Feldman/ TCU vs. BYU, Bama vs. Tennessee and more picks

[stevo]

TCU vs. BYU, Bama vs. Tennessee and more picks
Bruce Feldman

I had a solid week last week; I went 11-5 against the line -- putting me eight over for the season versus the number. The good was picking Iowa to beat Wisconsin. The bad was picking Florida to hammer Arkansas. And the ugly was picking Ohio State to thump Purdue. Here are this week's guesses:


Florida State Seminoles at North Carolina Tar Heels (Thursday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)


The Noles have won their past three games coming off bye weeks. Christian Ponder has been very impressive for FSU and is one of the Noles few bright spots this season, but this is an outstanding UNC D-line led by DE Robert Quinn; I think he'll have a breakout game on the national stage. The Noles are shaky up front (83rd in rush offense, 63rd in sacks allowed). The Noles' pass D also has been inept, but UNC (103rd in passing offense) will struggle to take advantage of it. The pick is UNC 16, Florida State 10.


Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Army Black Knights (Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2)


Greg Schiano's defense has been pretty strong against the run -- but I think the D's No. 11 ranking is a bit deceiving, considering some of the easy teams the Scarlet Knights loaded up on early and the fact that they were just shredded for 223 rushing yards by Pitt last week. Army is much improved from the teams that were routed by a 71-9 combined score in the past two years against RU. The pick is Rutgers 20, Army 14.



Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Virginia Cavaliers (Saturday, Noon, ESPN360)


The Yellow Jackets haven't won at UVa since 1990 -- a span of eight losses. Al Groh's defense has been terrific this month, allowing just 19 points in three games. I feel like the Cavaliers will do a solid job dealing with the Triple Option, but I don't think they're explosive enough to win here this time. The pick is Georgia Tech 14, Virginia 13.


Connecticut Huskies at West Virginia Mountaineers (Saturday, Noon, ESPNU)


UConn is a team that doesn't seem to get thumped much even when it does lose, but WVU is the one team that has been able to do it, beating them five in a row and by a margin of around four TDs per. It's also been such a trying week for the UConn program, coping with the tragedy of a fallen player. The Huskies do play the run pretty well (29th in the country), but you have to really be focused to contain Noel Devine and the elusive Mountaineers. I think UConn will really come out inspired. However, in the second half, look for WVU to break a big play or two. The pick is West Virginia 23, Connecticut 13.


Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio State Buckeyes (Saturday, Noon, ESPN)


Unusually chaotic week for Jim Tressel's program with all of the drama surrounding QB Terrelle Pryor's development. The Buckeyes have been underwhelming all season offensively. They are just 101st passing the ball and only 48th on the ground. But I look for the OSU defense to stiffen up and rally around the OSU flag, rattling a Minnesota O-line that is just 79th in the country in sacks allowed and 114th in total offense. The pick is Ohio State 23, Minnesota 6.


South Florida Bulls at Pittsburgh Panthers (Saturday, Noon, ESPN360)


Coming off its first loss last week, I think this is a tough spot for USF. They face a physical Pitt team led by the dynamic Dion Lewis, who can wear a team down behind an O-line that has been playing very well. Pitt also gets a lot of penetration and should force freshman QB B.J. Daniels into a few mistakes. The pick is Pittsburgh 27, USF 14.


Oklahoma State Cowboys at Baylor Bears (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET)


Baylor has won just two of its previous 14 games against OSU. I don't think the Bears have enough of an offensive spark without Robert Griffin to challenge the OSU defense, which is just 106th in the country in pass D. The pick is Oklahoma State 34, Baylor 20.


Tennessee Volunteers at Alabama Crimson Tide (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)


Lane Kiffin went out of his way to tout the Crimson Tide -- and not Urban Meyer's Florida Gators -- as the country's true No. 1 team -- and Bama's Mark Ingram has been a dynamo (I wrote recently that he's running up the Heisman charts), but I think the Vols will hang around for awhile. I doubt QB Jonathan Crompton will be anywhere near as sharp against this salty Bama D as he was in his last game against Georgia (Bama leads the SEC in pass efficiency D, while UGA is 11th). But Kiffin knows how to create a game plan to keep things tight. Also, his daddy Monte, with tons of NFL experience and two weeks to prepare for Greg McElroy, will come up with some disguises to befuddle the Bama quarterback, similar to what South Carolina did last week. The pick is Alabama 20, Tennessee 13.


