It looks to be a fairly straightforward week of games, which always makes me nervous. One thing I know from over 40 years of picking college football games -- every Saturday has a surprise. We might even see one before Saturday.
Thurs Oct 28
Troy Trojans at #15 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers : Coastal lost last week, which should wake them up and toughen them up. They had it too easy, and they were unfamiliar with the crosshairs that get attached to a ranked team, as everyone wants the attention boost that comes from knocking off a ranked team. After all, look at the attention gained by Appalachian State when they upset Michigan all those years ago. They are still reaping benefits from that. This week they will buckle down and get the job done, even though the Trojans will try to make that hard for them. COASTAL CAROLINA by 11
Fri Oct 29
UNLV Running Rebels at Nevada Wolf Pack : Dare we call this one "Running with the Wolf Pack?" Despite their name, the Running Rebels are having a hard time accumulating yards on the ground this season, and their passing game is only mediocre. Nevada certainly has the offensive advantage here. Defenses seem too close to call, so I'll assign an edge to Nevada. NEVADA by eight
Sat Oct 30
Top 25
#1 Georgia Bulldogs at #23 Florida Gators : An interesting Top 25 matchup! It can be hard for a team to travel to the Swamp, but the Bulldogs are loaded for bear this season (or, in this case, Gator). They have one of the four best offenses and the stiffest defense in the country. Florida is good, but their bench is thin, and Georgia will exhaust these guys. The first half might be close, but not the second. GEORGIA by 16
#2 Michigan Wolverines at #6 Michigan State Spartans : This in-state rivalry always gets intense, and now it features two Top Ten teams! In what might be the most exciting game of the weekend, the Wolverines offense squares off against the Spartan defense. Defense often wins those battles, but the Spartans must play well to maintain that advantage. They have a nasty tendency of making critical mental mistakes, which will be made more likely by the emotional rivalry. MICHIGAN by six
#3 Cincinnati Bearcats at Tulane Green Wave : Unlike last week, this one won't be close. CINCINNATI by 23
#18 Penn State Nittany Lions at #4 Ohio State Buckeyes : Both Illinois and Iowa exposed the flaws in the Nittany Lions' offense, and their secondary can't keep pace with fast receivers, like those on the Buckeyes squad. After Illinois' runners did so well (over 330 yards), you wonder about the Nittany Lions' rush defense as well. Penn State might score first, because Ohio State takes a little time to get gassed up, but that will be their only lead of the game. OHIO STATE by 17
Texas Tech Red Raiders at #7 Oklahoma Sooners : The Raiders have never had a decent defense, and their offense is pretty low this year. Easy win for the improving Sooners. OKLAHOMA by 18
North Carolina Tar Heels at #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish : Carolina started the year nicely, but they've declined since. Not a good time to be facing the Irish. NOTRE DAME by 20
Duke Blue Devils at #9 Wake Forest Demon Deacons : The Demon Deacons find themselves in strange territory. They have never been unbeaten this far into the season, and they've rarely been ranked in the Top Ten. How will they handle the pressure? Against a team like Duke, probably fairly well. WAKE FOREST by 18
Colorado Buffaloes at #10 Oregon Ducks : The Ducks struggled to win last week, which should give them enough incentive to come out strong against the Buffaloes. OREGON by 20
#11 Kentucky Wildcats at Mississippi State Bulldogs : The Wildcats had an extra week to prepare for this game, and they might have needed it. The Bulldogs can get tricky, so I suspect the Wildcats have some surprises up their sleeves as well. KENTUCKY by 17
#12 Iowa Hawkeyes at Wisconsin Badgers : Another Top 25 team who rested last week, it was also a chance for the Hawkeyes to examine their loss against Purdue and shore up some vulnerabilities. That tightness might help them against Wisconsin, but the Badgers will still play them tough. Neither team has a smooth-flowing offense, so this will be a classic defensive showdown. IOWA by four
#13 Ole Miss Rebels at #21 Auburn Tigers : Ooh, I smell an upset brewing in Auburn! The Tigers have lost some punch, but they have the talent to get it back on demand. This game demands it. They probably consider it a warmup to the Iron Bowl, and that makes it crucial. Ole Miss might pull this out, but don't be surprised if the home team hands Ole Miss their second loss of the season. OLE MISS by three
#14 SMU Mustangs at #20 Houston Cougars : Houston rose five positions last week, but mostly on the weakness of other teams, not on an outstanding performance of their own. The Mustangs will stretch them, and I think they'll break. SMU by 11
Texas Longhorns at #17 Baylor Bears : Texas hasn't been the same since their shocking loss in the Red River Shootout. Watch Baylor, who has amassed an "under the radar" record of 6-1, put the final nail into any Big XII Conference hopes of the Longhorns. BAYLOR by 13
Fresno State Bulldogs at #24 San Diego State Aztecs : Fresno State is always a tough opponent, and may take a lead into halftime. That might actually hurt them, because the Aztecs make good halftime adjustments. SAN DIEGO STATE by eight
Kansas Jayhawks at #25 Oklahoma State Cowboys : Kansas put a scare into Oklahoma last week, so you know the Cowboys will show them no mercy. OKLAHOMA STATE by 24
Big Ten
Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Illinois Fighting Illini : Illinois' shocking upset over Penn State last week is something to build upon, and Rutgers is starting to slide. However, the Illini makes too many mistakes, and the Knights will take advantage of that. RUTGERS by six
Indiana Hoosiers at Maryland Terrapins : The Terrapins are having a terrible time in conference play. Indiana is not playing as well as people expected, but their offense should be too fast for Maryland. If the Hoosiers defense doesn't get fooled by the Terrapins' tricks, Indiana should win. INDIANA by eight
Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northwestern Wildcats : This game will be close, because that's how Northwestern plays them, but the Wildcats can't close a game successfully this season. MINNESOTA by four
Purdue Boilermakers at Nebraska Cornhuskers : Purdue has some power, as they showed against Iowa. They won't surprise anyone, but them they wouldn't need to surprise the struggling Cornhuskers. PURDUE by 16
Other Games of Interest
Miami Hurricanes at Pitt Panthers : Pitt is savoring this season, as many of the ACC powerhouses are having a down year. It's a chance to get a little vengeance on team who ran up the score against them before, like Miami. PITT by 18
Texas State Bobcats at Louisiana Ragin Cajuns : Sometimes the Bobcats can surprise, but they don't have the firepower this year. LOUISIANA by 20
Iowa State Cyclones at West Virginia Mountaineers : The Mountaineers are really struggling in conference play this season. After a disappointing start, the Cyclones are showing the power that made them a favorite in this conference in the preseason. IOWA STATE by 16
Oregon State Beavers at Cal Golden Bears : It may surprise you to know that the Beavers are tied with Oregon for the North division lead. Who is the worst team in that division? Cal. OREGON STATE by 20
Louisville Cardinals at NC State Wolfpack : The Wolfpack don't always win big, but they keep winning. With the struggles suffered by Louisville this season, this might be a bigger win than usual. NC STATE by 18
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