Last week: 16-3
Good calls: the SEC (7-0), North Carolina over #12 Miami
Bad calls: NC State over #24 Clemson (Clemson win 43-23), #11 USC over #25 Stanford (Stanford win 55-21)
ACC
North Carolina (7-3) at Boston College (7-3)
This would be an excusable loss for either team, so no one is playing desperate here. It’s basketball season in Chapel Hill now. BC wins.
Maryland (2-8) at Florida State (5-5)
Yup, Maryland continues to be terrible. Florida State wins.
Duke (5-5) at #21 Miami (7-3)
If you think UNC fans have lost interest in football for the year, how do you think Duke fans are feeling? The Blue Devils had a nice little run and flirted with bowl eligibility. Maybe next year. Miami wins.
NC State (4-6) at #16 Virginia Tech (7-3)
For some reason, I’ve felt all year that NC State was better than their record. Still, I can’t see them winning at Blacksburg.
Virginia (3-7) at #18 Clemson (7-3)
Believe it or not, this is a tough one to pick. I feel like it’s only a matter of time before Clemson “pulls a Clemson” and collapses under the weight of any expectation. They’re playing for a spot in the ACC championship game, for cryin’ out loud! Has Dabo Sweeney changed the culture? Hmm…I still say a Tiger can’t change his stripes. Clemson loses and befuddles/exasperates the media yet again in my Guaranteed (non-binding) Upset Lock of the Week!
SEC
Chattanooga (6-4) at #2 Alabama (10-0)
Nice work, Tide. Alabama rolls.
Mississippi State (4-6) at Arkansas (6-4)
I say this every week, so I’ll spare you this time. No I won’t. Arkansas is better than you think! Hogs win.
Florida International (3-7) at #1 Florida (10-0)
Way to one-up Alabama, Gators! Florida rolls.
#10 LSU (8-2) at Ole Miss (7-3)
LSU was losing at halftime to Louisiana Tech last weekend. Ole Miss looked solid against Tennessee. Will this game show us the Ole Miss team we expected to see all season? Hmm. Nope, sorry. I can’t do it. That LSU defense is gonna eat Jevan Snead for lunch. Tigers win.
Vanderbilt (2-9) at Tennessee (5-5)
It’s a good thing Tennessee wears orange so all of their players will feel right at home in jumpsuits. I predict at least one prison shanking in the pileup this weekend. Tennessee steals (zing!) a win.
Kentucky (6-4) at Georgia (6-4)
Kentucky isn’t “6-4” good. Georgia probably isn’t “6-4” bad. Bulldogs win.
Pac-10
Arizona State (4-6) at UCLA (5-5)
It seems that the Sun Devils have packed it in for the season. Hell, maybe UCLA has too. I’ll take the Bruins because they’re at home.
#20 Oregon State (7-3) at Washington State (1-9)
Another week, another Washington State loss.
Cal (7-3) at #14 Stanford (7-3)
I promise to get through this entire paragraph without once mentioning a certain play that gets shown over and over and over again ad nauseum. Can we just retire this particular play from television? And while we’re at it, can we get rid of Flutie’s hail mary? I can easily think of two plays that are more way exciting and simply had more at stake.
#11 Oregon (8-2) at Arizona (6-3)
“Good season, Arizona. Better luck next year. Ducks win.” Is what I typed off the top of my head. But it didn’t feel right. I like Arizona to win in the upset. Call it my clairvoyant gut.
Big XII South Game of the Week
Oklahoma (6-4) at Texas Tech (6-4)
This matchup has lost some of its luster this year, but the past few years have been really compelling. Which speaks well for Tech considering Oklahoma is almost always in the national championship discussion. Observe:
2004: #2 Oklahoma beats an unranked Tech team 28-13. OU would get blown out in the national championship game against #1 USC (55-19), while Tech would go on to shock #4 Cal 45-31 in the Holiday Bowl.
2005: #19 Texas Tech surprises OU 23-21 after a controversial Amendola first down and a controversial Henderson touchdown run. Whatever. We’ll take it.
2006: #17 OU beats an unranked Tech team en route to a surprising Big 12 title. I say “surprising” because OU lost their star quarterback before the season due to NCAA violations. Cry me a river, Sooners. You still had Adrian Peterson.
2007: Unranked Texas Tech shocks #3 Oklahoma, spoiling their hopes at sneaking into the national championship game.
2008: Riding high after beating #1 Texas (39-33) and destroying #8 Oklahoma State (56-20), the #2 Red Raiders (number two!) were humbled by #5 Oklahoma in an embarrassing 65-21 loss. Still. Do you see all those single digit rankings? Oh, the halcyon days of the Big 12.
2009: Both teams are 6-4. We’re simply playing for bowl position at this point. So…uhhh…not quite the sexy matchup we’ve had in the past. No matter. The OU/Texas Tech game has been one of the most competitive and unrecognized rivalries of the last five years. Can Tech hold serve and keep the rivalry alive? With so much uncertainty at quarterback? Gehhhh….I hate to do this, but I have to say no. OU is gonna run the ball and run the ball and then run the ball some more. OU wins.
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