Louisville Cardinals at Cincinnati Bearcats (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)


Who doesn't get excited about the "Keg of Nails" game? The Cards (2-4) have sputtered all season, with their lone FBS win being over an injury-ravaged USM team. U of L is 102nd in the country in sacks allowed, which doesn't match up well against Cincy, which is second in the nation in sacks. The Cards are also 105th in pass efficiency defense. Whomever they face, whether it's ailing QB Tony Pike -- who just had surgery on his left arm -- or his nimble backup Zach Collaros, should like what he sees. The pick is Cincinnati 31, Louisville 17.


Clemson Tigers at Miami (FL) Hurricanes (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Regional)


Miami's defense is still banged up, and the Canes special team coverage units are shaky, which spells danger against C.J. Spiller & Co. However, I think the biggest concern for Randy Shannon has to be his porous O-line, which is coming off a dismal performance in a win at UCF; the Canes surrendered six sacks. Clemson's D, meanwhile, is very adept at getting pressure because the Tigers have some real playmakers on their D-line. Still, I think Jacory Harris will come up with a few clutch plays to rescue the Canes. The pick is Miami 20, Clemson 13.


Oregon Ducks at Washington Huskies (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Regional)


This is a tricky spot for Chip Kelly's Ducks team because so much is being made about Oregon hosting USC next week -- and with the ease Oregon mauled Washington last season. It should help that the Ducks had a bye week to try to focus on Jake Locker. I'm tempted to pick an upset here. Still, I'll go with the Ducks, whose defense has allowed only 19 points in the past three games. The pick is Oregon 23, Washington 21.


Penn State Nittany Lions at Michigan Wolverines (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Regional)


Michigan has won five in a row at home against JoePa. I feel like Penn State should win this game and that Michigan is a little too young still -- and that, despite last week's rout over Delaware St., the Wolverines have lost some of their steam from the early season. The pick is Penn State 27, Michigan 17.


Oklahoma Sooners at Kansas Jayhawks (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC Regional)


Todd Reesing has thrown for 400 yards and six TDs in the past two weeks, but the Oklahoma defense is waaay tougher, especially up front, than Iowa State's and Colorado's. Bob Stoops is also 3-0 against his protégé Mark Mangino. I am a little skeptical about how much OU has struggled when it leaves the state (the Sooners are just 15-15 in the past 30 games outside its border.) But I think their defensive line will overwhelm KU (63rd in the country in sacks allowed). The pick is Oklahoma 41, Kansas 24.


Air Force Falcons at Utah Utes (Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET)


This series has been tight in the past few meetings. Nobody has been able to blow out the 4-3 Falcons, who have lost their games by a combined 13 points. I think they hang around again all day before the Utes make a play late to win it. The pick is Utah 14, Air Force 10.


UCLA Bruins at Arizona Wildcats (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET)


Nick Foles has been outstanding, sparking the Zona offense by displaying a very accurate arm and making sound decisions. The Cats have also won three of the previous four meetings against UCLA. The Bruins' D really seems to have worn down since facing a physical Stanford team at the start of this month. The pick is Arizona 24, UCLA 14.


Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State Spartans (Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)


History in this series is not on the Hawkeyes' side since the home team has won nine in a row in this game -- and by an average of two TDs. Both teams have played a lot of close games this season, with the Spartans having won three in a row (all by 10 points or less). Of course, this is after losing the previous three by a combined 13 points. MSU, though, tends to be too sloppy (95th in the country in turnover margin) and I'm sticking with the scrappy Hawkeyes, who always seem to do just enough. The pick is Iowa 10, Michigan State 6.


Vanderbilt Commodores at South Carolina Gamecocks (Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPNU)


Vandy's offense has been dismal. The Commodores are 110th in scoring and haven't scored more than 10 points in four SEC games. This one won't turn out any better. The pick is South Carolina 20, Vandy 3.


