some point.    Oregon State 41 Boise 32

Little Caesars Bowl: Pittsburg vs. Bowling Green: Pitt did well to make a bowl game in its first year as an ACC member, and threw in some surprises along the way like beating ACC Coastal Champ Duke and knocking off ranked rival Notre Dame. Bowling Green has also proven to be one of the best mid-major schools in all of college football. The Falcons finished 10-3, beating heavily favored NIU in the MAC title game and two of it's 3 losses were by a field goal or less. I expect BGSU to play with a chip on their shoulder hoping to gain some national acclaim by winning a bowl game against a power conference school and I think they'll be successful in their quest.     BGSU 34 Pitt 23

Pointsettia Bowl: Utah State vs Northern Illinois: Like Fresno, NIU may have been one win away from a return to a BCS bowl game. Again we pit Mountain West versus MAC and again I'm leaning towards MAC. NIU has the best player on the field in Jordan Lynch and that will make all the difference in this kind of match up. It's Lynch's last collegiate game so it's hard not to believe the Heisman candidate will go out big.    NIU 34 Utah State 31

Military Bowl: Marshall at Maryland: Marshall enters coming off of one of its most successful seasons in recent times, finishing runners up in Conference USA. Maryland could smell the success, starting 4-0 and cracking the AP poll, but then all went downhill for the Terps en route to a 3-5 finish. The Terrapins have shown a lot of growth though over the past 2 seasons and I think they have more talent on their roster than Marshall, and they're playing close to home. Advantage MD.     Maryland 34 Marshall 24

Texas Bowl: Syracuse vs Minnesota: And this year's Texas bowl features...well....two teams very far from Texas. Minnesota returns to the Texas Bowl for the second straight year, whereas Syracuse will make its Texas Bowl debut. Both teams went 4-4 in conference play, and both teams come from conferences trying to gain some more respect. This is another toss up in my book but I think I'll take Minnesota, who seems to be on the upswing a bit.      Minnesota 27 Syracuse 23

Fight Hunger Bowl: BYU vs Washington: Again, don't be fooled by the big school vs small school match up. The Cougars played a respectable schedule, booking games against Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Texas, Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Boise State. Holding their own in all of those. All 4 of their losses are by 10 points or less, all to power conference schools. Washington is also no joke though. Also finishing 8-4, all 4 of Washington's losses came to top 17 opponents. With the exception of October, the Huskies went 7-1. This will prove to be a good match up, but I like the Huskies in a close one.    Wash 27 BYU 20

Pinstripe Bowl: Rutgers vs Notre Dame: I can't imagine Notre Dame is happy about this. The Irish followed up a National Title appearance with a Pinstripe Bowl appearance against Rutgers. Rutgers should also be thankful for an invitation after a mediocre season in a less than mediocre conference in which they didn't even win half their games. I think ND will start slow, as they don't have the motivation that Rutgers will, but at the end of the day the Irish are stronger, faster, and more athletic and should win this football game.     ND 34 Rutgers 14

Belk Bowl: Cincinnati vs North Carolina: This is a good opportunity for an AAC school to pick up a win against a power conference school. Granted UNC is no powerhouse when it comes to football, but a victory against an ACC member would give the AAC the smallest ounce of credibility, which it desperately needs. The upside for UNC...this game is in Charlotte. No place like home for the holidays right? Wrong! As big of a joke as I think the AAC is, Cincinatti is one of its few worthy members, and they'll prove it against UNC.     Cincy 34 UNC 28

Russel Athletic Bowl: Miami vs. #18 Louisville: FINALLY a match up that actually has some interest to it! Miami was a top 10 team before the injury to Duke Johnson in November. Since then Miami fell from the rankings and was the subject of much undeserved disrespect. DJ was the heart and soul of the team, of course losing him was going to be tough. And then there's Louisville, one wild loss to UCF away from a perfect season and potentially a date with FSU in Pasadena. But who did they really play besides UCF? The game is in Orlando, which pretty much gives Miami the home advantage and crowd, but this is also very likely to be Teddy Bridgewater's last game as a Louisville Cardinal. Expect a big exit.    L'Ville 38 Miami 21

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Michigan vs Kansas State: And yet another Michigan season that didn't go according to plan. The Wolverines entered 2013 in the top 15, and things looked up after a big win against Notre Dame in the Big House, Then a quadruple overtime loss against Penn State sent Michigan into a funk that resulted in losing 4 of their last 5. Kansas State was the polar opposite. After a 2-4 start which included a loss to an FCS school, the Wildcats turned things around and won 5 of their last 6 to lock up a bowl bid. Of the Wildcats four losses, three of them came to top 20 opponents. Frankly, one team is heating up and the other is slumping. Kansas State is the logical choice here.    K-State 24 Michigan 20

Armed Forces Bowl: Middle Tennessee vs Navy: I don't expect many of you to tune into this one either. I'll be breif. I'm taking the Naval Academy in the Armed Forces Bowl to burn the MT defense out with the triple option.    Navy 27 MT 17

Music City Bowl: Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech In any SEC/non-SEC match up, it's hard to pick against the SEC. This is no exception. While the triple option will be enough to keep the Rebels on their toes, Ole Miss is still better on both sides of the ball. The Rebels will benefit from their tough competition and improving recruiting classes and pick up a bowl win.    Ole Miss 31 GT 20

Alamo Bowl: #10 Oregon vs Texas: Oregon can't possibly be happy with this. When November began it seemed very likely the Ducks would be Pasadena bound, then Stanford happened, then Ariona happened worse, and here we are now. Texas was also somewhat of a disappointment, they entered 2013 as the most experienced team in the nation and a preseason top 15 team and many predicted they'd win the Big 12. The resignation of Mack Brown is also not helpful to their preparation against Oregon. The Ducks high powered offense will be too much for Texas to keep up with or prevent.     Oregon 45 Texas 20

Holiday Bowl: #14 Arizona State vs Texas Tech: The Pac-12 gets the shaft once again. Arizona State was a win away from a Rose Bowl appearance, yet somehow they find themselves playing a team that's hasn't won since October 19th. Texas Tech excited some people with their 7-0 start, but those 7 teams had a combined record of...well they'd probably prefer I keep it a secret honestly. Arizona State will win and pick up it's first 11 win season since 1996.     AzSt 41 TT 23

V100 Bowl: Arizona vs. Boston College: Boston College is a good pick here. Arizona State is an average member of a conference that simply doesn't know how to play defense. Boston College is home to the eighth man in history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. The Wildcats won't have an answer for the power football of Andre Williams and the BC run game and Steve Addazio caps off a successful first year at BC with a bowl victory.      BC 31 Arizona 17

Sun Bowl: Virginia Tech vs #17 UCLA: After not being bowl eligible for the first time in years in 2012, VT has returned to the promised land in 2013. They'll face UCLA on New Year's Eve, who seems to be returning to National prestige under the direction of Jim Mora Jr. The Bruins had a successful 9-3 year, with all 3 losses coming to top 14 opponents. VT was slightly more streaky, losing to BC and Maryland down the stretch. A consistent team is a much safer bet than an inconsistent one, and frankly I think even on a bad day UCLA has the better team.    UCLA 38 VT 24

