Week 5 - Back to Basics

Call it a Greatest Hits Week of picks. I'm going with some of my favorite teams to pick this week, in the hopes that it changes my luck. All of your favorite Florida schools are back along with the Sooners and the Fighting Irish. All we're missing is Temple, and I'm not even sure those readers who go there will miss the Owls that much. Additionally, I had my fill of temple this past weekend, so give me another week and I'll come back singing the praises of the Cherry and White. Before I do, I'll make another plug to sponsor me in the JDRF 6.2 mile walk this weekend. It only takes a few minutes, it doesn't hurt, and its charity . . . yes, I'm still talking about the walk.

Bonehead of the Week

As I noted earlier, I'm going with Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Said Leach about his team, "It's a bunch of narcissists that want to sit and type stuff about themselves all the time. We'll put mirrors in some of their lockers if that's necessary, but they don't have to Twitter."

If narcissism can be explained by sitting and typing about yourself all the time, maybe Carly Simon was talking about me. On to the picks.

Notre Dame -13 Washington

I know Jimmy Clausen isn't 100% because of Turf Toe - a highly underrated condition - and that could seriously affect his playing time. If the Irish were up against a top 25 opponent, that might be a problem. However, Washington has been having a weird year under new head coach Steve Sarkisian. They lost to a good LSU team, and then were beaten handily last week by Stanford (?!), a week after upsetting Sarkisian's old team the Trojans. You could make the argument that Sarkisian was all too familiar with USC and gave the Huskies an edge. You could also make the argument that a guy who has won one game in the last two weeks isn't exactly a college football "expert." Point taken. I think Clausen and the Irish will overcome the Turf Toe, and even if Notre Dame switches to the Wildcat offense led by Dayne Crist, I still think they'll have enough to win by 2 TDs. I'm taking the Irish giving the points.

Oklahoma -7 Miami

News Flash - Sam Bradford will not play this week.

This is the pick that gets me into trouble. Oklahoma has played 8 straight quarters of pretty much flawless football, outscoring Idaho State and Tulsa 109-0. Miami is no Tulsa, or Idaho State for that matter. While the Sooners bring the nation's top defense into Coral Gables, they do so without having played an opponent on the level of the Hurricanes. Last week, we saw Miami's

Jacory Harris held to 150 yards and zero TDs. While I think that the Sooners will give Harris similar difficulty, I also think that Miami will bounce back offensively this week. Granted, I also think that this blog is my way to fame and fortune, so what do I know?

The Sooners should win this game, but I think it will be a very low-scoring affair. Against all better judgment, and because I'm afraid of a certain New Jersey native that once made me do shots of beer until I puked, and then goaded me into start doing it again, I'm going with the Sooners to cover.

Penn State -7 Illinois

Don't call it a comeback - Joe Pa's been here for years. Literally. I'm taking the Nittany Lions to cover.

FL Atlantic -3½ Wyoming

I've been called out for picking games involving vague teams. In this case, guilty as charged. Here's what I know about these two teams. They're awful. Both of them. I'm talking both-teams-have-given-up-114-points-each-this-season bad. However, it took FAU only 3 games to do that, whereas Wyoming did it in 4. Amazingly, even though they've given up 114 points, the Cowboys are 2-2. One of those losses was to #2 Texas. I should be careful - I'm talking this team up to Temple-like proportions. Focusing on the game, the main subplot is that Wyoming coach Dave Christensen underwent surgery to remove a kidney stone this week, and will return to the sidelines. I can't think of a better present for Christensen than a win. Well, maybe a glass of water and an anti-inflammatory. I'm taking Wyoming getting the points.


Florida State -4 B.C.

B.C.'s defense finally faltered last week, as Wake Forest took the Eagles to overtime. The Eagles haven't lost at home this season, where they host the Seminoles on Saturday. Florida State comes into the contest having lost to a very good South Florida team (that is somehow still unranked), and brings with them some impressive stats: 1-0 on the road (BYU), over 1000 yards passing, and not a single felony committed. That along should be worth an extra point or two in the spread. Alas, I don't think FSU's defense will hold up against a B.C. offense that has outscored opponents by an average of 16.5 points this season. For that reason - and because I'm a huge homer - I'm taking the Eagles getting the points.

Jeff's Picks of the (not-so) Weak

So I neglected to say that Jeff went 3-2 last week, largely because he picked Michigan to both win and lose. As he beat me for a second time, I will now take him apple picking (see where I'm going with this?). Here are his picks for this week:

Michigan +2

Washington State +32 1/2

Oklahoma -7

Navy -3

Penn State -7

Until next time . . .