NCAA Week 11 picks

Many games this week can decide, or help decide, division titles.  It'll be interesting to see how things develop.

Tues Nov 7
Akron Zips at Miami Ohio Redhawks:  The Zips have a chance to win their division if they win here and Ohio loses to Toledo the next day.  Akron will battle hard for this opportunity.  They play a smoother game than Miami Ohio, and I think that will translate into a win.  AKRON

Wed Nov 8
#21 Toledo Rockets at Ohio Bobcats:  The Bobcats will battle hard, especially if Akron wins the previous night.  However, Toledo is a powerful team this year, and they have the tools to win.  Ohio will make it a close game, but not close enough.  TOLEDO

Thurs Nov 9
Ball State Cardinals at Northern Illinois Huskies:  This should be an easy win for the Huskies, but winning the division will require a lot more than that.  NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Fri Nov 10
#5 Washington Huskies at #23 Stanford Cardinal: Stanford is a tough team at home, where they are unbeaten this season.  They will push the Huskies all the way into the fourth quarter, but the stronger Huskies will eventually wear them down.  WASHINGTON

Sat Nov 11
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide at #16 Mississippi State Bulldogs: The Bulldogs are playing some impressive games this season, but they're nothing compared the overpowering performances Alabama has been producing.  ALABAMA

#2 Georgia Bulldogs at #11 Auburn Tigers:  Auburn might see this as a warm-up to the Iron Bowl, as both Alabama and Georgia have been extremely dominant.  Unfortunately for them, I think the result will be similar, too.  GEORGIA

#25 Iowa Hawkeyes at #3 Wisconsin Badgers:  The Hawkeyes will still be celebrating their upset victory over Ohio State, and thus they are due for a letdown.  Wisconsin does not win impressively, but they do win.  WISCONSIN

#4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at #14 Miami Hurricanes:  Miami has been winning each game, but many of them have been close.  They haven't faced a team like Notre Dame, who can score quickly and frustrate opposing offenses.  Miami's luck runs out here. NOTRE DAME

Florida State Seminoles at #6 Clemson Tigers:  Preseason, this was supposed to be a deciding game.  Now, it should be a wipeout.  CLEMSON

#13 TCU Horned Frogs at #7 Oklahoma Sooners:  TCU might have a chance to beat Oklahoma, but the Sooners offense is firing on all cylinders right now, and the lackluster TCU defense will allow them to score on every possession.  OKLAHOMA

UConn Huskies at #8 UCF Golden Knights:  This should be a breeze for the Knights.  UCF

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at #9 Penn State Nittany Lions:  Penn State wants a strong win to help erase the sting of the Michigan State upset.  Rutgers ought to provide that opportunity.  PENN STATE

Michigan State Spartans at #10 Ohio State Buckeyes:  Can the Spartans pull off two upsets in a row?  More importantly, will Urban Meyer allow his team to lose two games in a row?  I don't the latter will happen.  This may be a close game, but I think Ohio State will emerge victorious.  The Spartans will likely lead at halftime, though.  OHIO STATE

#12 Oklahoma State Cowboys at Iowa State Cyclones: Iowa State has already beaten two ranked teams in conference.  Can they make it a third?  Perhaps, but given how well the Cowboys offense flowed against Oklahoma last week, I think they'll prove too much for the Cyclones.  OKLAHOMA STATE

#15 Virginia Tech Hokies at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Georgia Tech can be tricky at home, but their defense isn't as strong as it often is.  More importantly, the Hokies have the best defense in the conference.  That makes them the favorite.  VIRGINIA TECH

#18 USC Trojans at Colorado Buffaloes: It's a battle of the best and the worst in the Pac-12 South.  Not hard to pick a winner here.  USC

#19 Michigan Wolverines at Maryland Terrapins:  Michigan's defense should control this game as new QB Peters continues to learn.  MICHIGAN

#20 Washington State Cougars at Utah Utes:  Washington State does not have a great road record this season, but Utah isn't really enjoying a home field advantage.  Throw in the Cougars powerful offense, this game should be a fine showing for them.  WASHINGTON STATE

#24 Boise State Broncos at Colorado State Rams:  The Rams have a good offense, but they face a stiff Broncos defense. I'm not sure the Rams will succeed under the incessant pressure they will experience from the Broncos.  BOISE STATE

Big Ten games
Indiana Hoosiers at Illinois Fighting Illini:  Neither team has won a conference game this season, but Illinois' pathetic offense gives the nod to the Hoosiers.  INDIANA

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Minnesota Golden Gophers:  Aside the Michigan State/Ohio State game, this might be the closest and most exciting game of the day.  Both have good offenses that make stupid mistakes.  The winner of this game might be the one who makes the fewest mistakes, and I think Nebraska, as the road team, will be a bit more cautious.  NEBRASKA

Purdue Boilermakers at Northwestern Wildcats:  The Wildcats have just been getting better each week, which make this game a fairly easy victory.  NORTHWESTERN