Liberty Bowl: Rice vs Mississippi State: It's been a Cinderella type year for Rice, winning their first ever Conference USA championship and first outright conference championship since way back in 1957. Mississippi State is also grateful to be here, who became eligible after knocking off arch-rival Ole Miss on Thanksgiving day. Despite a 6-6 record, I still see the Bulldogs as the favorite here. It's very rare I elect to take a mid-major over an SEC school, although this one I came close. Actually you know what I'm gonna do it, Happy New Year's Rice.     Rice 28 Miss St 27

Chick-Fil-A Bowl: #24 Duke vs #21 Texas A&M: Texas A&M has aspirations of playing in Atlanta in the beginning of the year...but this isn't what they had in mind. On the contrary, Duke couldn't be happier. This is the biggest bowl game they've played in since playing in the 1958 Orange Bowl, and it's only the 2nd time since 1994 Duke has even been bowl eligible. Furthermore Duke hasn't won a bowl game since the 1961 Cotton Bowl, so it goes without saying that history isn't in the Blue Devil's favor. I don't think Duke will get run out of the building like they did against FSU in Charlotte, Texas A&M's defense has had difficulty holding everyone this year. Only once all year did the Aggies hold a team to under 24 points...that was UTEP. Duke will score, but Johnny Football and A&M will outgun them in what may be his last game.    TAMU 44 Duke 31

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs #22 Georgia: Does this look familiar? It should, this is the same match up as seen in last year's Capital One Bowl. Last year the Bulldogs prevailed 45-31, but that Bulldog defense lost 10 of it's 11 defensive starters in 2013 as well as the majority of its offense to either seniority or injury. In fact Georgia will be without Aaron Murray on New Year's, who tore his ACL on the second to last week of the regular season. They'll turn to Junior Hutson Mason, who did carry them to a comeback, double-OT win against their in-state rival Georgia Tech in the last game of the season. Expect another close game, but this time Nebraska has the upper hand with Taylor Martinez and Bo Pelini's experience guiding them over the youth of UGA.     Nebraska 38 UGA 24

Heart of Dallas Bowl: UNLV vs North Texas: This game shouldn't get too much attention. Not only is the match up unappealing but time-wise it competes with the Gator, Outback, and Capital One Bowls. Fun fact though, UNLV's presidents is leaving to take the same position at North Texas...so that adds some kind of storyline right? Part of me wants to pick Northern Texas, they did hang with the healthy Georgia team for 3 quarters early in the year, but I think this time I'll take a sip of the Mountain West water everyone seems to be drinking.     UNLV 31 NT 24

Outback Bowl: Iowa vs #16 LSU: Last time these two teams met in a Bowl Game, Iowa won the game off a 56 yard Hail Mary thrown by Tate Drew to defeat Nick Saban in his last ever game as the head coach of LSU. Since then, LSU has had more to smile about than Iowa, including this year. This Tigers defense was different than the LSU squads of years' past however. The 2013 team beat people with it's high powered offense, as opposed to the great LSU defenses that wreaked havoc during the rest of the 2000s. Zach Mettenberger, Jeremy Hill, Jarvis Landry, and Odell Beckham are all NFL material, and that's not to say this defense isn't good either. LSU has the more well rounded team here as the Big 10 is not yet ready to walk with the SEC elite.     LSU 34 Iowa 16

Capital One Bowl: #19 Wisconsin vs #9 South Carolina: New Year's day presents a Big 10/SEC double-header this year as Wisconsin and South Carolina will meet in the Capital One Bowl. The Badgers made the most of what was thought to be a rebuilding year after losing Brett Belima and Montee Ball. Under the new leadership of Gary Anderson, the Badgers finished 9-3, one of those 3 being a debatable loss to Arizona State off a poorly officiated final 15 seconds. Meanwhile in Columbia, the Gamecocks have still yet to reach a BCS bowl game in the Steve Spurrier era despite their 3rd straight season of finishing in the AP top 10. When healthy though South Carolina had all the tools of an elite team, but injuries to Connor Shaw, Jadeveon Clowney, Shon Carson, and others were enough to once again keep the Gamecocks out of national title discussion and even an SEC East title. The Gamecocks have grown through the tough times though and young players have risen to the occasion when called upon, a month to get healthy and regroup before their bowl game will really strengthen them.     SC 31 Wisc 23

Rose Bowl: #5 Stanford vs #4 Michigan State: If you enjoy old-school, smashmouth football, then don't miss this. For Stanford it's their second straight Rose Bowl appearance, so much for things going down hill after Andrew Luck. For Michigan State it's the first time back in 26 years. This will be the 100th anniversary of college football's most historic bowl game and what better way to celebrate college football's greatest treasure than with two teams who love to run and defend. Stanford was ever so close to a national title appearance, kept out only by road losses to USC and Utah both on the game's final play. Michigan State didn't gain their national acclaim until upsetting Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, and a 4 point loss in South Bend was the only barrier between Sparty and perfection. Expect a low scoring affair in Pasadena, but Stanford has had the upper hand in big games over the past few years.      Stanford 17 Mich. State 14

Fiesta Bowl: #15 UCF vs #6 Baylor: Make no mistake, it was no fluke that UCF ended up here. The program has improved more than any since 2004 when George O'Leary took over for the Knights. If not for a 3 point loss to South Carolina, it may even be UCF taking on the Noles in Pasadena, a game they led 10-0 at halftime. Central Florida then proceeded to knock off heavy conference favorite Louisville and the remainder of its AAC competition to receive a BCS bid. Blake Bortles is also quietly one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. In an era where the game has been reliant on athletic, dual-threat quarterbacks, Bortles did things the old-fashioned way...hanging in the pocket and making throws like an NFL quarterback would. Their opponent, Baylor, was also one of the pleasant surprises of 2013. Baylor's offense got everyone's attention quickly, scoring 59 or more points in 7 of their 12 games and finishing the year as the top scoring offense in college football. For that reason though Baylor never really felt a need to defend anyone, and it came back to bite them in the butt when they took a 49-17 pounding from Oklahoma State in November when Bryce Petty and Lache Seastrunk couldn't provide the Heisman worthy performances they had given Baylor every other week of the season. But the Bears only seem to pride themselves on one side of the ball, whereas UCF plays both ways. Factor in the chip on UCF's shoulder to make a statement at the national level, and I like the Knights to pull a big upset here.      UCF 34 Baylor 31

Sugar Bowl: #3 Alabama vs #11 Oklahoma: Oklahoma's season ending victory over Oklahoma State proved to be worth more than most Sooner fans would have imagined, a BCS bid and a date with the 2-time defending national champs. While any other team would be perfectly content to be playing in a Sugar Bowl, meet the Crimson Tide, who consider anything short of a national title to be a failure. Nick Saban is simply the best at what he does though, and he won't treat this game differently than any other. Alabama has a history of following up losses with sheer domination, and I expect it will get rather ugly in Nola when the Tide rolls in.      Bame 38 Oklahoma 10