Florida Gators at Mississippi State Bulldogs (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)


I keep thinking "OK, this will be the week the Florida offense explodes," but it just hasn't been happening. I'm not sure this is that week either. MSU has been very competitive in every game save for an early road trip to Auburn. The other thing is in an earlier-protégé-takes-on-mentor-for the-first-time game, Washington upset USC when Pete Carroll's team had to visit Steve Sarkisian. MSU doesn't have a Jake Locker to pull things out, but Anthony Dixon is a load at running back and might keep things interesting for a while. Plus, UF has lost four straight in Starkville and hasn't won there since 1985. The pick is Florida 24, Mississippi State 13.


TCU Horned Frogs at Brigham Young Cougars (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)


This time it's TCU with the huge winning streak on the line when these two meet. Last year, the Horned Frogs wrecked the Cougars' "Quest for Perfection," snapping a 16-game BYU win streak. I'll play a hunch and go with the home team here to get revenge. Plus, BYU has been outstanding in tight games. The pick is BYU 21, TCU 13.


Auburn Tigers at LSU Tigers (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)


The home team has won eight of the previous nine meetings in this series, although LSU did end a streak last year by getting that first road win. Auburn's offense, which had been so dynamic in the first month of the season, has been slowed down quite a bit in the past three games, scoring 26, 23 and then 14 points last week. This all started when Gus Malzahn's team first had to hit the road. I think LSU will play a good game since its O-line and its offense in general has really been called out for underachieving and since the Tigers are facing the 99th-rated run defense, Les Miles' team should respond nicely. The pick is LSU 28, Auburn 21.


Southern Methodist Mustangs at Houston Cougars (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET)


The Mustangs almost beat a good Navy team last week (losing in OT), but you'd be hard-pressed to come up with a much more different offense to play the following week than UH's top-ranked passing attack. The Cougars' soft spot is they are not good at shutting down the run (they're ranked 115th in the country). Good thing for them: June Jones' offense doesn't bother much with the run (112th in the country in rush offense). The pick is Houston 45, SMU 17.


Texas Longhorns at Missouri Tigers (Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC)


Texas is 11-0 in games the week after the Red River Rivalry under Mack Brown, including five victories over ranked opponents -- so the Horns know how to rebound emotionally. UT's defense has been superb, especially at shutting down the run and taking a QB out of his comfort zone. Worse still for Gary Pinkel, his offense has flatlined in the past few weeks after a very fast start. The pick is Texas 27, Missouri 10.


Oregon State Beavers at USC Trojans (Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET, ABC)


This is the definition of a trap game for the Trojans since it's sandwiched between road games at Notre Dame and Oregon. The Beavers have won two of the previous three meetings, but USC has won 21 in a row against them in the Coliseum. Pete Carroll has really harped on containing Quizz Rodgers this year, imploring his D to be more disciplined and patient because the OSU star is so patient and elusive. That'll help, but I still think the Beavers will find a way to keep things tense for a while. Mike Riley is 14-2 after a bye week. The pick is USC 34, Oregon State 20.


Boise State Broncos at Hawaii Warriors (Saturday, 11:05 p.m. ET, ESPN360)


The Broncos have dominated this series, winning seven of the past eight meetings. Hawaii, which is near the bottom in the national rankings in too many defensive categories, doesn't have enough to slow down the Boise attack. UH might hit a big play or two, because Boise has been susceptible to that a little this season, but it won't be close to enough. The pick is BSU 52, Hawaii 17.



Around the college football landscape


• As I'm sure you've seen by now, the SEC suspended the crew that blew calls in the LSU-UGA and Arkansas-Florida games.


Yesterday, I wrote about how, by the nature of college football's relying on "conference officiating crews," the leagues are potentially opening themselves up to conspiracy theorists. There could appear to be agendas to benefit the glamour teams in a given conference because one borderline call can translate into a BCS title game appearance or not.


