Ringer's Record
Last Week ATS: 10-7
Last Week SU: 15-2
Season ATS: 78-51 (60%)
Season SU: 117-22 (84%)
Texas Tech (+28.5) at 1 Oklahoma
The initial BCS Standings were unveiled this week, and if the season ended today Oklahoma would be on the outside looking in as far as the National Championship goes. Luckily for the Sooners, LSU and Alabama, still have to play each other. That means that in all likelihood they control their own destiny. Oklahoma will still be looking for some style points. I expect them to put up huge numbers against Texas Tech and beat the Red Raiders handily.
Prediction - Oklahoma 52 Texas Tech 20
Tennessee (+27.5) at 2 Alabama
Tennessee can't catch a break. They have been cursed with a bad case with the injury bug, which includes losing their starting QB Tyler Bray. Now they get LSU and Alabama in consecutive weeks. Alabama's D has been nasty and now they are getting some offensive firepower to go with it. Trent Richardson has officially kicked off his Heisman campaign. The Tide will continue Tennessee's string of bad luck and hand them a devastating loss.
Prediction - Alabama 38 Tennessee 10
21 Auburn (+22.5) at 3 LSU
The Battle of Tigers takes place in Baton Rouge on Saturday. LSU comes into this one more than a 3 TD favorite. They will be without some key players though. Their Heisman candidate DB Tyrann Mathieu, and leading rusher Spencer Ware were both suspended for reportedly using synthetic marijuana. Meanwhile Auburn will try to break in a new QB as Barrett Trotter was benched and ultimately was not the replacement for Cam Newton. LSU wins this one, but by less than 3 TD.
Prediction - LSU 34 Auburn 17
Air Force (+31.5) at 4 Boise St.
Boise St. opened up their first season in the Mountain West with a 50-point drubbing of Colorado St. This week they host their first Mountain West game. They welcome one of the league's better teams in Air Force. Kellen Moore is just one win shy of tying Colt McCoy as the all-time winningest QB in college football history. He will accomplish that feat on Saturday, but Air Force's triple-option attack will do enough to cover the spread.
Prediction - Boise St. 42 Air Force 20
24 Washington (+20.5) at 5 Stanford
This could be one of the better games of the weekend. Washington has been much better than expected behind QB Keith Price and RB Chris Polk. The Huskies have reached the top 25 and will need a win at Stanford to remain there. This will be Stanford's first true test of the year. They are another team ranked lower than they feel they should be in the BCS. They haven;t lost versus the spread yet this year, and until they do I'm not picking against them.
Prediction - Stanford 45 Washington 21
6 Wisconsin (-8.5) at 15 Michigan St.
The Badgers role into East Lansing as an 8.5 point favorite. They are looking to avenge their only regular season loss from last season. Wisconsin has been steam rolling everyone in their way to this point in 2011. This is one of those classic battles of a high-powered offense versus a tough, stingy defense. They say that defense wins championships, but the times are changing. Offense will win out in this one.
Prediction - Wisconsin 35 Michigan St. 23
7 Oklahoma St. (-7.5) at Missouri
This is a game that Oklahoma St. should not take lightly. The Cowboys just received their highest BCS ranking ever at #4, and now they travel to Columbia to take on Mizzou. Missouri has underachieved to this point in the season at just 3-3, but don;t let their record full you. This is a very dangerous team. Ultimately, I think the Pokes have enough to get it done and remain unbeaten, but expect a dog fight in this one.
Prediction - Oklahoma St. 34 Missouri 28
8 Oregon (-32.5) at Colorado
Oregon has some major injury concerns. They are still without their Heisman-finalist RB LaMichael James, and last week starting QB Darron Thomas went down against Arizona St. That didn't seem to slow the Ducks though. This team has tremendous speed and talent all over their depth chart. They are expecting to have Thomas back this week, and Colorado is just bad. Even Ohio St. put up 37 on them. The Ducks will roll.
Prediction - Oregon 48 Colorado 10
North Carolina (+10.5) at 9 Clemson
The Clemson Tigers just continue to roll. They remained undefeated with a big time 2nd Half performance at Maryland last week. This week they welcome the Tar Heels into Death Valley. North Carolina dug themselves too big of a hole versus Miami last week and couldn't dig their way out. I expect that hole to get deeper this week. Clemson WR Sammy Watkins will continue to be electric and lead the Tigers to an 8-0 start.
Prediction - Clemson 31 North Carolina 19
10 Arkansas (-17.5) at Ole Miss
The Razorbacks head to Oxford to take their old coach, Houston Nutt. Arkansas has kept on ticking without Nutt, while their old coach finds his seat getting hotter and hotter at Ole Miss. Don't look for for that seat to cool off any time soon. Arkansas is a bona fide BCS bowl contender and will make easy work of the Rebels.