Cotton Bowl: #13 Oklahoma State vs #8 Missouri: The week of the season's conclusion, it looked like Oklahoma State would become the Big 12 Champs and be playing in either the Sugar or the Fiesta Bowl. Rare circumstances occured and here we are. Meanwhile Mizzou shocked the SEC and the college football world this year, and was likely one win away from a ticket to Pasadena. Two years ago these teams were Big 12 foes, now they meet as members of different conferences. And frankly, Missouri's SEC experience does give them a bit of an upperhand as the SEC is experiencing an uprising and Big 12 is experiencing a descent. This game will verify that.     Mizzou 27 OkSt 21

Orange Bowl: #12 Clemson vs #7 Ohio State: This is all about Tajh vs Braxton, and boy is that appetizing. The Orange Bowl is alive once again, now that they aren't obligated to invite Big East or AAC members. Ohio State's loss to Michigan State kept them out of Pasadena, or even the Rose Bowl, but this game is a nice consolation prize.For Boyd and Clemson it's one last chance to prove they can win big games, as FSU and South Carolina have been the annual kryptonite to the Tigers title hopes. We know Clemson is capable, they beat LSU in last year's Chick-Fil-A bowl and began the year by beating a healthy top 5 Georgia Bulldog team. Meanwhile, Ohio State's game against Michigan State was their first game that really meant something since 2011. So the issue here seems to be whether to pick the team that loses big games or the team that doesn't play in them. I feel like Clemson's experience is finally going to pay off here. Clemson faced two of the nation's best defenses and the Buckeyes have yet to face a real defense outside of Michigan State. The team in Orange wins the Orange Bowl.     Clemson 31 Ohio State 28

Compass Bowl: Vanderbilt vs. Houston: The Commodores are no longer the laughing stock of the SEC (sorry Kentucky). In fact, Vandy enjoys one of its most successful seasons to date, finishing 8-4 and beating UF and Georgia in the same season for the first time in school history. After all that, Vandy still can't get a better invite than the Compass Bowl. Houston also had a good year in its inaugural season as an AAC member, but lost 3 of its final 4 and couldn't beat the conference's best competition. A win would give Vanderbilt only its second 9-win season since 1915, a tremendous accomplishment for the program. Vanderbilt's exposure to tough opponents and more dynamic offenses and defenses should give them the upper hand this time.    Vandy 27 Houston 17

GoDaddy Bowl: Arkansas State vs Ball State: Seriously, why do they schedule these games between the BCS bowls and the National Title? Isn't the idea to build up? The only credibility these teams have is finishing in the upper tier of their conferences, outside that there really isn't much spectacular to say about them. These teams actually have a combined bowl record of 1-8 (Arkansas State has the 1) so a bowl victory here will be a nice belated Christmas gift to one of these teams. I'm a giver, and I think its about time Ball State picked up its first ever bowl victory.    Ball State 28 Ark St 24

BCS National Title: #2 Auburn vs #1 Florida State: Entering the final month of the season, all the title hype was revolved around the fantasy match up of Oregon's offense against Alabama's defense. But after 2 Oregon losses and a 109 yard missed field goal kick return, it will be the Noles and Tigers meeting in Pasadena. Auburn has picked apart everyone this year with their run game, but FSU's defense swarms to the ball like no other Auburn has seen. Auburn's defense will have the difficulty of slowing down Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston and the explosive FSU offense that is filled with so many weapons in both the run and pass game. Both luck and history seem to favor Auburn, who won it's last 2 regular season games off improbable finishes. The SEC is looking for an 8th straight national championship, the state of Alabama is searching for its 5th in a row. But when I look at it on paper, I think FSU is better on both sides of the ball. They won every game by at least two touchdowns and haven't trailed in a game since September. In 7 games, their opponent did not reach double-digits on the scoreboard. The Noles never scored less than 37, and only once allowed more than 17, but the Noles will always be criticized by glorified SEC fans for the weak level of their competition. I'm also not sure if Auburn's luck will follow them away from Jordan-Hare stadium, although they didn't need it in Atlanta. If the FSU run defense can force Auburn into 3rd and long situations and force Nick Marshall to throw the ball more times than he's comfortable with then I really like FSU's chances and I believe in their playmakers a bit more than Auburn's.     FSU 38 Auburn 17

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     I was both right and wrong last week. I correctly predicted that this week would feature a lot of upsets with the first BCS standings looming the day after. However I had all the wrong upsets, with the exceptions of Florida State and Stanford, if you consider those upsets. In fact last week was my worst week to date, only going 11-8. But my overall record still remains strong at 109-24, an 82% accuracy rating. College football is heading into its homestretch, with only 10 unbeatens remaining. The BCS controversy is present as always, with a hot race between Alabama, FSU, and Oregon, an Ohio State team losing votes week after week, and a one-loss Stanford team coming out ahead of half of the unbeatens. The pressure continues to increase which means you should see that "upset alert" icon on your ESPN page pop up more and more frequently. I absolutely love it.

Wake Forest @ #7 Miami: The Hurricanes almost got trapped last week, needing a last minute drive to escape Chapel Hill with a win. While returning home will be much more comforting for Miami, you should still expect a slow start as Miami might be looking ahead to their huge match up in Doak next week. Wake Forest is streaky, they played impressively last week to easily dispose of a previously 5-1 Miami team as well as N.C. State the week prior. The problem? Wake Forest is currently 0-3 on the road. This may have a slow start, but it ends in Miami's favor.         Miami 37 Wake 20

#19 Oklahoma State @ Iowa State: Despite winning almost every week, Oklahoma State is seeing no rise in the rankings mainly due to its poor strength of schedule and the weakness of the Big 12 this year. Iowa State enters this game 1-5, and I haven't seen any real reason to believe they could knock off Oklahoma State. Cowboys win, and don't move in the ranks once again.   OkSt 35 Iowa State 10

#20 Louisville @ South Florida: This doesn't look like much on paper, but South Florida actually has a habit of playing good opponents good at home. But frankly they don't have enough on the defensive side of the ball to slow down TB and the Cardinal offense. Louisville should wanna take care of this one early after what happened last week, so I can't offer USF much of a chance here.   L'ville 56 USF 17

Connecticut @ #23 UCF: The Huskies are 0-6, but the one time they played a ranked team they almost had them beat (Michigan). UCF comes off the biggest win in its program's history, and team morale is at an all time high. UCF is confident, Uconn is not. Uconn will also have to deal with the climate change, Orlando is still in the 70s this time of year. UCF wins.    UCF 38 Uconn 7

#24 Nebraska @ Minnesota: The Golden Gophers aren't the conference slouch that we're used to them being. But they haven't been exposed to any serious competition yet aside from a blowout loss to Michigan. While Nebraska may struggle on the road, I think they have the offensive firepower to pick up a win in Minnesota this weekend.    Nebraska 31 Minnesota 20

