Friday pickins

Before we get in to the weekly picks, I want to wish Daddio a happy birthday. The Big Guy called me the other day and he said that with UVA and the Redskins playing like dog poo (not his word), golf would be the only sport that he would watch from now on. I told Wifey this and she responded that golf wasn't a sport. I think she says that just because she knows it gets under my skin. She also considers cheerleading a sport, so I guess golf should take her opinion as a compliment.
Anyways, happy birthday Daddio, let's hope the Redskins can get you a win and the Cavs fire Al Groh!

Let's pick em!

#6Vatech @ Duke. Beamerball was in play last week when Miami was in Blacksburg, and by Beamerball I mean winning the turnover battle, stop the run, run the ball and making plays on special teams. AKA the recipe for WINNING games. Not beamerball. Just the formula for winning games. I guess the Hokies play Beamerball again this week against Duke.

#22 Michigan @ Michigan State. You know Sparty will be pumped up and want to end the Hugh Jackmans undefeated season. But then you remember that Sparty lost to CMU. RichRod wins another one!

Clemson @ Maryland. Dabo vs. The Fridge. Funny how Ralphie isn't a genius anymore. Maybe the weight he lost was his football smarts. Gain the weight back Fridge. It was your ticket! Dabo wins.

Wisco @ Minny. Interestingly enough, this game is on ESPN. WOW. This is the best the network could pull in for an early game? Last season Minny was pretty good against the unranked teams and while Wisco might be starting to think that they are back, they aren't. NEWSFLASH WALTER CRONKITE, you aren't! Golden Gophers out burrow the Badgers. (PS is there any more of a matchup between two loser mascots. Maybe if the Rice Owls (now, Owls are birds of prey)...if the Oregon State Beavers took on the Louisville Cardinals. A freaking Beaver vs. a Cardinal? What is the Cardinal going to do? Build an angry nest?)

uva @ UNC. well Al Groh wasn't fired over the bye week, but Daddio should get a belated birthday present at the end of the season with a pink slip for Groh. PS, if you've never been to UNC's stadium, you should really go. Beautiful with the trees surrounding the one endzone. Very nice. At least UVA will get to lose in a pretty stadium. Could UVA go winless? possibly.... so sad. Wait, they play Maryland right? 1-11!

SoFla @ Da Cuse. I am starting to BELIEVE IN GREG PAULUS. How can I root for this guy after despising him for so long. Oh, he changed unis. That's right. I never had anything against Paulus, I just hated Duke. SoFla comes crashing back to earth with their trip to the Carrier Dome. Paulus leads the Orange to a win!

Northwestern @ Purdue. I am going to have to lean towards Purdue because Northwestern, on its ride down to West Lafayette will potentially have several of its plays kill themselves due to boredom. I made the drive from Chicago down through Indiana and I wanted to get out and stand in traffic after my 3rd hour in that crap state.

Ark State @ #13 Iowa. So the Pam Ward dance party is in Iowa City this weekend. Hawkeye co-eds....LET'S DANCE! Iowa wins over the acornfinders (or whatever ArkState is...

#10 Cincy @ Miami (OH). Tony Pike and Brian Kelly's Bearcats are NO.10 IN THE COUNTRY? REALLY? They play in the Big East! That's OK. they are undefeated and if Boise State can be No.5, I'll let Cincy come in at No.10. My brother Larry must be so proud. They stop down the miami imposters.

#15 Penn State @ Illinois. I bet before the season people thought this might be for the Big11 title. They forgot Ron Zook was involved. I guess they also forgot JoePa is 93. For this game though, take the 93 year old. Why? He has thick glasses and I can do a better impression of him than of Zook. (My impression of Zook is to just walk in to a frat house and challenge everyone to a fight.)

UCLA @ Stanford. I was ON with my Stanford pick last week. I just KNEW Screech's cousin could pull a game out over Washington. I KNEW it. And as for this game, UCLA isn't very good. I watched them against Tennessee. I think the Cardinal takes this game too. PS, did you see ESPN's recruiting rankings? Stanford is in the top 15.

