Week 14 - Championship Week

Here we are after 13 weeks, and wouldn't you know it, my record stands at a nearly even 31-32-2. Quite the poor showing on my part this season. I've made some stupid mistakes, pulled a few picks out of nowhere, and generally slid by for most of the year - just like Notre Dame! This week we have three conference championship games on the schedule, plus the MAC championship last night. Not to mention the (trap) game for USC this week. I'm hoping to pull myself over .500 for the year, and rumor has it that if I do, I'll be penciled in for the Rose Bowl - just don't tell LSU fans that.

Maurice Clarett award nominee(s): Wisconsin cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu and his twin brother, Northern Illinois safety William Ikegwuonu who were arrested after stealing an XBox from someone's apartment. This sounds like something Law and Order would "rip from the headlines." How dumb are these guys? First of all, if it had only been one of them who stole the XBox, they could have at least blamed it on the other one and there would be no way the prosecutor could get charges to stick. Not to mention, both of their teams are going to bowl games this season (Wisconsin to the Capital One Bowl and Northern Illinois to the Poinsettia Bowl. Do these guys realize that each bowl game gives out a "goody bag?" Last year, the Poinsettia Bowl participants got the following:
• 4 GB iPod Mini
• $15 music gift certificate
• Fossil watch
• Commemorative sweatshirt, t-shirt and hat

The Capital One Bowl participants got:
• Medallion Quartz watch with bowl logo
• Sony camcorder
• Commemorative beach towel

I guess it makes sense then to steal an XBox - only the BCS games give away Sony PSP's and stuff like that.

On to the picks . . .

Last Week: 3-2
This Season: 31-32-2


Florida -2.5 Arkansas

For the SEC Championship, #4 Florida (11-1) hosts #8 Arkansas (10-2). Neither of these teams has been overly impressive this year, but if Florida wins (and USC loses) they could be a long shot go to the BCS Championship game. Not to mention, Florida could clinch their first SEC Championship in six years. This match up will hinge on Florida's ability to stop the rushing game of Darren McFadden and the Razorbacks. The good news is that the Gators give up less than 70 yards rushing per game and are holding opponents to just over 12 points per game. This puts way to much pressure on Arkansas' QB Casey Dick and coach Houston Nutt, and as we saw last week, there was a disconnect between Dick and Nutt. I can't believe I just wrote that. Could this be the year that Florida returns to greatness and fans finally let go of the days of the Ole Ball Coach? I think it is. Florida covers the spread and heads to a BCS game.

WEST VIRGINIA -9.5 Rutgers

Remember when this was an important game with national championship implications? Yeah, those were the days. Now the winner of this game goes to the Sun Bowl or the Texas Bowl at best, with an outside shot at the Gator Bowl. Remember when I said the Big East was the tough conference and a force to be reckoned with? Yeah, me neither. In what should still be a very good game, I see Rutgers falling short in Morgantown. I'll take the Mountaineers to cover the spread.

USC - 13.5 Ucla

My brother interns for a morning radio show in Los Angeles, and this morning they had cheerleaders and the band from USC and the mascot and some cheerleaders from UCLA. He said that the USC girls were far better looking. For that reason alone I'm taking USC to cover the spread. So what if they only know how to play one song?

HAWAII -8.5 Oregon State

This game really isn't all that exciting. Hawaii plays all of their games too late for most East Coasters to watch, they won't win their conference since they lost to 12-0 Boise State, and they won't play in a bowl game outside of their time zone. So why would I pick it? The fact of the matter is, Hawaii QB Colt Brennan has been a TD machine this season throwing for 51 and rushing for another 5. He is currently 4 TDs shy of breaking David Klingler's single season record. If he can get around the Oregon State pass defense this week, he should have no problem winning the game and breaking the record before the Hawaii Bowl. I like the Warriors' chances this week, and I'll take Hawaii to cover the spread.

Oklahoma -3.5 Nebraska

Surprise, surprise - the Vince Young-less Longhorns lost to Texas A&M, giving Oklahoma a shot at the Big XII Championship. Not to rub it in for Sooner fans, but if things had gone correctly against Oregon, and Florida/USC/Michigan weren't so strong, and Adrian Peterson hadn't broken his collarbone . . . well, you get the idea. The bad news for Oklahoma is that Peterson is still a week away from returning to action. The good news is that Allen Patrick is averaging more than 110 yards per game as Peterson's replacement, which is only 10 less than Peterson's average of 120.6 . Nebraska is giving up more than 125 rushing yards per game, and unless things change drastically this week, their offense will have to pick up the slack. For a team that has scored less than 21 points only twice this season, the Huskers' offense should be up to the challenge. Unfortunately for them, I see Rufu Alexander and Zach Latimer (168 tackles, 4 sacks, 20.5 tackles for a loss) more than ready to put the sticks to Nebraska, or some sort of football term like that. I'll take Oklahoma to cover the spread this week.

Until next week . . .