Vanderbilt @ #16 Texas A&M: Vandy was one of the big surprises last week, mostly thanks to a poor Georgia defense. However, the Texas A&M defense is just as bad. You can expect Vandy to score in the 30's again, but I think they won't be able to slow down Johnny Manziell and the Aggie offense the same way they were able to slow down Murray and the Dawgs. It's another tight one but Johnny Football drags his team through the quicksand.     TAMU 45 Vandy 35

Tennessee @ #1 Alabama: After several weeks of "close but no cigar", the Vols finally picked up their marquee conference win last week against South Carolina. They also almost had Georgia the week prior. But can they stand toe to toe with this Alabama team? The Tide roll in with the #1 defense in the nation, allowing less than 10 points per game. It's hard to not take the Tide here in Tuscaloosa, although Tennessee may keep it interesting for a quarter and a half or so.       Bama 35 Tenn 13

N.C. State @ #2 Florida State: Florida State made the statement win of the season so far last week after putting a beatdown on the Tigers. But this is a lot more than just another game for the Seminoles. The last 4 times a ranked Seminole team has played an unranked Wolfpack team, the Wolfpack have won. The most recent meeting having been a come from behind 17-16 win in NC last year, which put the major dent in FSU's national title aspirations. FSU hasn't forgotten, and their definately amped to avenge this one. Oh...and Bobby Bowden is in town.     FSU 45 N.C. State 0

#9 Clemson @ Maryland: Clemson needs to have a short memory. What happened last week is past and can't be changed, and now it's time to move forward. Easier said than done. In a way, Clemson lost their entire season in one game: the national title, the Heisman, and the conference title are falling out of reach. It's tough to find motivation now, but they need too as one of the better ACC teams is also looking to make a statement. I think it may take Clemson a bit to get the wind back into their sails, but the offense and it's senior leaders will do enough to keep this ship afloat.    Clemson 35 Maryland 21

#10 Texas Tech @ #15 Oklahoma: Texas Tech's string of weak opponents has come to an end. We will now figure out whether the Red Raiders are pretenders or contenders as they visit OU this weekend for a top 15 showdown. My prediction...an unbeaten goes down. The Red Raiders can't handle the heat that comes in this kind of match up, especially on the road. Bob Stoops prepares Blake Bell and the Sooners for a home upset.    Oklahoma 27 Texas Tech 20

Duke @ #14 Virginia Tech: The Hokies have quietly returned to the top 15, where they used to be before the 2010s. This match up features two of the front runners in the ACC coastal standings, although Duke didn't have a conference win until their come from behind victory over Virginia last week. Don't be fooled by Duke's 5-2 record, Virginia Tech commands this one in Blacksburg.    VT 38 Duke 10

Eastern Michigan @ #18 Northern Illinois: Northern Illinois should be happy with coming out of the BCS standings at #18. The climb to a BCS at-large bid is not as steep as they thought it was. However we all know it's impossible without a perfect season. But the generous ranking should give NIU the motivation to keep going forward and take care of Eastern Michigan this week.    NIU 38 Eastern Mich 17

#12 UCLA @ #3 Oregon: The Bruins fell out of the top 10 after losing a tight game with Stanford last week, but they have an opportunity to jump right back in this week if they can find a way to pick up a win in Eugene. However no one has come remotely close this year to knocking off the Ducks, the closest effort being when Washington only trailed by a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Oregon should feel the need to put on a big performance to attract human voters and reclaim the #2 spot  over the Noles, and a big win over UCLA might just do it. Oregon wins at home.    Oregon 48 UCLA 31

#21 South Carolina @ #5 Missouri: If Conner Shaw were healthy and starting, I'd be really tempted to pick the Cocks. I do not have the same faith in Dylan Thompson. And I also have gained faith in Missouri. Even with Maty Mauk at QB, the Tigers still hung 35 points on the Gator defense last week, and now they have a really good shot of winning the SEC East, and even a national title isn't out of the realm of possibility if Mizzou runs the table and then beats Bama in an SEC title game. There's something in the water over in Missouri right now, and it's effects will carry over another week.     Mizzou 35 SC 23

#8 Baylor @ Kansas: Baylor and Texas Tech co-lead the Big 12 right now, thanks in part to really shitty schedules. Texas Tech has a showdown this week, meanwhile Baylor has practically another weak off. Kansas didn't take Oklahoma lightly last week, but they're still among the weakest Big 12 members when it comes to football. Baylor's offense it scoring at light speed rates, expect another high scoring affair with the Jayhawks.     BU 70 Kansas 10

Furman @ #13 LSU: The Tigers were another member of the club of upset victims last week, losing to Ole Miss off a last second field goal. A visit from Furman should help LSU get back on track in Death Valley. There's no room for a surprise here.     LSU 45 Furman 9

Florida-Atlantic @ #11 Auburn: Auburn's big win over TAMU last week in college station has the War Eagle nation believing again. That victory catapulted Auburn's ranking, nearly breaking the top 10. Auburn is rewarded with a cupcake home game against FAU as they try to crack the top 10 once again. Auburn will ride it's newfound confidence to an easy home victory.    Auburn 45 FAU 10

Penn State @ #4 Ohio State: If Ohio State really wants to be taken as seriously as Bama, Florida State, and Oregon, they've gotta do something more than beat the Iowa Hawkeyes by 10. Unfortunately, no one is going to give Ohio State props this week either, even though Penn State is disrespected because of their postseason ineligibility. In fact I think Penn State is going to give the Buckeyes a real scare, and remind Ohio State that not everyone is just going to back down for them. But the Buckeyes will still get the job done in a close one at home.    OSU 27 PSU 23

#6 Stanford @ #25 Oregon State: After losing its opener to Eastern Washington, Oregon State has spun off 6 straight wins, 4 of which were conference games. Aside from one measly slip up to Utah, Stanford is playing really good football right now. Stanford has also played a lot of good competition to prepare them and Oregon State has not. I like Stanford to pick up a road win.     Stanford 31 Oregon State 19

#17 Fresno State @ San Diego State: Similarly to Northern Illinois, Fresno should be really pleased with where they ended up in the BCS. They even finished ahead of NIU, and human voters are giving them the nod ahead of NIU because NIU had their chance last year. San Diego State shouldn't get in Fresno's way right now.    Fresno 45 SDST 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 8 PICKS

     My apologies for not putting out an article last week, I got really backed up preparing for a Calc 3 Test and writing a pair of essays as well. My last set of predictions (week 6) was rather successful for me, going 19-2. That brings my overall record to 98-16, an 86% accuracy rating. Anyways, this is a big week since we're awaiting the first release of the BCS rankings on Sunday. Any big matchup or upset can really shake the standings so it's only natural to expect things to get a little crazy as we head down the stretch. 

