Week 10 Pick...better late than never

Ok. Late update for tonight, but here we go.

NCAA
JR: ECU, BOISE, KST, ND, OKST, LSU, HOU, OK, UTST, FRES
JG: IND, MSU, MICH, MN, TEX, NW, WASU, ORE, OKST, FSU
MR: VT, WIS, MICH, MN, NW, KAN, ORE, WF, LSU, FSU
MK: BUFF, MICH, MN, NW, KST, ORE, WF, LSU, VAN, NEB
AW: VT, WIS, MICH, MN, ARK, KAN, ORE, PSU, FSU, HAW
GR: BUFF, BOISE, MN, PITT, ND, ORE, OKST, LSU, VAN, OK
MH: BOISE, WIS, MICH, MN, PITT, IOWA, NAVY, ORE, OHIOST, NTEX
MC: TEM, EMU, BOISE, UAB, KENT, ARKST, NTEX, FIU, TULSA, FRES

NFL
JR: ATL, BAL, IND, NYG, DAL
JG: CHI, JAC, TB, MIA, DET
MR: IND, NE, NYG, TEN, DAL
MK: ATL, CHI, BAL, IND, NYG
AW: ATL, CHI, HOU, SF, PHI
GR: ATL, IND, GB, PHI, DEN
MH: IND, GB, NYG, PHI, PIT
MC: CHI, IND, JAC, DET, PHI

Consensus Picks
BOISE, MICH, MN, ORE, LSU
ATL, CHI, IND, NYG

Wow, 9 consensus games this week...this scares me. But I actually only agree with 2 of the 5 NCAA picks and 3 of the 4 NFL.

NCAA OPINIONS
- Scared on my ECU pick right now. They've had chances, they just need to get one in the endzone and make this thing a lock. 13-3 right now.

- MC has TEM and EMU tonight...EMU is getting housed, so that's looking like an L and TEM is in a nail biter right now. Tough 0-2 start for last week's champ?

- How do you not pick BOISE every week? Seriously, name your number and they will cover it.

- I really want to believe that IND will give WIS a battle and make a nice turnaround after the collapse at IOWA...but I don't see it. After the last 2 L's to NW and IOWA I think the Hoosiers are about done.

- PUR at MICH...everyone loves MICH, yikes. This is a team that just got CRUSHED at ILL and gave them their 1st win all year against a D1 opponent! PUR was terrible at WIS, but I'm taking Boilers and points over the potential hot seat of DickRod.

- SYR, looks like the legend hasn't been able to keep his team on track. How's your week? Well, star player WR Williams quits the team, then 3 other starters get suspended. Now you have to go on the road to PITT and play the 7-1 Panthers who are covering machines. 19 is plenty of points, but this is a good play...GR and MH

- NW at IOWA, It looked like IOWA was going to get their scare last week from one of the gimme home dates, but I think it might come this week. NW can provide a little more offensive punch than that IND team could, and have a far superior coach who won't allow a mental collapse like that. Just get Ricardo to keep throwing to the wrong jerseys and we're in business. Let's start the march to a 9-3 season this Saturday. Go Cats Go! Like them with the points.

- SC at ARK is a scary game to bet. AW took ARK and that's all the action we got. I pick defense in the SEC...so I like the Cocks getting points.

- KAN at KST should be really interesting. Bill Snyder has made this team competitve this year, which is something I really didn't expect at all. Hell, they could still win the pathetic B12 North! KAN started hot and has been a train wreck since then. I'll guess it continues and Snyder wins at home over the Jayhawks. Plus when you're getting 2.5 as a home team? Only way to bet this one.

- I think MARY stays within a TD of NCST.

- I didn't pick it, but I love A&M at COL this week. COL is bad! People need to start realizing this. A&M can score...a lot! This is a good pick, but nobody took it.

- NAVY at ND...11, really? that seems sooooo low considering NAVY really doesn't have a lot of D, ND can throw it around the field better than anyone and has Michael Floyd coming back this week and will be looking to avenge the L from last year. I like a ND BEATDOWN in this one...and I hate ND.

- Betting against RICE is never a bad plan...nobody took SMU's high powered O at -18 this week.

- JG took WASU and their weekly 30+ line. I like it at Zona this week. WASU actually has been covering these huge lines this year, which they never did last year.

- Everyone loves ORE...except me. I've had a thing for STAN all season. I love Harbaugh (next MICH coach?!?!) and still think the Ducks are very beatable...even after the shocking beatdown they put on Carroll last week. That was an all-time high for the Ducks, now they have to go on the road to play a tough STAN team and the whole country already has them in the Rose Bowl...yikes. LOVE STANFORD in this one.

- WASH at UCLA...yuck. Who knows WTF either of these teams is going to give you week in and week out. Flip a coin...tails, I like UCLA.

- Not believing in WF on the road this week. MR and MK both took them, but GT is really on a roll right now, and I've seen and lost with WF on the road before.

- OKST at ISU...7.5!! Seriously. Is the oddsmaker a OKST grad looking to cash in big-time or what?!? They will cover 7.5 in the first 10 minutes and never look back. The Clones are 5-4, but besides the 8 turnover game against NEB here's who they have beaten: NDSU, KENT, ARMY, BAY...LeRoy would probably be about 4-1 against that slate. OKST is still a really good team, they got rolled by TEX who is a really GREAT team. Bet everything you own on OKST this weekend.

- OHIOST at PSU - this should have been for the B10 title, but PSU pooped their pants earlier this year, so it's not. I picked OHIOST earlier in the week because I want them to win and run the table and keep the D-bags out of any meaningful bowl. But the more I thought about it, I don't think they can beat PSU. PSU has the edge at QB, running game, defense, and they are playing at home. Too many things on their side, I like the Lions.

