Three upsets are on the docket this week. Well statistically they are upsets, IMO they are anomalies of the college football landscape.
TEXAS TECH at OKLAHOMA
Red Raiders have over the past month gone from Contender to Pretender, and last weeks game vs Oklahoma State only revealed vulnerabilities on the offensive line as well how fragile the skewed balance between running and throwing the ball really is. The Cowboys shut Techs running game down, and made the Redraiders even more one dimensional. As funny as this may sound, the solution to beating Texas Tech is forcing them to throw the ball (as if they needed encouragement to do so.) Oklahoma has been coming into their own over the course of the past month. Stringing together four conference wins in a row. Oklahoma should be up to the task having the ninth ranked rushing defense in the nation. Sooners continue to improve while Texas Tech takes a backseat in the Big XII while falling into that "getting votes" category.
ARKANSAS STATE at ARMY
To be honest does anyone sans those with ties to the USArmy really care about this game? Well having served in the Army myself, I have to admit that I really don't care about this game. It is just really hard to get up for a game between a Div IA imposter and a service academy that has stunk it up for almost a decade. Well the consolation is that at least the game will be held at West Point where the crowd will be twice the size of anything Arkansas State could possibly drum up. In any case, the statistics show the Indians winning this one, but I have to wonder just how savvy this team is vs Div IA outside the Sunbelt, even a lowly Black Knights team. While it won't be a pretty game, Arkansas State will find themselves wondering if anyone in their conference can win 6 games for that all important New Orleans Bowl. Black Knights of Army make it 4 W's in a row.
CLEMSON vs SOUTH CAROLINA
This game statistically sees the Clemson Tigers winning. This team has had allot of close calls this season, losing OT games vs Miami and BC. South Carolina started slowly, but has put together consistantly better looking victories over SEC opponants, and comes into this game riding a five game winning streak. This game is not in Death Valley, but the crowd will be just as loud as Gamecock fans will be out in mass numbers cheering on Spurrier's kids. This one is going to go back and forth with some ugly behavior as there is no love lost between these two teams for Dixie Dominance. South Carolina scratch and peck out a win in Columbia.
The rest of my picks for this week:
Last week 32-17 (.646) Season 236-116 (.670)
Teams in blue are picked to win. Teams in red are picked to win as upsets. Teams in green are picked to win even though match is picked as even.
| ACC | ||||
| Virginia Tech | <-- | Virginia | ||
| Boston College | <-- | Maryland | ||
| Middle Tennessee | --> | North Carolina State | ||
| Duke | --> | North Carolina | ||
| Clemson | --> | South Carolina | ||
| Georgia Tech | --> | Miami | ||
| Big East | ||||
| Cincinnati | --> | South Florida | ||
| Syracuse | --> | Notre Dame | ||
| Big Ten | ||||
| Northwestern | <-- | Illinois | ||
| Minnesota | <-- | Iowa | ||
| Purdue | <-- | Indiana | ||
| Ohio State | <-- | Michigan | ||
| Penn State | <-- | Michigan State | ||
| Big XII | ||||
| Texas Tech | --> | Oklahoma | ||
| Oklahoma State | EVEN | Baylor | ||
| Missouri | <-- | Kansas State | ||
| C-USA | ||||
| UCF | <-- | Rice | ||
| East Carolina | EVEN | Marshall | ||
| SMU | --> | Houston | ||
| UAB | EVEN | UTEP | ||
| Tulsa | <-- | Tulane | ||
| Memphis | --> | Southern Miss | ||
| MAC | ||||
| Central Michigan | <-- | Ball State | ||
| Eastern Michigan | <-- | Buffalo | ||
| Miami-OH | <-- | Ohio | ||
| MWC | ||||
| Air Force | EVEN | New Mexico | ||
| Utah | EVEN | BYU | ||
| Colorado State | <-- | UNLV | ||
| Wyoming | EVEN | San Diego State | ||
| PAC10 | ||||
| Washington State | <-- | Washington | ||
| Oregon State | --> | Oregon | ||
| California | <-- | Stanford | ||
| Fresno State | --> | USC | ||
| SEC | ||||
| Kentucky | --> | Georgia | ||
| Vanderbilt | EVEN | Tennessee | ||
| Mississippi State | --> | Arkansas | ||
| Alabama | EVEN | Auburn | ||
| Clemson | --> | South Carolina | ||
| LSU | <-- | Mississippi | ||
| Sun Belt | ||||
| Middle Tennessee | --> | North Carolina State | ||
| Arkansas State | --> | Army | ||
| W. Kentucky | <-- | FIU | ||
| La Monroe | <-- | North Texas | ||
| WAC | ||||
| Idaho | <-- | Boise State | ||
| Nevada | <-- | Utah State | ||
| New Mexico State | --> | San Jose State | ||
| Fresno State | --> | USC | ||
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