Yesterday I spoke to someone at the Mountain West, who pointed out that the MWC is one of the few leagues that doesn't have "conference" refs anymore since the MWC, C-USA and WAC are using regional officiating crews (which also involve some Big 12 refs). The crews are considered CFO West crews as in College Football Officiating West, and a spokesman at the MWC said the thinking behind it was to make sure the refs all had the same training -- but also to ensure that each school won't see the same officiating crew more than once the whole year. I think another plus here is that the regional crews get away from the perceived connection about working for a certain league.


I spoke to Dave Parry, who is the National Coordinator of College Football Officials, a group that is overseen by all 11 FBS conference commissioners, plus two NCAA reps. Parry told me his group is examining the issue of regional and perhaps even national officiating pools much more closely now. "We're watching very carefully the CFO West to see how it goes," he said.


He agreed when I broached the subject about how getting away from conference crews might take some of the skepticism out of the equation whenever there are questionable calls that decide a big game, saying that would be a step to cut down on some of the heat: "We always hear from officials, 'Boy, if we can just get these fans off my back?'"


Cost, of course, is a concern -- although I really think this would be a step in the right direction, given how much different the times we live in now are as opposed to decades ago. The TV contracts are so much bigger and now a "blown call" is shown on TV dozens of times on any given Saturday. What's really changed, though, in the past few years is that replays of those calls now can be downloaded via dozens of college football blogs and sites thousands of times and often get linked on message boards and e-mailed around. I just don't think it's an issue any league would want to deal with if it can avoid it.


• Get to know the name Ramon Harewood. From what I've heard, he is a mammoth O-line prospect the NFL is very intrigued by. A Barbados native who has really blossomed at Morehouse College, the 6-foot-7, 360-pound Harewood majors in Applied Physics & Engineering. Ken Seguira has more on his background:



Harewood was born and raised in Barbados, the Caribbean island nation with a population of about 280,000. It is 166 square miles, about one-third the size of Fulton County [Ga.]. He had a passion and a gift for sports of all kind, including soccer, track and field, cricket and his first love, volleyball. He played on junior national teams at various times in rugby, track and field and volleyball and received interest from British colleges for rugby, he said. In late 2004, in his final year of high school, Harewood attended a college fair. At the same fair was Michael Grant, a track coach from Atlanta who had brought his own students to the event. Grant, notably, had also coached college football and the following year would wind up at Morehouse as an assistant coach.


• C.J. Spiller's father, Clifford, is going to get to see him play for the first time in college, writes Paul Strelow:



Clifford attended Spiller's high school graduation as well as the ACC track championships at Miami in April. He is also slated to come to Clemson for the first time for the Nov. 7 game against Florida State -- Spiller's next-to-last home game. Spiller said when he first extended the olive branch six years ago, he wasn't worried Clifford's intentions might become motivated by Spiller's potential future riches. The two now converse on a weekly basis, and Spiller has invited Clifford to the team hotel Friday night.


• Quite a week for Terrelle Pryor. His team loses to a 1-5 Purdue squad. His high school coach comes out and criticizes Ohio State. And now we have LeBron James in the picture, reports Ken Gordon:



"I have been in contact (with Pryor), just trying to mentor him through life in the spotlight which I have been through," said James, an OSU football fan. "Being the No. 1 guy, how do you adjust to it and get through it and still perform at a high level? Sometimes, it can be very difficult on someone. He's trying to be the guy that can get through a lot of situations in which he has never seen before, but that he's now seeing and understanding."


• BYU might have speedy McKay Jacobson (hamstring) back for the TCU game, reports Jeff Call:



Coach Bronco Mendenhall said that Jacobson, who participated in the first part of Wednesday's practice, is listed as "possible" for Saturday's game against TCU. "I'd say 'possible.' No more than that, no less than that," Mendenhall said. "I haven't seen enough to upgrade his status."


Jacobson is from the Dallas area and played at Southlake Carroll High.

NCF - Bruce Feldman - Picks for the Week 8 games, including Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Tennessee Volunteers, TCU Horned Frogs vs. BYU Cougars and more - ESPN

[kyjr24]

This idiot took all the favorites except (1)....come on man!