Washington @ Notre Dame. So Jimmy Clausen's toe is hurt. That's a shame. Wait, they are still playing U-Dub, but Tyrone Willingham isn't the coach anymore, so the Huskies actually have a chance. Ummmm, despite the Toe, Clausen is better than Jake Locker (spelling?) Take the Irish and the Fupa may refer to himself in the third person again.

FSU @ BC. I know ZERO FSU fans that want Jimbo to take over when Bowden gets pushed out finally. Actually the bi-polar fans will probably LOVE Jimbo after the Noles put up a whoopin' on the BC JV this weekend. Oh, just like the Roman mob...SO FICKLE!

No.9 Ohio State @ Indiana. The ONLY chance Indiana has is if this game took place in an arena that banned sweatervests. But even then I think Ohio State could coach itself to a win

#21 Ole Miss @ Vandy. Yeah, you thought this would be under the UPSET OF THE WEEK section, but it isn't. Vandy is just THAT BAD this season. I do not fear the trip to Nashville for the Dawgs anymore. (unless Wifey is driving their bus in which case they will get a flat right outside of LP Stadium). Take the Rebs.

Texas A&M @ Arkie. Bobby Petrino v Mike Sherman. Two failed NFL coaches facing off in the college game. The only thing is, Petrino is a good college coach while Sherman isn't even a high school coach.

Auburn @ Tennessee. I thought before the season that this would be an exciting 3-2 game, but now I think it might be 45-20 Auburn. I've got to go with Joey Bagodoughnuts's team here and say War Eagle, I mean, Go Plainsmen, er Tigers...whatever they are called.

#7 USC @ #24 Cal. This could have been lock of the week, but I shall refrain. Cal will go from #6 in the country to not ranked in just two weeks after the Trojans hand Cal their second straight beatdown. Matt Barkley is back but the REAL question is....how will Mitch Mustain punt? Or will he have to? And I wonder if Stephon Johnson wishes he had gone to UGA now. Georgia's S&C coach would have NEVER let the weight hit the guy's neck. But then Georgia would have never signed Knowshon....

#8 OU @ #17 Miami. Sam Bradford won't play and Landry Jones will. Is it just me or is OU maybe trying to force Bradford out? Everyone except Bob Stoops. But isn't it smart to go ahead and let the Jones kid play as much as possible since he'll be starting next year? I say yes. Jones, Bradford, I could play QB and the Sooners would beat THE U. I wonder how quickly the fans of THE U will turn on Shannon after he loses at home? Last week you could chalk it up to the rain. This week, you just aren't as talented. The U isn't back just yet. You may have jumped the gun Randy. Paging Tommy Tuberville....

Lock of the week.
#3 Bama @ UK. Alabama has only lost twice to UK since the roaring twenties. Yeah. twice. the last time as 1997. They won't start again this week. Bama is frankly the BEST team in the country. Done. Very excited that UGA gets to face them in the SEC Championship....(Seeing if the Florida fans are still awake, unlike their QB on the field last week against UK)

(No upset of the week and no Falcons game)

Local rooting interest
#25 GT @ Miss State. The Cowbells will be out and ringing as The OTHER Bulldogs seek Dan Mullen's first signature win in his first year in Starkvegas. Miss State shut down LSU's running game, but they won't shut down GT's as easily. This will have been the hardest game to date on Tech's schedule (yeah, Miami, I'm disrespecting you) and Tech hasn't done well on the road this season. Go with Miss State in this one. SEC! SEC!

#4 LSU @ #18 Georgia. The Dawgs won't be able to turn the ball over three times and expect to win this game. AJ Green will go up against a stud CB for the Tigers in Patterson, but AJ is pretty dadgum good. If Caleb can hold on to the ball, I think he takes over the position from Samuel and we saw what a shifty-sort of back did against LSU last year in this game. I expect CWM will have his team juiced for this one: "Time to make a statement that we're all the way back!" Not sure the team is, but LSU's offense has looked pedestrian all season. Maybe they break out Sheppard, but why was LSU hiding him against Miss State and Washington? Just wondering. I'm not certain LSU is as good as I thought they were to start the season. They certainly aren't No.4 in the country. Can LSU win tomorrow? Yes. But if UGA cuts down on the TOs, I think the Dawgs have the advantage at home. We'll see tomorrow.

PS, Roomie, SBF's thoughts are with you and your family today and this weekend.