#10 Miami @ North Carolina: Don't be fooled by Miami's ranking and record here. Miami's road to the top ten hasn't been the smoothest of sails. A Thursday night trip to a hostile environment is the perfect atmosphere for a trap game. The Tar Heels were able to stick around with Virginia Tech last week in Blacksburg, so don't rule them out at home by any means. But the Miami offense is hot right now, scoring at least 34 points in all but one of their games thus far. At the end of the day Miami's offense is too much.      Miami 35 UNC 17

UCF @ #8 Louisville: The Cardinals really don't have many tests this year if at all, but this might be the closest thing. The Knights have a legitimate team this year, a team that beat Penn State and led South Carolina the majority of the game. But this is also the best offense the Knight's defense will go up against. This one would serve as a perfect trap game if it were in Orlando, but in Kentucky I think Teddy Bridgewater outscores UCF by double digits.                   L'ville 31 UCF 17

#11 South Carolina @ Tennessee: Both these teams have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. South Carolina put together a solid performance against Arkansas last week, but weak performances against UCF and Kentucky shouldn't be overlooked. Tennessee almost pulled off a monumental upset against Georgia 2 weeks ago, but they also can't seem to defend anyone. There is one consistency though that determines this end result....South Carolina is winning and Tennessee is losing. It may not be pretty, but Spurrier and the Gamecocks will find a way to come out with this one, thanks to a second half rally.     SC 34 Tenn 24

#15. Georgia @ Vanderbilt: Georgia is really banged up right now. Todd Gurley is expected not to play for the third straight week, the #2 running back isn't healthy either and all of Aaron Murray's favorite targets are hurt as well. The Georgia defense really can't hold anyone under 30 points either, I mean except North Texas but even they scored 21. Georgia will struggle on the road and once again all the weight gets thrown on Aaron Murray's shoulders, but this time he pulls them out of the quicksand and into the bye week.     Georgia 35 Vandy 28

#16 Texas Tech @ West Virginia: If you would have told me Texas Tech would be a top 15 competitor in late October, I wouldn't have believed you. But now looking back at their schedule, it actually isn't that surprising. TT opponents have a combined record of 12-21 and their Big 12 opponents have a combined 1-6 conference record. West Virginia could really challenge them at home, having already upset Oklahoma State earlier this year. Clint Trickett seems to have finally given WVU the offensive spark they've been looking for. The pressure keeps increasing for TT week in and week out, this is the weak their bubble bursts.     WVU 35 TT 31

TCU @ #21 Oklahoma State: It's week 8 and I really still don't have a set feeling on the TCU team. On the one hand, they show up in big games, having taken LSU and Oklahoma to the wire away from home. On the other hand, they lost to an also mysterious Texas Tech team and saw their early struggles against Kansas and even SMU early on. Oklahoma State is also inconsistent. They could easily be 5-0 but they could also be 3-2 and their best competition is still to come. I like the Cowboys at home though, especially against a TCU team that is struggling to produce offensively.      OkSt 28 TCU 16

#22 Florida @ #14 Missouri: This is a real treat as a noon matchup. If anyone had Missouri as the SEC East leader halfway through the season, I'd be very surprised. The Mizzou offense has been scoring at will, but they took a heavy blow last week after QB James Franklin suffered a season ending shoulder injury during the 4th quarter of last weeks victory over Georgia. Missouri has great faith in backup Maty Mauk, but his first collegiate start will come against one of the nation's toughest defenses. The Gators are no strangers to this situation, relying on Tyler Murphy in the absence of Jeff Driskel. I'd love to pick the Tigers and watch the Cinderella run continue, but Murphy's experience and the Gator defense will lift them to a big road win this week.     UF 24 Mizzou 14

#23 Northern Illinois @ Central Michigan: Northern Illinois find themselves quietly staying in the rankings for the second year in a row. This is much in thanks to the big play from their senior superstar Jordan Lynch, who has accumulated over 1300 yards passing, close to 700 yards rushing, and 17 total TDs in just 6 games. I don't know much about Central Michigan other than their large losses to power conference schools (Michigan and N.C. State) being outscored by a total of 107-23 in those 2 games. I expect another Heisman like day from Mr. Lynch.     NIU 38 Cent Mich 17

#24 Auburn @ #7 Texas A&M: After a 2 and a half year hiatus, Auburn has returned to the AP Top 25. They travel to College Station to take on Johnny Football and the Aggies. Texas A&M had a real scare last week against Ole Miss, Johnny Manziell in particular had a lot to deal with. A knee injury and some late turnovers put TAMU at risk, but Manziell was lights out the rest of the 4th quarter and reminded us why he was a former Heisman winner. The weekly concern however is not Manziell, but the TAMU defense, who has yet to hold a conference opponent to under 33 points. Auburn has a real opportunity to regain some fame by exploiting a weak defense and knocking off a top 10 opponent on the road, but my hunch says Manziell will pull them through the mud once again.      Tamu 45 Auburn 35

#9 UCLA @ #13 Stanford: Stanford's loss to Utah reminds us that no one is ever truly safe in college football and should serve as a good wake up call to the rest of the nation. Now they have an opportunity to come home and bounce back with a top 10 victory. UCLA has broken the top 10 for the first time since 2005 and has aspirations of climbing even higher. I really think what happened last week in Utah was just a fluke, everyone has bad games. I think a good week of practice and a refreshed mindset will do Stanford some good, and I'll make it another upset pick.     Stanford 20 UCLA 17

#18 Oklahoma @ Kansas: Bob Stoops have NEVER lost the game following the Red River Rivalry in his entire coaching tenure at OU. Don't expect a 2-3 Kansas team to change that. Oklahoma was the victim of a trap game last week, but they're still stronger, faster, and more talented than Kansas. Sooners win on the road.     OU 34 Kansas 10

#20 Washington @ Arizona State: The Huskies played the 2 best West Coast teams in their past 2 games. Washington posted an inspiring effort against Stanford, and didn't play bad against Oregon. These past 2 weeks should help slow down the game for them this week against the Sun Devils and return to their winning ways. The main objective is to not give up, there's still a lot for the Huskies to go after this season, like a Pac-12 title. Snapping out of any losing streak is tough, but this team has the players and coaches to get it done.     Wash 34 Arz St 27

Arkansas @ #1 Alabama: The Razorbacks have lost 4 in a row, not really the kind of momentum you want to have when traveling to play the best team in the country. Meanwhile the water is still warm in Tuscaloosa, where the Tide continue to dispose of opponents without much effort. The doctor ordered another big Alabama win at home this week.     Bama 45 Arkansas 7

#6 LSU @ Ole Miss: The Rebels enter the game losers of 3 straight, but those were a very tough 3 (at Bama, at Auburn, vs TAMU). LSU comes to Mississippi still with national title hopes in mind. They are ranked highest among one loss teams, but the road is not easy with Bama, TAMU, and a potential SEC title game still on the schedule. But first things first. If the Tigers can keep up the defensive effort they posted last week while continuing their offensive production, they should win this one. But it won't be for a lack of effort on the Rebels part.     LSU 35 Ole Miss 21

Iowa State @ #12 Baylor: I know I've already used the word "surprise" enough today, but we should really take a minute to appreciate what's going on here. 2 years ago, everyone would have claimed it would be a longgggggggg time before the Baylor offense was as effective as they were with Heisman winner RG3 at the helm. We were wrong. Baylor now leads the nation in total offense, averaging over 700 yards of total offense a game. Prior to last week's 35 point performance, the Baylor offense had scored at least 69 points in its first 4 games. Iowa State has nothing to slow this trend down.      BU 55 Iowa State 17

