Rambling's Week 8 CFB Picks

First half of picks up now rest up this evening. 1:44 pm 10/18/12

Thursday, October 18th, 2012:

#3 Oregon at Arizona State, 8:00 pm ESPN, The Ducks head to Sun Devil Stadium to take on Arizona State in a game that will be a challenge if only because we’ve watched too many Thursday night games be paradoxical the past couple of seasons. Todd Graham has Arizona State much improved this season and that should treat them well in this game and going forward. Oregon will win, putting themselves in National Championship position heading into the meat of their conference schedule. Winner: Oregon ATS: Arizona State +8

Saturday, October 20th, 2012:

#6 LSU at #18 Texas A&M, 11:00 am ESPN, LSU heads to College Station on the heels of a big bounce back win against the Gamecocks of South Carolina. Texas A&M is coming off a quality win against Louisiana Tech that made the coming out of Johnny “Football” Manziel even more apparent to the nation. LSU should be able to hold this A&M offense in check, but the tipping point will be if there is any life in the Tigers offense. Winner: LSU ATS: Texas A&M +3.5

#15 Rutgers at Temple, 11:00 am Big East Network, Rutgers is the most surprising undefeated team this late in the season and brings an unusually consistent team to the Big East which hasn’t seen this type of Stability since the first time they lost half their conference to the ACC. Temple a newly added old member of the Big East has been a thorn in the old dogs sides all season and this game should be no difference. Will Kurt Flood’s team remain unbeaten and the favorite in the Big East or will the Owls cause a stumble from the Scarlet Knights? Winner: Rutgers ATS: Rutgers -5

Virginia Tech at #19 Clemson, 11:00 am ABC/ESPN2, On the flip side of Rutgers we have Va Tech which despite past success in avoiding their more than one loss to a less talented team they have 3 losses on the season and seem to be in the midst of a down season in Blacksburg. Clemson has a loss to Florida State in conference but still holds hope that Florida State will Seminole all up in their pants once again this season. Winner: Clemson ATS: Clemson -8

#24 Iowa State at Oklahoma State, 11:00 am FX, Iowa State heads to Stillwater to take on a young but talented Cowboys team that has shown flashes against good competition without the Ws to show for it. These teams are actually very similar in this regard, both will be pains for the elite in the conference but neither is going to be a serious threat for the conference championship. Winner: Oklahoma State ATS: Iowa State +14

#20 Stanford at California, 2:00 pm FOX, with the 30^th anniversary of the play Stanford and Cal meet for the last time of the Jeff Tedford era. We hope. It should happen. Go Cal? Stanford should roll here without too much trouble. Winner: Stanford ATS: Stanford -2.5

#7 South Carolina at #2 Florida, 2:30 pm CBS, South Carolina’s last of their hella-tough schedule brings them to the Swamp in Gainesville where the SEC East picture will clear up considerably. A ‘Cocks win will give them a head to head edge over both Georgia and Florida as well as a 2 game cushion. A Florida win means that the World’s Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville will serve as the last part of the deciding triumvirate of games in this division. Injury News: Lattimore and Clowney are on the injury report. Winner: Florida ATS: South Carolina -3.5

BYU at # 5 Notre Dame, 2:30 pm NBC, Notre Dame wins another slugfest over a very good defense and a horrible BYU offense. Winner: Notre Dame ATS: BYU +13.5

USF at #16 Louisville, 2:30 pm ABC, The only way that USF wins this football game is if Louisville looks ahead to their game with Cincinnati next week in a matchup for a share of Big East supremacy. Winner: Louisville ATS: Louisville -6.5

#17 Texas Tech at #23 TCU, 2:30 pm ABC/ESPN2, A defensive Big XII battle comes to Fort Wayne this weekend as a much improved Tech defense faces off with the stout TCU defense. As such this game comes down to offenses and I have more faith in Tech who’s QB isn’t playing in his third game of the season because of a suspension to the starter. Winner: Texas Tech ATS: Texas Tech -1.5