- LSU at ALA - Tigers are starting to figure out how to play offense. ALA has had some major QB issues for quite a while now. Anything more than a TD is too much...so the pick is LSU. I don't think they win, but it will be closer than 9.

- VAN at FLA - this is a game that everyone had to think about this week. 32.5 is a lot of points for a team like VAN. They slow play it with a decent D and brutal O. Gators haven't exactly been covering machines like last year. I think VAN keeps it close as FLA just cruises to an easy 38-7 win.

- HOU at TULSA - I really thought more people would be on the HOU train by now. 7-1, averaging 42 ppg and only giving 3 to a Tulsa team that thought they were good...but has dropped 3 straight against BOISE, UTEP!, SMU...2 of those at home. If it was 7 or more I wouldn't touch it, but 3? I have to bet on two teams heading totally different directions when lots of points will be scored.

- FSU at CLEM - Love FSU. I think 8 is too high and FSU might come through with a late season rally. Still can't buy into CLEM, although they are tough at home.

- OK at NEB - talked to Pete, my buddy who is a die-hard NEB fan, tonight. First words out of his mouth, "Sooners, bet them heavy and often." I couldn't agree more. How is this only 6.5 and hasn't moved all week? NEB can't score and they are playing a struggling but still VERY GOOD Sooner D. NEB also plays great D, but I expect a Sooner win...21-7 with 2 D/SPT scores from OK.

- UCONN at CIN - everyone avoided it, when UCONN is involved it's the only sane thing to do. I think they keep it closer than 17 this week...CIN might be looking to cruise, and UCONN is the most unpredictable team year in and year out.

- Love 2 WAC games to close out the evening...UTST at HAW and FRES at IDAHO. UTST is a really good team that has lost a ton of close ones this year.4 of their 6 losses by 1 score or less. HAW is terrible and hasn't been within 1 score in their last 5...but they are only getting 3 at home? I guess they are banking on the UTST kids being distracted by the hula girls. Give me the Aggies. FRESNO is a good team that has been rolling people lately and runs the ball extremely well. IDAHO is 7-2, not a lot of impressive wins, all close games, and gets torched by good running teams...NEV 70-45 with like 700 yards on the ground. I'll take FRESNO.

GOPHERS host ILLINI
This game scares the crap out of me. I know ILL is likely more terrible than good and last week was the exception and not the rule, but I just don't have a good feeling. I didn't touch it for betting, but gun to the head I take ILLINOIS. Things are almost too rosy after the SPARTY win and this is a hungry ILL team coming in that has plenty of talent. They need to run the ball well to be successful, so I think this is one way we can make this work. Our run D was outstanding last week outside of the 84 yard end around. We can contain Juicy and the RB's, which means Air Juicy comes out...then the fun begins. They guy is really not a great passer. They do have a great WR, like us...but also like us, he's banged up and not really effective right now. Benn will play, but he shouldn't be a concern. Their defense is bad. Like really bad, just as it was last year, just like I predicted it would be this year. We should be able to throw it all ove the field, much like last Saturday. I would really like to see a little more from the running game, and hopefully less than 17 penalties this week as well. Bottom line, I think it's going to be a dangerously close game that will really test the team, but we should be able to pull it out.

GOPHERS 34 ILLINOIS 30

NFL OPINIONS
- WAS at ATL...4 of us jumped on it. WAS is that bad...ATL will house.

- ARI at CHI...4 on the Bears, I LOVE ARIZONA. They have been surprisingly great on the road this year, and the BEARS really are not that good. The weather shoulnd't be bad, I LOVE ARI!

- BAL at CIN...still can't trust the Bungals, still can't write off the Ravens...LOVE BAL!

- HOU at IND...Colts are good. 49ers play some really good D, Texans don't. Colts will run it up, give up a few, but cover.

- KC at JAC...ugh. 2 terrible teams, but you can't bet on KC against anyone with a pulse. I'll take JAGS.

- GB at TB...10.5 might feel a little high, but the Pack has had no problem beating up on the bad teams this year, and TB definitely is a bad team. I'll take the Pack.

- MIA at NE...MIA is a good team. Chad Henne is better than I thought. They can run it on anyone, so I think 10.5 is too high. Give me points and Fins.

- CAR at NO...how do you bet against NO right now? CAR is nothing special, NO should put up 40 again and cover.

- DET at SEA...had SEA marked, but then asked myself why? They have been bad this year and really don't deserve to be a 10 pt fav over anyone. DET isn't good either obviously, but I think they can cover.

DAMN IT! VT just kicked a meaningless FG to go up 16-3!! Oddmakers are too good. I need something fluky to happen, which isn't likely.

- SD at NYG...This Charger club is really not good at all, but I don't think the NYG are either. However, at home in MAJOR need of a W I think the NYG get it done.

- TEN at SF...toughest game of the week for me to figure out. I think SF is probably the better team and will win the game because of their D, but 5.5 pts is too high. TEN covers but doesn't win. SF won't let them run and that's all they can do.

- DAL at PHI...I like the Cowboys. PHI just continues to leave a bad taste in my mouth. DAL is figuring some things out and I think they can run it well enough and play enough D to win this game.

- PIT at DEN...GREAT MNF game. DEN still doesn't feel legit to me, and these are the games that PIT ALWAYS wins. Love the Steelers on MNF this week.


Looks like a great weekend! Tons of big games, some sure upsets and hopefully the GOPHERS moving to 6-4. Have a good one.