#5 Florida State @ #3 Clemson: There's a reason all the other good games this week were at noon and 3:30...it's so you wouldn't miss this. Death Valley hosts a top 5 match up featuring 3 Heisman candidates and two teams with National Title hopes. Clemson almost got caught looking too far ahead last week with Boston College leading them most of the game. Florida State enjoyed an extra week of preparation thanks to a bye. Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins have joined forces to build the best Clemson offense since...well ever actually. Famous Jameis and the Seminoles have been just as sharp, 3rd in the nation in total offense with weapons spread throughout the line up. You might be surprised to hear that these teams also feature top 10 defenses. Clemson has gotten after opponents with their pass rush while FSU has done so by keeping things tight in the secondary. There really isn't a bad pick here. Clemson has the experience and the homefield advantage. Florida State has the extra week of preperation and a bit more balance to their system. But you're asking an FSU student and Nole for life to make this pick.      FSU 38 Clemson 36

#25 Wisconsin @ Illinois: Wisconsin is like a tennis ball, where the net is like the AP top 25 with Wisconsin bouncing inside and outside of it. At this point in the match, Wisconsin has received a generous bounce inside from the tape of the net, perhaps just enough so to let the ball drop more than once. Wisconsin really made a statement last weekend against Northwestern and it might be the start of something for these new guys.      Wisc 38 Illinois 6

Washington State @ #2 Oregon: If you wanna talk about something not surprising then talk about the Oregon offense. 2nd overall and averaging roughly 325 yards/game just from the run. What is surprising is the defense, 6th in the nation and very uncharacteristic of the past Oregon teams who just wanted to outgun people. It might finally be time for someone to knock off the Tide and Oregon just might have the tools to do it. Washington State is certainly no challenge to Oregon's talent.     Oregon 56 Wash St 13

UNLV @ #17 Fresno State: Seriously though does anyone care? While UNLV is some of the better conference competition for Fresno, they're still not that great. Fresno keeps the hope for a perfect season and possible BCS bid alive.    Fresno 35 UNLV 16

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 PICKS

    Yes everyone, I did go 19-0 last week. Granted it really wasn't that tough of a week. Regardless, a perfect week is a perfect week and I will continue to strive for perfection. This week will be much more challenging, with almost every game being a conference game, and even 4 ranked matchups. Overall record is now 68-11 or 86% overall. 

#11 Oklahoma State @ West Virginia: Oklahoma State is flying way under the radar right now, and happily so. Meanwhile West Virginia's struggles continue after being both shutout and blown out by Maryland last week. While West Virginia may put on a more inspiring performance at home, the cards still favor the Cowboys to kick off the Big 12 season on a winning note.    OkSt 31 WV 7

#12 South Carolina @  UCF: UCF is a team people really need to start paying more attention to. Over the past few years they've recruited and put together a team that's willing to compete, and now they're 3-0 because of it, which includes a victory over Penn State. It should also be noted the South Carolina loves to toy around in these kind of games...remember the past 2 meetings with Wofford? So what does all this mean? South Carolina plays a poor half and an average 2nd half, but does just enough to win and then grab the quickest flight out of Orlando.    SC 27 UCF 24

#15 Miami @ USF: Give Miami credit, they tried to better themselves by scheduling games against all the major Florida schools. But USF is just bad right now. The Hurricanes are coming off a big offensive performance last week, hanging 77 on Savannah State. USF has a habit of playing good against good teams though, so this one may be tight for a half, but the final outcome favors Miami.    Miami 24 USF 10

Wake Forest @ #3 Clemson: The Tigers got their first conference game out of the way last week, and now they get a less talented opponent at home. Wake has struggled with the non conference games that have been thrown at them so far. Clemson should respond from last week's scare with an early statement and a big offensive performance.     Clemson 49 Wake 14

#6 LSU @ #9 Georgia: Get your popcorn out for this one. This is the best LSU offense we've seen in awhile, the pieces of the puzzle are finally falling together for Zach Mettenberger and he's getting big help in the backfield from Jeremy Hill and Terrance Magee. Georgia's offense is also dynamic, and Andy Murray proved against South Carolina that he could finally win big games. While I'd really like to pick the Dawgs at home, these are the games that LSU and Les Miles live for and that Georgia crumbles in. Expect one or two big plays to change the game and sweep it in the Tigers favor.     LSU 24 Georgia 23

#14 Oklahoma @ #22 Notre Dame: Despite their high ranking, Oklahoma has looked no better than average to me thus far. Notre Dame is getting big play from Tommy Rees and has already played a big game this year in the Big House against Michigan. Now the Irish play a less experienced team in South Bend, where the gold helmets will prevail for the 2nd year in a row.      ND 27 OK 17

#21 Ole Miss @ #1 Alabama: 2 weeks ago everyone would have thought Alabama would be untouched in their path to the national title game. Then came the Colorado State Rams, who entered the 4th quarter only trailing the Tide 17-6. Meanwhile Ole Miss is experiencing their best success since the Eli Manning era, beating good competition such as Texas and Vanderbilt. They also had a bye giving them extra time to prepare. But Alabama has a history of following up really bad performances with really amazing ones, and although Ole Miss is the new kid on the block, they're not ready for a Saturday smackdown in Tuscaloosa.      Bama 42 Ole Miss 21

#10 Texas A&M @ Arkansas: Just when it looked like Arkansas football might be back on the right track, they blew a game to Rutgers. Johnny Manziel is too much for Arkansas to handle, although it will be interesting to see the TAMU defense in it's first SEC action of the year.    TAMU 45 Ark 27

Arizona @ #16 Washington: Washington came from nowhere to being on the edge of breaking the top 15. The road hasn't been smooth, and expect this one to have it's bumps as well, but if they can stick to their gameplan and defend the homefield Washington will find themselves with a rare 4-0 record.     Wash 27 Arz 19

#20 Florida @ Kentucky: Florida lost Jeff Driskel for the season last week with a broken fibula, but the blessing in disguise for Gator's fans was the debut of Tyler Murphy. This game created a lot of hype for the kid, and after one game people were even proclaiming him the best UF QB since that Tebow guy. It was a home game against Tennessee though... Murphy now has to go do it in a hostile environment, against a head coach and a staff that know a lot about UF. But at the end of the day, it's Kentucky and the Gators have the better athletes.    UF 27 UK 13

#23 Wisconsin @ #4 Ohio State: After 4 warm up games, Ohio State finally faces some real competition. It's assumed Braxton Miller will start, but if the first few possessions don't go well then Kenny Guiton should be ready. The Badgers tend to give the Buckeyes trouble, and they'll come out motivated to continue that trend, but at the end of the day Wisconsin is inexperienced and the Buckeyes should hold their ground in Ohio, regardless of whose taking the snaps.     OSU 29 Wisc 17

California @ #2 Oregon: California couldn't slow Ohio State down 2 weeks ago. Now they face an even faster, more dynamic offense. The Ducks should run all over the Golden Bears, just like they've done to everyone else so far.     Oregon 58 Cal 21

#5 Stanford @ Washington State: Stanford put on an impressive showcase against Arizona State last week. But Washington State isn't bad either. They beat conference powerhouse USC and took Auburn to the wire in week 1. This is a new and improved Washington State, but Stanford is still the more talented team here.    Stan 35 Wasu 14

#25 Fresno State @ Hawaii: Well I'm supposed to pick all top 25 games, so I'm stuck picking this one too. Fresno...      Fresno 35 Hawaii 17

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 4 PICKS

     After a record of 15-3 last week, my overall record now stands at 49-11, slightly bumping up my accuracy to 82%. This week should be no different because unfortunately, this might be the most uneventful week of the season. Regardless, I'll go through everything and see if I forsee any upsets, here we go.

