The Picks return!

I know I have been a little slack recently with the picks. For that I apologize, but work was a little hectic recently. Sorry. Want to fight about it? No....ok.
Before I get to the picks I was just thinking about the shaft that LSU is getting right now. They lose their average QB and their troubled backup QB, fullback AND the #5 overall pick in DT Glen Dorsey, not to mention a pretty quality LB and a fine DB Duo in Highsmith, Steltz, and Jackson, respectively....and they are better this year than they were last season. Yeah, you know, when they crushed Duh Ohio State in the BCS title game! Yep better. But because their QB situation was a redshirt freshman or a Harvard Transfer, people discounted them. Last time I checked, redshirt freshmen are pretty good at QB when pressed into action. See: Bradford, Sam; McCoy, Colt; Greene, David; Vick, Michael to name a few. Jarrett Lee is going to be the next one and UGA's game in Red Stick in a few weeks looks next to impossible. I just say that the defending champ is the defending champ until proven otherwise. And no one has knocked LSU off yet. They should be #1 right now, NOT some OU team that hasn't beaten anyone of note yet.
With that said, ON TO THE PICKS!

#5 Texas @ #1 OU. Speaking of OU....They FINALLY start their schedule, as weak as it is. Texas I believe is highly overrated and I think this is the first of several losses of the season for the Longhorns. I take OU in this game and if I was smart, I would have built a port-a-potty and placed it at the Cotton Bowl for the State Fair. I would have made a FORTUNE!

ECU @ UVA. Wow three weeks ago this game looks like ECU all the way, the way they took down WVA and NCSU and VaTech, but then they started losing to crappy schools and suddenly Skip Holtz isn't a genius anymore. Groh must win this game to keep his job and my stepmom will be in attendance at this game. SHE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. UVA wins. How she makes a difference, I don't know, but I think she somehow does.

Da Cuse @ West Va. THIS IS BIG EAST FOOTBALL! As Howard Dean would say, "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Wait, WHAT? You may NOW flip it back to the OU/UT game. West Va will win this one, DESPITE Bill Stewart. (PS how did he manage to mess THAT up? Noel Devine and Pat White v the Big East...that has BCS written ALL OVER IT, yet Stewart has managed to cock it all up. WOW. Are we sure Bill Stewart wasn't involved recently in the stock market?)

Minny @ Illinois. Can some one please tell 790 The Zone's David Pollack that the "S" at then end of Illinois is silent!!!!?! This guy went to UGA. Thanks DP. Apparently you didn't major in Geography while you were there. Illinoise wins this one.

Colorado at #16 KU. I read that Colorado Coach Dan Hawkins has opened up QB competition for the Buffs. The only thing that is funny is that the current QB is Cody Hawkins. HE IS HIS SON. I bet that's a fun dinner table. I wonder if Dan Hawkins really "leaves work at the office" and if Cody comes over for Sunday dinner, Father says to Son, "So how is football going?" and Son replies, "The IDIOT COACH is thinking of benching me!" I wonder then if Hawkins responds with "THIS AIN'T INTRAMURALS, SON!" KU wins and the Hawkins suffer a severe family split.

South Carolina @ UK Did Chris Smelley REALLY get named SEC offensive player of the week last week? Did I read that correctly? HUH? THEY BEAT OLE MISS? They won't beat UK this game though. Spurrier loses to UK and maybe he cries and Dies a little bit inside. This is the beginning of the end for Spurrier as I think he hangs up his whistle after this season. I know SoCar has a zonetastic defense, but the offense just isn't there, and Spurrier is NO Brian Billick (is that how you spell his name?)

KState @ TAMU. I read where KState had their fall break this week....only it was last Monday. They had their fall break ON A MONDAY. Are you serious? ON A MONDAY? I just can't root for KSU after pulling a stunt like that. TAMU wins.

#13 Vandy @ Miss State. Vandy MIGHT ACTUALLY GO TO A BOWL this year. Hmmmm. How about that. Jay Cutler couldn't get them to one, neither could Zolman, but Chris Nickson might just do it. The key here though is Vandy not looking ahead to UGA next week. I AM SERIOUS. Miss State's defense is decent and they can control the game (At least Sly Croom likes to think they could) so Vandy might be in trouble. But I hope they win this one so UGA can smack them next week.

Nebraska @ #7 Texas Tech. So Nebraska spits on players. Hmm. that's classy. Glad to see that Pelini really got the school back to doing things the Nebraska way. Apparently that involves spitting. You stay classy you Cornhuskers! Texas Tech passes all over these guys. This is maybe close for 3 minutes.

ASU @ #8 USC. Hey I thought this game was supposed to be one we circled on our calendars at the start of the year Pac 10 APOLOGISTS! I thought ASU would be in the top 5 after a HUGE home win over UGA? And USC was the best USC team EVER, I thought. Hmmm I guess YOU GUYS were wrong. See I knew ASU would lose to UGA. ANy smart college football would have told you that. I mean don't you guys listen to Chadd Scott on 790? Wait, what does the D stand for? Hmm? That's how he spells his name? Oh, nevermind. go with USC and let's move on.

