College Football Picks-Week 8
Last week I got burned on two last second plays as both of my picks (Penn State & Notre Dame) lost at the last second. Of course, by that point of the day I didn't care at all since Wisconsin also came back to beat the hated Golden Gophers in the last seconds. F*ck 'em, Bucky!
Anyway, I feel like I understand the Big Ten pretty well, but I'm just starting to learn about what makes other conferences tick. Hopefully I can use some of these observations to pick some winners.
#10 Texas Tech at #2 Texas: I think I've got the Big 12 figured out. Each year one team is pretty good and everyone else is pretty bad. This makes the pretty good team look great. The pretty bad teams all play each other so they're not exposed as the frauds they are until bowl season begins. This year, Texas is clearly the pretty good team. In fact, they may buck the trend and actually be a great team. So, I have complete confidence in them against the also undefeated Texas Tech. Texas is the real deal. Texas Tech is just another overrated Big 12 team. The pick: Texas.
Purdue at #19 Wisconsin: If you've seen highlights of the Wisconsin/Minnesota game you probably think the Badgers won because they were lucky. Let me enlighten you. Down by 10 with around 2 minutes left in the game, the Badger offense drove for a quick TD. Then, the special teams came through with an onside kick that, although they didn't recover it, did trickle down to the 10. The defense did their part by stopping Minnesota on a 3 and out. Sure, Minnesota screwed up the punt, but the Badgers made a lot of their own luck. Our defense is just decimated, but even so I don't think we'll lose at home to an underachieving Purdue. The pick: Wisconsin.
#17 Tennessee at #5 Alabama: My impression of the SEC is that all they care about is just killing each other. Their fans might be happy beating their biggest rival and no one else rather than have it the other way around. Alabama is undefeated, at home but untested. I can't figure Tennessee out. When I think they're crappy and done for the season they turn in a tremenous effort. My guess is they do it again here. The pick; Tennessee.
#16 Auburn at #7 LSU: Another SEC game, another game I don't have a clue about. I have a soft spot for Auburn because of Charles Barkley. LSU is probably the better team and they're at home, but I think they've played this season on emotion and you can't sustain that. They're due for another let up. The pick: Auburn.
#1 USC at Washington: USC is so lucky to still be undefeated. I still don't think they'll win out, but their loss won't happen today. Although wouldn't it be a great story if they lost to Ty Willingham's Washington? The pick: USC.
Posted by at October 21, 2005 07:06 AM
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Comments
| # October 21st, 2005 10:03 AM Chad |
| Your comments regarding the Big XII cannot be more off base. You seem to have confused the Big XII with the Pac-10. Every year since the conference opened up there has been one dominant team and several strong teams, kind of like three other conferences. Even in the early years of Nebraska domination on the national scene, there was always a strong UT team and a growing OU team followed by a Tech team that is the only Big XII team to have played in a bowl game each year since the conference started.
As far as Tech being overrated, considering they haven't played anyone other than Nebraska yet that's a stretch. With the history of these two teams, it usually comes down to where the game is played. This year it's in Austin, but had it been in Lubbock would you have sung a different tune? |
| # October 21st, 2005 10:46 AM james |
"As far as Tech being overrated, considering they haven't played anyone other than Nebraska yet that's a stretch" umm, isn't that the definition of being "overrated?" |
| # October 21st, 2005 11:02 AM drew |
| Are my eyes decieving me? Your comments suggest Texas, but your pick says Texas Tech. Tech is not a top ten team. This game will be a blowout.