     #3. Clemson @ N.C. State: N.C. State has a habit of playing really good teams tough at home. But then again they looked pitiful last week against Richmond. Clemson looks scary good so far, and I can't see N.C. State tripping them up. Maybe it's close for a half since it's a road game on Thursday night, but Clemson's offense is too much for N.C. State in the end.    Clem 45  NCST 17

FAMU @ #4 Ohio State: Even without Braxton Miller, the Buckeyes have had no shortage of offense. Guiton has been an incredible back up, throwing 7 touchdowns in less than 2 games. No matter who takes the snaps on Saturday, the Buckeyes should roll over the Rattlers pretty convincingly.    Bucks 52 FAMU 0

FIU @ #7 Louisville: Another week, another crappy opponent for Louisville. I'll keep it short and sweet, big numbers for Bridgewater and a big W for Louisville.   L'ville 48 FIU 7

North Texas @ #9 Georgia: Things are finally clicking for Georgia after the opening week loss to Clemson. They looked much better against South Carolina, and after playing two top ten teams, they deserve a light game. And that's what this should be, a straight blowout.    UGA 45 UNT 6

Idaho State @ #17 Washington: Washington also deserves a break after playing Boise and Illinois in their first 2 games. Granted that's not too tough but it's better than most played so far. Washington benefits from playing good competition and gets by Idaho State without much effort.    Wash 45 Idaho State 13

Maine @ #18 Northwestern: Don't be fooled by their 3-0 record...Maine is still crap. It's Northwestern's last game before the Big 10 conference schedule so they may look ahead and have a slow start, but they're still way more talented then Maine's athletes.    NW 42 Maine 7

Tennessee @ #19 Florida: UF had a bye week to recover after a loss at Miami and get back on track. Tennessee got pounded by Oregon. Lately UF has had the best of the rivalry...and I expect that tradition to continue in the swamp.    UF 20 Tenn 10

Michigan State @ #22 Notre Dame: Michigan State is trying to return to the college football threat that they once were, and starting 3-0 is a good first step. Meanwhile the Irish rebounded from a loss in the big house to defeat their rival Purdue last week on the road. Notre Dame's early competition should help them prepare for this one, along with Tommy Rees' experience should help the Irish win this one at home.    ND 27 MSU 20

Purdue @ #24 Wisconsin: Last week's ending to the Wisconsin game was one of the most controversial conclusions to a football game I have ever seen. Wisconsin had the game won, I'm not even sure how you recover from that. But sports are weird like that, maybe Wisconsin can channel this as motivation and put on a big performance at home. And Purdue is coming off a tough loss as well. It should be a good fight...but I think Wisconsin needs the win more right now.    Wisc 24 Purdue 21

Louisiana-Monroe @ #20 Baylor: So far the Baylor offense is up there with the best. scoring 139 points in 2 games. While ULM is slightly more well rounded than Baylor's first 2 opponents, they just don't have the firepower to stand toe to toe with Baylor's offense.    Baylor 56 ULM 21

Bethune-Cookman @ #8 Florida State: There's no nice way of putting this...FSU's playing Bethune Cookman today and they're going to obliterate them...with both the rush and pass. Another big day for Jameis.    FSU 70 BC 3

Colorado State @ #1 Alabama: Bama finally catches a break after playing Virginia Tech and Texas A&M in their first 2 games. Handling Colorado State is nothing compared to those teams. Bama wins big.      Bama 48 Colorado State 0

#23 Arizona State @ #5 Stanford: The only ranked game of the week....and only because Arizona State won off bad officiating the week before. While I'm still not sold on Stanford as a top 5 team, I do think they're more well rounded than Arizona State, especially on the defensive side. And that will make all the difference and lead to a home victory.    Stan 27 ASU 13

Southern-Methodist @ #10 Texas A&M: The Aggies should be able to rebound from a close loss to Bama. They picked apart the nation's greatest defense of the past 4-5 years for 42 points. Expect a big day for Manziell, but more woes from the defense.     TAMU 56 SM 21

Savannah State @ #16 Miami: Miami still has some question marks offensively, but Savannah State won't be able to keep up with Miami's speed, strength, or athleticism. Hurricanes continue their hot start.    Miami 45 Savannah State 0

Texas State @ #25 Texas Tech: Texas Tech gets ranked simply because they beat an overrated TCU team at home. I'm not buying Texas Tech as a ranked team, but I am buying that they beat Texas State.    TT 35 Texas State 7

Auburn @ #6 LSU: This might actually be the best game of the weekend. LSU looks solid, actually they look better than they have in years past. Auburn might be back too, starting 3-0 and winning their first SEC game last week against Mississippi State. I think Auburn will compete and remind people of what they're capable of...but you can almost always count on LSU to make enough big plays in Death Valley to seal the deal.    LSU 27 Auburn 17

#15 Michigan @ Connecticut: Is this game really on ABC?? Connecticut won't be able to hang with the Wolverines at the current rate both teams are playing. Although Michigan almost lost to Akron last week so nothing is certain. But Michigan is a better football team at the end of the day.    Mich 31 Uconn 10

New Mexico State @ #13 UCLA: UCLA showed last week that they were a contender not a pretender. 38 unanswered to beat Nebraska on the road and this team is riding an emotional high. Expect that to carry over to this week as the Bruins pick up another W.    UCLA 45 NMST 7

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 3 PICKS

     Week 2 was a slight step backward for me, going 15-5 after going 19-3 the week before. For those of you keeping score at home, that brings my overall record to 34-8, an 81% accuracy. The weeks to come won't be as easy though. The match ups are no longer lop-sided as we move towards conference play and teams finally pick on people their own size. That's no reason for me to try to match my success rate though. Diving into week 3 headfirst.