Purdue @ #12 duh Ohio State. The sad part is that Daddio is going to this game and, having been to a bunch of UVA games recently, he will probably this THAT is how College Football is supposed to look. I really need to bring Daddio down for a game Between the Hedges! OSU dots the I in Victory over Purdue in this one and Daddio thinks Big11 football is really something. I blame myself. I am going to go give myself a swirly. I'll be right back.

Notre Dame @ #22 UNC. OK, I'm back and soaking wet. Hey, did you notice that King Fupa has been gelling his hair recently? I think he liked what he saw last year with Jimmy CLausen and he said, "I am going to try that!" Once CLausen saw what Fup was doing, he went and changed his hairdo. You CANNOT have this sort of friction between player and Fupa. UNC wins.

#23 Michigan State @ Northwestern. How about this...this game is on ESPN2, while the Nebraska/Texas Tech game isn't, while the UCF/GT game isn't. I bet ESPN wakes up EVERYDAY and thinks I LOVE OUR BIG11 contract! No wonder they shelled out all that green for the SEC rights. Sparty wins behind Javon Ringer.

Garnder Webb @ GT. For the record I actually knew Garnder Webb was in Boiling Springs, NC, so TAKE THAT AJC Quiz! (I got 8 of 8 on the website's little quiz. HA!) I think the great part about this game is that Jaybo Shaw is still at QB for GT against the Runnin' Bulldogs. And Jaybo is white. Who names his kid Jaybo and his other son Connor. Normal name...wacko name. WHY? Jay and company wins

UCF @ Miami. You know what is weird. UCF is probably a favorite in this game. THAT is how far the U has dropped. I am TAKING UCF and George O'Liar-y.

Zona @ Stanford. This might actually be the second highest profile Pac10 game of the week. But seriously the Pac10 is RIGHT up there with the SEC, right LeftCoasters? Stanford at home wins. PS, Har-bough sounds like something you do with your throat when you are sick. Just saying...

#17 Okie State @ #3 Mizzou. I wonder if ESPN gameday will mic up Chase Daniel YET AGAIN for a feature on GameDay. Are they prepping Chase Daniel up for a career ala Jesse Palmer? They seriously mic him up EVERY weekend. At some point if you are Gary Pinkell don't you say, "Enough guys. Big game this weekend. Let's focus!" But I guess Chase does it to try and grab that Heisman. Good for him. As long as Tebow doesn't win it. Daniel is mic'ed up and he takes it to Mike Gundy's MEN

#4 LSU @ #11 Florida. I am sorry, I just can't see Florida winning this game. I think that they will hit Tebow and hit him hard. The line is just too quick and LSU's defense is too goo to give up those plays to the "speed" of Florida. I am STILL waiting for Florida to speed past a decent opponent. STILL WAITING....... Bueller......LSU's running game grinds this one out and the defense hopefully puts Tebow in that training room Ricky Jean-Francious was talking about.

PRO-fess-ion-ale.
Chicago @ Atlanta. The Falcons have a chance to go 4-2 with a win. I predicted them to win 3 all year, so they either have to lose out to make me look smart, or win a few and set themselves up for the next few seasons. I hope they win a few more because talk radio is better when your teams are better (EVIEI turned into a ghost town after August) Do I think Atlanta can win against Da Bears, yes, but it will take Matt Ryan throwing some to do it. I know you say, "just don't make mistakes" but otherwise they will load up the box against Michael Turner and shut him down. In all of the wins Matty Ice has had to throw some to win. He HAS to throw for them to win. Just to keep things honest. Wait, the bears are terrible. OF COURSE ATLANTA WINS!

Special de jour. Of the day if you will
Lock of the week
Arkie at #20 Auburn. How Aubie is still ranked is beyond me, but they just fired their OC. Tony Franklin is out and the inside receivers coach is set to call the plays. Hmmmmmm If Tommy Tuberville didn't want to maim Bobby Petrino for the attempted coup de tat, I might think Aubie would lose this weekend. But Arkie is the opponent so you KNOW the Tigers/plainsmen/war eagles will win. They just will. No WAY Petrino wins this one. LOCK IT UP!

Upset of the week
#6 Penn State @ Wisco. Wisconsin had won 16 straight at home before falling last week to duh Ohio State. Penn State is pretty good, but #6 in the country? NO TEAM is going undefeated in the Big 11 and as much as I'd like to see PSU run the table JUST so tOSU won't win yet another Rose Bowl appearance, I think I'd rather see PSU fall here, but beat osu later in the year. PLUS I hear Wisconsin is going to get back to playing Wisconsin football. Get my pillow ready, not so I can sleep, but so you can smother me so I don't have to watch. Wisco wins this one.

Local rooting interest.
Tennessee @ #10 Georgia. Interesting how, after a UGA win, they FALL in the polls, but after they DON'T EVEN PLAY, they move up. The moral to this story....schedule ALL BYE WEEKS and book a ticket for the BCSCG. UGA faces a tennessee team that these days ONLY PLAYS one game a year and it is ALWAYS against UGA. (wow, they have fallen to Socar level. yeouch) Tennessee will certainly keep this one close, closer than I'd like, but I'd like to think that UGA pulls this one out. Hey, couple that with a few upsets in the top 10 and you have potentially the #7 team in the country by tomorrow morning. But they have to win first....then sit back and enjoy an LSU win. PLEASE LET THAT HAPPEN! Go Dawgs!