"With the history of these two teams, it usually comes down to where the game is played. This year it's in Austin, but had it been in Lubbock would you have sung a different tune?" Why? Texas dominated Tech in Lubbock last year. In fact they've only kept it close in Austin once since 1997. And at home they're 3-3 in their last six against Texas. |
| # October 21st, 2005 11:17 AM kris |
| Oh crap. I meant to pick Texas. One moment please. The pick is now changed. Thanks for the heads up! |
| # October 21st, 2005 11:19 AM james |
| so it wsa a mistake after all? i thought that for once i had a chance of winning the weekly bet. is it on again this week? |
| # October 21st, 2005 12:34 PM jagorham |
#17 Tennessee at #5 Alabama: My impression of the SEC is that all they care about is just killing each other. In this case, damn skippy. As I've noted before, Bama deserved the sanctions they got. That said... This is the first appearance in the state of Alabama for Tennessee coach Phat Phil Phulmer since it came out he had a major hand in a lot of the NCAA investigations into Bama (even to the extent that he refused to go to the SEC coaches media day last year because he was afraid he'd be served with a deposition in state court regarding to several lawsuits resulting from the sanctions on some former Bama assistant coaches). Many fans (and I'm one of them) believe Fulmer did the rat-fink to get the NCAA off of Tennessee's butt (their investigations into UT stopped almost to the day that their investigations into Bama began). Throw in that this was the second-biggest Bama rivalry (after Auburn) and *you bet* we want to beat the Vols. I reluctantly expect Tennessee to come out on top here. But I can dream. |
| # October 21st, 2005 12:37 PM jagorham |
*#16 Auburn at #7 LSU:* Another SEC game, another game I don't have a clue about. I have a soft spot for Auburn because of Charles Barkley. LSU is probably the better team and they're at home, but I think they've played this season on emotion and you can't sustain that. They're due for another let up. The pick: Auburn. Auburn is woefully underrated. LSU will keep it close (unless they cough up the ball a lot again this week), but I expect Auburn will win. |
| # October 21st, 2005 1:35 PM Chad |
| Unless a team has actually played a worthy opponent, you have no clue how they stand in relation to other teams. The definition of overrated is being rated higher than they have performed. You can't say that with Tech.
In recent history UT has been over Tech quite consistently, yes, but there's more years of contests than just the past six. Also to neglect the fact that Tech has gotten better each of the past six seasons is a bit odd. To compare a TTU team of last year to this year's squad based upon who all was playing last year is not a fair comparison. I was at the game last year and it was closer than the score, but as has been the case since Leach took over, the defense was nonexistent. The rise of the defense actually adds another dimension to the game this year. And by the way, I'm not picking Tech to win, but to consider the team no better than other teams which are ranked below them at this point is ridiculous. |
| # October 21st, 2005 1:39 PM james |
| "Unless a team has actually played a worthy opponent, you have no clue how they stand in relation to other teams. The definition of overrated is being rated higher than they have performed. You can't say that with Tech. "
i dont see how you dont understand that you're defeating your own argument there. if you havent played anybody good, then you "have no clue how they stand in relation to other teams" hence, the team is being "rated higher than they have performed" |
| # October 21st, 2005 2:09 PM countertop |
| Your correct about the SEC.
To the fans and teams of the nation's most powerful football conference, the rest of the country and some phantom national championship are secondary. What matters most is 1)beating (no, killing) your rivals and 2) winning the SEC and 3) winning the Sugar Bowl. Thats just the way it is. We all know we have a much stronger conference than anyone else, and year in and year out - a vastly more difficult time of going undefeated compared to PAC10 schools or Florida State in the ACC (though the last couple of years the ACC has really changed). Anyway, for fans of the Volunteers the third saturday in October is about as big as it gets. Its almost as important to Alabama fans. Heck, as a Freshman at UT I had an old (grey hair and all, probably in her 50s) Alabama lady trip me and spit on me after a game. This year, in light of the scandals at 'Bama, will only be worse. Sadly, I have to disagree with jagorham. Fat Phil Fulmer might be the winningest active coach in college football (or highest percentage or whatever it is) but no body blows big games against good teams are he does. There is simply no way he doesn't find a way to lose this one. Its about time we fired his fat ass, maybe a loss here will be the last straw. In either case, Buck Fama!!! |
| # October 24th, 2005 8:27 AM drew |
| Tech sure looked like a Top Ten team, huh?
The defense has not gotten better. Save for that inexplicably low-scoring game in 2000, Texas' fewest points against Tech during the Leach era were 38 in 2002. |