NCAA 2014 Week 10 picks

We have three games of Top 25 teams playing each other, including the first one.

Thurs Oct 30
 #9 Florida State Seminoles at #22 Louisville Cardinals:  This could be a pivotal game for the Seminoles.  They have not been overly impressive, except the second half of the Notre Dame game.  If they aren't careful, the Cardinals could unseat them from the ranks of unbeaten teams.  Florida State SHOULD win the game, but we'll have to see if they DO win.  FLORIDA STATE by six

Fri Oct 31
Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Memphis Tigers:  It's no trick, but a tremendous treat that Memphis gets to host the struggling Hurricane.  Memphis still has a shot at the conference title, although East Carolina and UCF have a strong hold on the top.  A win here should help.  MEMPHIS by 21

Sat Nov 1
Top 25:
Arkansas Razorbacks at #1 Mississippi State Bulldogs:  The Razorbacks can be tough competitors, but Dak Wallace and company seem primed to defend their Number One ranking.  MISSISSIPPI STATE by 13

Florida Gators at #4 Georgia Bulldogs  This battle is often fierce, and this year will be no exception.  I do think Florida is overpowered here, but rival games like this one don't always follow such logic.  Georgia should win, but Florida might make it interesting.  GEORGIA by 11

Illinois Fighting Illini at #6 Ohio State Buckeyes:  The Illini shocked Minnesota last week with a strong first quarter, but I don't think they can duplicate that feat this week.  Oh, they might have a decent first quarter, but so will Ohio State.  OHIO STATE by 26

Purdue Boilermakers at #7 Nebraska Cornhuskers:  This one will be decided quickly.  NEBRASKA by 34

#10 TCU Horned Frogs at West Virginia Mountaineers:  West Virginia has quietly moved to second place in the Big XII behind Kansas State, but TCU has been blowing away opponents.  TCU's offense is just too strong for West Virginia.  TCU by 24

Kansas Jayhawks at #11 Baylor Bears:  Baylor should be able to keep pace with TCU by trouncing lowly Kansas.  BAYLOR by 36

#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Navy Midshipmen  Navy hosts the Irish, and they boast one of the most potent ground attacks in FBS.  That grinding attack can exhaust many teams, but I think the Irish have the stamina to keep up with it, and fight back with an Everett Golson-led offense of their own.  NOTRE DAME by 13

Stanford Cardinal at #13 Oregon Ducks:  Stanford's defense has been the only one in the Pac-12 to consistently trouble the Ducks, but that defense isn't quite working as effectively this year.  They might still make things tough for Oregon, but not tough enough to win.  OREGON by 14

#15 Oklahoma Sooners at Iowa State Cyclones:  I don't think the Sooners needed an extra week to prepare for this game.  OKLAHOMA by 30

#16 Arizona Wildcats at UCLA Bruins:  UCLA hasn't been living up to preseason hype, and most of that falls on the shoulders of QB Brett Hundley.  His Heisman hopes have evaporated, but he can redeem his season with a spirited victory over Arizona.  Somehow I don't think he'll get that, as the Wildcat defense is pretty tough.  ARIZONA by 16

#18 Duke Blue Devils at Pittsburgh Panthers  Pitt isn't that large an obstacle between Duke and their second consecutive trip to the ACC Championship Game.  DUKE by 17

Oklahoma State Cowboys at #19 Kansas State Wildcats:  The Wildcats lead the conference while the Cowboys are losing traction.  This game could determine whether Okie State can right the ship, or if they are going down.  KANSAS STATE by 13

#20 Utah Utes at #24 Arizona State Sun Devils:  The Sun Devils have been steadily improving each week.  If that trend continues, Utah doesn't stand a chance.  If Utah can find a way to stem the growing Sun tide, they might make a game of it.  ARIZONA STATE by 12

#21 East Carolina Pirates at Temple Owls:  The Pirates seem to have a firm grip on the top of the American Athletic Conference, with only UCF as a serious contender.  Temple looked good earlier in the season, but they are fading in the face of stiffer competition.  EAST CAROLINA by 13

Kentucky Wildcats at #23 Missouri Tigers:  Kentucky has been playing opponents tough, but they have trouble closing games against SEC opponents.  They'll keep this game close, but Missouri should register another win.  MISSOURI by ten

#25 USC Trojans at Washington State Cougars:  The Cougars won't challenge the Trojans, we are hoping to hold on to a Top 25 ranking.  USC by 27

Big Ten:
Northwestern Wildcats at Iowa Hawkeyes:  Iowa is trying to hand on in the tightly-contested Big Ten West race.  Northwestern can be highly unpredictable, however.  Iowa should win, but you can never count out the Wildcats.  IOWA by 13

Maryland Terrapins at Penn State Nittany Lions:  Penn State nearly had a win against Ohio State last week, so they are playing to prove a point.  That point will be stabbing Maryland right in the heart.  PENN STATE by 21

Wisconsin Badgers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights:  Wisconsin had been beating up on opponents ever since their loss to LSU, but an upset by Northwestern and a close game against Illinois seemed to take the shine off.  They kicked back against Maryland last week, and they get to do it again against Rutgers.  WISCONSIN by 27

Indiana Hoosiers at Michigan Wolverines:  I think it's pretty obvious that the Head Coach position at Michigan will be vacant by season's end, but Brady Hoke is hoping to salvage it by getting a win against Indiana.  They should.  MICHIGAN by 13

Other Games of Interest:
North Carolina Tar Heels at Miami Hurricanes:  Miami has a better record, but these teams are actually fairly evenly matched.  This could be an excellent game.  Close games like this often go to the home team, and I'll continue that trend.  MIAMI by four

Virginia Cavaliers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets:  Virginia has been a good team this season, but Georgia Tech is starting to distinguish themselves in the tightly-clustered ACC Coastal division.  The Jackets have an annoying habit of improving as the season progresses, so they should continue to pull away from the pack.  GEORGIA TECH by 13

Colorado State Rams at San Jose State Spartans:  This may be Colorado State's year to advance to the Mountain West title game, and they won't let a sputtering 3-4 Spartans team derail that.  COLORADO STATE by 17

GAME OF THE WEEK:  #5 Auburn Tigers at #3 Ole Miss Rebels:  The national pollsters really punished Ole Miss for their three-point loss to LSU.  All they've done is make them mad.  This will likely be another defensive battle, but this time I think the Rebs will emerge victorious.  OLE MISS by six