#24 TCU @ Texas Tech: TCU rebounded from their week 1 loss to LSU and put their first deposit in the win column last week. They'd like for that tradition to continue. The Red Raiders arrive well rested off a bye and not needing to travel. This one has every reason to be on upset alert as both teams open up conference play on a Thursday night. But my gut is telling me TCU will narrowly pull it out.
TCU 17 TT 14

#5. Stanford @ Army: I will always back up the Army on the battlefield, but on the football field it's a bit harder. Stanford did what I said they would last week, slow start followed by a strong finish. Even though it's still early, there's no reason to believe the Cardinal won't easily dispose of Army on Saturday.    Stan 35 Army 7

#7 Louisville @ Kentucky: The annual in-state rivalry returns and once again it's not that exciting. You can't even call this a state championship game because Kentucky fell to Western Kentucky back on August 31st. There's no need to make a big deal about Louisville playing an SEC team or a rival, they should breeze through this one pretty casually.     L'Ville 42 Kentucky 10

Akron @ #11 Michigan: While most teams should stop playing cupcakes around week 3, Michigan deserves an easy week. Riding high off their victory over Notre Dame in the Big House Michigan should walk in with a lot of confidence, rightfully so. Using the comparison theorem: Michigan > Notre Dame > Akron = Big Michigan victory.    Michigan 35 Akron 13

Tulsa @ #14. Oklahoma: Boomer Sooner struggled with West Virginia last week, who we still really aren't sure exactly how to judge. Regardless, the Sooners advanced to 2-0 and 1-0 in the conference. Now they get the Green Wave at home. While it could be interesting for a quarter or two, Oklahoma's athletes should still be superior to Tulsa's and I don't expect any surprises on OU's turf.      OU 29 Tulsa 14

#16. UCLA @ #23 Nebraska: Well this is certainly an interesting non conference match up. The Bruins have the benefit of an extra week of rest, the Cornhuskers have the benefit of home field advantage. I think Nebraska has the better Quarterback and the best player on the field in Taylor Martinez, but I think UCLA has a better coach in Jim Mora Jr. This is a real toss up for me...I'm thinking Martinez makes big plays down the stretch and Nebraska defends the home field.     Nebraska 27 UCLA 23

#1. Alabama @ #6. Texas A&M: When the schedule first came out, this was definately the most anticipated match up of 2013. Johnny Manziell made his name in the world by taking down the Goliath Alabama last season in Tuscaloosca and nearly foiling their national title hopes. But Alabama doesn't take their rare losses lightly, remember how many times LSU crossed the 50 yard line in that 2012 national title game? Another factor I'd like to point out, Texas A&M's defense is struggling: they've allowed 31 and 28 points to Rice and Sam Houston State respectively. Alabama will have them beat on the defensive side of the ball and avenge last year's loss.       Bama 38 TAMU 27

Tennessee @ #2. Oregon: The Volunteers are used to good beginnings, but not really familiar with happy endings once the easy games are out of the way. On the other hand, the Ducks really look like contenders, and booking an ACC and an SEC team in their non conference schedule will look good upon the eyes of the voters. The Oregon offense has been picking up right where Chip Kelly left it and I don't think the Tennessee defense can keep up with it or slow it down.     Oregon 52 Tennessee 20

Nevada @ #10. Florida State: Well it's no secret anymore, Jameis Winston has some serious potential. The freshman has no chance of flying under the radar after his 27/29 5 TD Monday night debut in Pittsburgh back on Labor day. Now his task becomes a bit easier, beat a smaller school in front of the home crowd. Nevada shouldn't be taken lightly, they were only trailing UCLA by 4 at the half of week 1 before falling apart. But at the end of the day there's really no reason FSU shouldn't enjoy a big opening at Doak.     FSU 45 Nevada 13

#19. Washington @ Illinois: After crushing Boise impressively on week 1, Washington finds themselves in unfamiliar territory....the top 20 of the AP poll. They hit the job hard again by booking a Big 10 school in a non conference game. Illinois also enters the game 2-0 with some steam after their rout of Cincinatti. It's too early to tell whether Washington is pretender or contender but Saturday should give us at least a better idea. I could be sniffing upset, but I'm still feeling Washington by a tad in this one.     Wash 22 Illinois 20

#4 Ohio State @ California: Cal was no match for other Big 10 opponent Northwestern, who I still don't believe to be as good as Ohio State. Braxton Miller is listed as "questionable", but I'm confident he'll play. He could have played if they really needed him last week. Even if he doesn't Kenny Guiton has gotten some valuable reps the past 2 weeks and shown his athleticism and ability as a dual threat QB. Ohio State may start a bit shakey since they really haven't had any real competition yet, but they're still the favorite here.     Bucks 28 Cal 14

Kent State @ #8. LSU: Zach Mettenberger FINALLY put together a complete brilliant game, which is big for his confidence regardless of who he's facing. He threw more touchdowns than incompletions and it's still a great possibility that he could be in for a big Senior year. Kent State gets props because they have a habit of booking big games, they just don't have a habit of winning them. Tigers advance to 3-0.     LSU 31 Kent State 13

Vanderbilt @ #13. South Carolina: Both teams already got to play an early conference game, and they both started off on the wrong foot. But that's no reason to not watch out for either of them. South Carolina lost to a great football team on the road and all the tools are still there for a late season BCS run. Vandy has made great strides in recent years, they're competing with their big SEC opponents and last year they made it to a bowl game. At this point in time though, South Carolina is still a better team with a better coach and a better program. I like them to rebound at home.    SC 27 Vandy 14

Lamar @ #12. Oklahoma State: Oklahoma State got the offensive jumpstart that they were so desperately searching for last week, and they're really starting to gain some confidence. The Cowboys should keep the mojo going against Lamar at home and perhaps the national title whispers will begin to emerge.    OKST 45 Lamar 3

#21 Notre Dame @ Purdue: A good rivalry that's lost it's flavor over the last 6-7 years. While it doesn't look that exciting at face value, Purdue has quietly made a habit of really challenging ND as of recently. Notre Dame needs to forget about what happened last week and try to still turn this season into a productive one that they can look at and be proud of. The National Championship isn't out of question if they win out. But that only happens if they take it one step at a time. I think they'll suffer from some adversity but beat Purdue in the last quarter to steal the game.     Notre Dame 21 Purdue 17

#25 Ole Miss @ Texas: I really expected big things from Texas this year with the experience they bring to the table, but after that embarrassing performance against BYU I'm forced to rethink things. I may have also misjudged Ole Miss. I thought they were a team to watch in a few years, but they may be a "now" team. Anyways, my inaccuracies make the crystal ball quite foggy on this one, but I think I'll try to ride the SEC team to victory.     Ole Miss 26 Texas 20

Western Michigan @ #17 Northwestern: Northwestern quietly took care of 2 decent teams without anyone really noticing or acknowledging it. They feel disrespected that their entire conference pays more attention to Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and even Nebraska. Northwestern's opportunity will come as long as they remain patient and make their layups along the way to the bigger games. But they played good enough competition to be more than prepared for Western Michigan.    NW 38 West. Mich. 15

#20. Wisconsin @ Arizona State: I understand Wisconsin's competition has been poor the first 2 weeks, but posting two shutouts shouldn't be overlooked either. Arizona State has only played one game....which was also a shutout. So perhaps a defensive battle is in store for the latest of ranked games this week. Despite the loss of their coach and big players, Wisconsin's been a great team for some time now, and Arizona State is still trying to establish themselves as an NCAA force. I still believe in Wisconsin and the program they've put together.      Wisc 26 Arizona State 17