UNLV at #22 Boise State, 2:30 pm NBC Sports Net, Ha. UNLV is better but no not this week Runnin’ Rebs. Winner: Boise State ATS: UNLV +28

Nebraska at Northwestern, 2:30 pm ESPN/ABC, I don’t think many would have thought this game would hold such importance in the Legends division of the Big Ten when the season began. With Northwestern’s hot start to the season and showing an improvement on defense they may create the most havoc in the Big Ten this year. Nebraska is the main competition for Michigan but a loss hear all but hands Michigan the reigns and the Legends division title. Winner: Nebraska ATS: Nebraska -5

Michigan State at Michigan, 2:30 pm BTN, Michigan State travels to Ann Arbor off a really bad and disappointing loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes last week at home. They should be in rare form on Saturday to start and should have even more as Seniors this year have never lost to Michigan. Michigan looks to be clicking on all cylinders since a bumpy start to the season and looks to be the class of the legends division. Winner: Michigan ATS: Michigan State +10

Colorado at #10 USC, 5:00 pm Pac-12 Network, USC wins unless you’ve watched no college football since the nineties and still remember Colorado’s success, in which case how did you get to my blog. Winner: USC ATS: Colorado +40.5

#1 Alabama at Tennessee, 6:00 pm ESPN, This game had so much promise when the season started as a rivalry renewed by Tennessee’s resurgence but the Vols have since fallen flat. Alabama hits the road in the SEC which always has it’s challenges, but the tide defense should pick apart Tyler Bray’s poor decision making and win this one walking away. Winner: Alabama ATS: Alabama -20

#4 Kansas State at #13 West Virginia, 6:00 pm FOX, Kansa State visits Morgantown this week on the heels of the Mountaineers beat down at the hands of Texas Tech. Kansas State should be able to follow the Tech defensive blueprint and will be able to find some points in a porous West Virginia defense. Winner: Kansas State ATS: Kansas State +2.5

Kansas at #9 Oklahoma, 6:00 pm, Charlie Weis brings his decisive schematic disadvantage to Norman to get his butt woopin’ for another time this season. Winner: Oklahoma ATS: Oklahoma -35

#11 Georgia at Kentucky, 6:00 pm ESPN3, Georgia goes to Kentucky to get another win and tune up for their rivalry game with Florida in Jacksonville. Winner: Georgia ATS: Kentucky +28

Middle Tennesseee at #12 Mississippi State, 6:00 pm ESPN2, This is a trap game of sorts as Middle Tennessee will hang around a longer than many expect because there is no doubt that Mississippi State will be looking towards the Alabama game next week. Winner: Mississippi State ATS: Middle Tennessee +20

#21 Cincinnati at Toledo, 6:00 pm ESPN3, Cincinnati is in a very similar spot to Mississippi State as they look ahead to a matchup with Louisville next week that will help to clarify the Big East race. Winner: Cincinnati ATS: Cincinnati -7

#14 Florida State at Miami (FL), 7:00 pm ABC, Florida State visits Miami in a conference rivalry that should be just as lopsided as it has been the past couple years. Al Golden’s team is talented but young and just doesn’t have the legs to keep up with a veteran Seminoles team. Winner: Florida State ATS: Florida State -20

Baylor at #25 Texas, 7:00 pm ABC, Baylor visits Texas who will give up a bunch of points to the Bears and make this a shootout that is much closer than any Longhorn fan will want to watch. Get out the antacids in Austin but not for the overeating but for a porous D. Winner: Texas ATS: Baylor +11

Utah at #8 Oregon State, 9:30 pm ESPN2, Oregon State is having the season many of us thought the Utes could have had. The Beaver defense is much improved and the offense even without Mannion should be able to put up enough points on a struggling Utah team. Winner: Oregon State ATS: Oregon State -10.5

That's a wrap on the week 8 picks, sorry about missing last week but was out of town and had some file issues should be another exciting week and the championship pictures keep getting clearer. Enjoy you some football.