My favorite two weeks coupled together are right now with Rivalry week and Championship week back to back I'm looking to bounce back this week and look forward to the Thanksgiving weekend of sports both football and baseball. Now on to the picks....
Thursday, November 24th, 2011:
#25 Texas at Texas A&M, 7:00 pm ESPN, I'm not sure how Texas is still in the top 25, they lost each of the last two weeks and their best win is either BYU or Iowa State which is to say a middling team. Texas A&M looked like a top 10-15 team to start the year but has fallen flat in the second halves of games this season and appears to be a much better team than their record would show. Winner: Texas A&M ATS: Texas A&M -8
Friday, November 25th, 2011:
#8 Houston at Tulsa, 11:00 am, Houston's first of two tests happens this week in a square off for the C-USA West crown this week in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Houston is the odds on favorite here but a closer examination of Tulsa gives us a team that has only lost to top 10 teams this season (Oklahoma, Boise, Oklahoma State) and has only had one other game decided by under 17 points. Could Houston be looking ahead to the C-USA championship game thinking they have a cake walk in Tulsa and is Tulsa better than anyone thinks. Winner: Tulsa ATS: Tulsa +3
Iowa at #21 Nebraska, 11:00 am ABC, Both these teams are enigmas, Iowa has played very well at points but then has a loss to Minnesota. Nebraska on the other hand can be described by two games, the blowout at Wisconsin and the win over Michigan State. Winner: Nebraska ATS: Iowa +9.5
#3 Arkansas at #1 LSU, 1:30 pm CBS, This game will decide who wins the SEC West one way or another and more than likely shape the BCS Championship game. LSU has the best resume in the country, with the best win, at Alabama, and a still very good non-con win against Oregon. Arkansas has only the loss at Alabama on their resume with their best wins over underwhelming A&M and Auburn teams or a South Carolina team without Marcus Lattimore. Winner: LSU ATS: Arkansas +13.5
Pittsburgh at West Virginia, 6:00 pm ESPN, Let me preface this pick by saying, my track record on Big East picks this year has been horrendous. The Backyard Brawl has produced some great games through the years the most memorable to me is the '07 version of the game that shook up the BCS. Both teams are nearing the end of year 1 of new regimes and West Virginia looks to be in better shape. Winner: West Virginia ATS: West Virginia -7
Saturday, November 26th, 2011:
Iowa State at #9 Oklahoma, 11:00 am FX, Iowa State is coming off the match that lit the powder keg last week over Oklahoma State and Oklahoma is coming off an upset loss to Baylor and both should come out a little sluggish. I don't think Iowa State has enough to hang on in this game as the emotional letdown should be too much to overcome. Winner: Oklahoma ATS: Iowa State +28
#13 Georgia at #23 Georgia Tech, 11:00 am ESPN, I don't have much to say on this game neither team is a top 10 team and Georgia may be more focused on LSU/Alabama/Arkansas next week. Winner: Georgia ATS: Georgia Tech +5.5
#14 Michigan State at Northwestern, 11:00 am BTN, Michigan State is on upset alert for the same reason Clemson should have been last week for me, they have nothing to play for after clinching their title game berth. Winner: Michigan State ATS: Michigan State -6.5
Ohio State at #15 Michigan, 11:00 am ABC, This years addition of The Game isn't lacking for story lines but won't be a great game on the field one team is trending up and one town but both are average at best. Winner: Michigan ATS: Ohio State +7
Wyoming at #7 Boise State, 1:00 pm, Wyoming is a solid MWC team but Boise is a good team in any conference. (even yours SEC fans) Winner: Boise State ATS: Boise State -33.5
#2 Alabama at #24 Auburn, 2:30 pm CBS, If you follow college football at all then all you need to hear is Roll Tide... War Eagle, if not just type in either slogan and read posts that show up and you'll get what is up. Winner: Alabama ATS: Auburn +21
#5 Virginia Tech at Virginia, 2:30 pm ABC/ESPN2, The surprise of the year has to be the improvements made in year two of the Mike London era at Virginia, the Cavaliers are developing a stingy attitude to them that will challenge just about any team in the conference and most across the nation. Virginia Tech just keeps chugging along after the early loss to Clemson and the offense is continuing to come around after a slow start, the defense is uncharacteristically average for a Bud Foster led squad. Winner: Virginia Tech ATS: Virginia Tech -4.5
Oregon State at #10 Oregon, 2:30 pm ABC/ESPN2, I know this is the Civil War but, ummmmm....yeah. Winner: Oregon ATS: Oregon State +28
#19 Penn State at #16 Wisconsin, 2:30 pm ESPN, This is the match-up I expected coming into the season that would decide the Big Ten Leaders division and it matches up a great rushing attack against a top 10 defense in the country that has one of the best DTs in Still, if the Badgers are with Konz and Wagner however this game will be a major struggle for the Badgers. Winner: Wisconsin ATS: Penn State +15
Texas Tech vs #18 Baylor, 6:00 pm, Tech is really bad. RG3 is really, really good. Winner: Baylor ATS: Baylor -13
#17 Clemson at #12 South Carolina, 6:45 pm ESPN, The Battle for South Carolina should be a very good game but a Lattimore-less team isn't #12 in the country and should be in for one heck of a fight when the Tigers come to town. Clemson is coming off a major letdown against a horrible Boston College team last week and doesn't appear to have a lot to play for. Winner: South Carolina ATS: Clemson +4
#22 Notre Dame at #6 Stanford, 7:00 pm ABC, Notre Dame isn't the 22nd best team in the country and I'm not completely sure that Stanford is the 6th but I am more sure that they are indeed a top 15 team at worst with the best quarterback in the country. Notre Dame had issues against a jump ball passer in Denard Robinson and those struggles should be tenfold against Andrew Luck. Winner: Stanford ATS: Stanford -7
UCLA at USC, 9:00 pm, The best team in the Pac-12 faces off against the current Pac-12 South representative to the championship game. Neuheisel, only a couple weeks removed from being fired now has a chance to have his team in a position that would likely make him unfireable for another year. Lane Kiffin, much like Matt Barkley for the Heisman, is being overlooked for the coach of the year award. I will concede he has a large amount of talent but he has kept a young team focused after a rough start to have a legitimate claim to being the best team in the country. Winner: USC ATS: -14
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