Prediction - Arkansas 40 Ole Miss 17
Minnesota (+25.5) at 11 Nebraska
Nebraska continues their inaugural tour through the Big Ten by welcoming a bad Minnesota squad to Lincoln. Nebraska still has high hopes of winning the conference title, and Saturday should be one of their easiest games on that journey. Taylor Martinez has been solid this year and Minnesota can't stop anyone. Look for Martinez and Rex Burkhead to have huge days on the ground and for the Huskers to pick up another Big Ten victory.
Prediction - Nebraska 42 Minnesota 13
12 West Virginia (-13.5) at Syracuse
I think most believe that West Virginia was the best team in the Big East last year, despite not representing the conference in the BCS. One of the main reasons why the Mountaineers didn't crash the BCS party, was because they lost a game to Syracuse that not many saw coming. The Orange rode the momentum of that game to a bowl bid. They meet again with WVU looking like the top team in the Big East and Syracuse looking for another bowl bid. WVU gets the better the 'Cuse this time around.
Prediction - West Virginia 34 Syracuse 17
14 Kansas St. (-12.5) at Kansas
Bill Snyder just keeps on doing it in the "Little Apple". He brought K-State on to the national scene in the 90s and early 2000s, after his retirement, the Wildcats fell off the national landscape. Then he returned - and so did K-State. They are the most unlikely of the remaining unbeatens. They head to Lawrence looking for their 6th win of the year versus in-state rival Kansas. They should get it fairly easy.
Prediction - Kansas St. 35 Kansas 20
Boston College (+21.5) at 16 Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech has bounced back nicely from the loss to Clemson. They have beaten solid teams in Miami and Wake Forest the last two weeks. The schedule eases up a bit as they welcome Boston College to Blacksburg. BC has been a mess this year. Frank Spaziani may not be around for much linger should this keep up. The Hokies will win their third straight.
Prediction - Virginia Tech 35 Boston College 10
18 Georgia Tech (+3.5) at Miami
Georgia Tech suffered their first loss of the season last week at Virginia. They stay on the road this week to play Miami. The Hurricanes have been and up and down team. They were even up and down within the same game against North Carolina last week but managed to hold on for a win. Al Golden's team will have its hands full trying slow the Yellow Jackets' option attack. I look for Miami to hit their stride and hand Tech their 2nd loss in a row.
Prediction - Miami 27 Georgia Tech 21
19 Texas A&M (-20.5) at Iowa St.
Texas A&M has bounced back from consecutive defeats to win their last two and get back on track. They will look for their third in a row against a struggling Iowa St. squad. The Cyclone started the year off 3-0 and have since lost three in a row. These two teams are traveling much different paths at the moment. They will stay on their current paths as A&M gets another W.
Prediction - Texas A&M 41 Iowa St. 13
20 Illinois (-5.5) at Purdue
Many thought that Illinois was vastly overrated despite their 6-0 start. They did a lot to prove their critics right last week as the wheels completely fell off in a 17-7 home loss to a struggling Ohio St. team. They will try to get back on track as they travel to Purdue. The Boilermakers lost a close one in Happy Valley last week and need a win to get back over .500. The Illini are the better team and should improve to 7-1.
Prediction - Illinois 27 Purdue 21
Marshall (+20.5) at 22 Houston
Case Keenum and the high-powered Houston offense will look to continue their recent success against C-USA foe Marshall. Houston remains undefeated, and Keenum could become a dark horse Heisman contender should they remain that way. The Cougars have a great shot to run the table, as Keenum has a great shot to break numerous NCAA records. They win again this week.
Prediction - Houston 41 Marshall 17
23 Penn St. (-4.5) at Northwestern
These two teams are very opposite, and actually does live up to the saying that you win with defense. Penn St. has one of the most anemic offenses I have ever seen a 6-1 team have. They have managed to win close ball games with an imposing defense though. Northwestern has a high-octane offense but plays little defense and has a 2-4 record to show for it. Maybe it's a hunch, but I'm going with offense again in an upset.
Prediction - Northwestern 27 Penn St. 20
USC (+9.5) at 25 Notre Dame
Old rivals reunite in a night game in South Bend. USC take their 5-1 record east to battle Notre Dame who has reeled off four straight wins. This rivalry has not been what it once was in recent years, but get one thing straight - this is still a big time rivalry. This could make or break the season for each team. Both teams are capable of scoring points. I like the Irish to win a close, high-scoring affair.
Prediction - Notre Dame 38 USC 33
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