Week 9 Predictions

Fantasy football has become a national obsession.  Almost everyone I know plays in at least one league, some in many many more than one. But I'll bet none of you play in a Fantasy Slut League Apparently those kids don't understand the term "fantasy".  It'd be like picking your fantasy team based on how good you are at Madden.

Just when you thought the Honey Badger cared again, he gets arrested for drug related charges.

A note on the top 25.  I'm using the BCS standings for the rest of the season, meaning teams such as Ohio State and Penn State that are currently ineligible for the BCS won't be included in the top 25, but will be addressed in the Games of Note below.

Top 25 Action 

#11 Miss St @ #1 'Bama - This week we find out if the Bulldogs are contenders or pretenders.  It's put up or shut up week as they face their first ranked team of the season.  The only other team the Bulldogs have played with a pulse on offense were the Volunteers who put up 31 on them.  I don't expect Miss State to win this game, but if they can at least make it respectable they'll still be in contention for a BCS at large bid.  Bama's D is down right filthy.  They haven't allowed more than 14 points to any team and held the very same Tennessee team the Bulldogs struggled to stop to just 13 points last week.  Bama is at LSU next week so they could get caught looking ahead, but it's not likely.  34 - 13 Roll Tide.

#2 Florida @ #10 Georgia - Just in case you were thinking about attempting these activities next time you visit Florida, they authorities wanted to make it clear..

Yes, Florida, the state that could very well decide our next President, had to pass a law prohibiting the molestation of gators.

Another week, another huge game for Florida.  This game used to be dubbed "The World's Greatest Outdoor Cocktail Party", but due to alcohol fueled events that have taken place in recent years, that name is now discouraged.  You know, because if you don't mention cocktails, obviously nobody will drink.

The Gators have passed every test thus far but have not always looked good doing so.  Florida easily dispatched with the Gamecocks last week, blowing them out 44-11.  QB Jeff Driskel continues to get better every week as the Gator offense is rounding into form.  Their Defense is nastier than a sex offender in a gator farm.  After getting hammered by South Carolina two weeks ago, the Bulldogs had to rally to beat SEC bottom feeder Kentucky last week 29-24.  The 'Dawgs had no running game to speak of, but fortunately for them QB Aaron Murray was able to light up the Wildcats secondary for 427 yards and 4 TD's.  I don't expect a repeat performance this week.  30-17 Florida.

#14 TX Tech @ #3 Kansas State - If you don't believe in K State yet then I don't know what more they need to do. Maybe Sofia Vergara can convince you?

 This guy is thrilled with the Wildcats, the only underdog team he picked in his 32 team parlay that turned $100 into $25K!  Their two toughest games were on the road and they won both, including blowing the doors off of WVU in Morgantown last week 55-14.  Their win at OU is looking even more impressive every week.  If K State can knock off TX Tech at home this week, they play only one more ranked team, at home against Texas the last week of the season.  An undefeated season is a very real possibility in little Manhattan. QB Collin Klein is a legit Heisman contender and the hype is just getting started.  TX Tech QB Seth Doege is no slouch himself.  He had 7 TD strikes and zero INT's last week in a 3 OT shootout with TCU.  It took the Red Raiders a TD in the third OT to finally put away the Horned Frogs 56-53.  The Tech D suddenly looks vulnerable.  This is the same Red Raiders team that gave up 41 to the Sooners at home. Look for this game to be similar to last week's Red Raiders game.  Lots of scoring and the D that makes a stop late will win.  45-42 K State.

Colorado @ #4 Oregon - Pollsters seem to be torn between K State and Oregon.  Both teams have prolific offenses that score a lot of points.  Both do enough on D to stop opposing teams.  The Ducks took their foot off the gas against ASU last week after opening up a 43-7 half time lead. The Ducks threw for only 46 yards last week, but it didn't matter as they were never in any serious trouble.  They could not throw at all this week and still beat a terrible Colorado team.  52-7 Oregon.

#5 Notre Dame @ #8 Oklahoma - Sometimes we need to appreciate the small victories in life...

The Game of the Week!  The Irish keep finding ways to win.  They've had plenty of close games this year but nobody has been able to solve the Irish D.  So much so that LB Manti Te'o is getting Heisman consideration, which is unheard for a defensive player.  No doubt the Irish D is good and points will be at a premium for both teams this week.  This is going to be an old school game that would be considered great D if these teams were in the SEC, or bad O if the teams were in the Big Ten. Look for the Irish to run the ball and try to limit the mistakes of their still inconsistent QB's Golson & Rees.  The Sooners are perennially ranked in the top 10, but...

It's been over a decade since the Sooners national title.  The OU faithful are getting restless with HC Bob Stoops.  He's a victim of his own early success as a coach.  The Sooners have yet another shot to play in a BCS game if they can hand the Irish their first loss of the season.  QB Landry Jones has been playing better and the OU D is rounding into form.  Points will be as scarce in this one.  I expect a special teams play to decide the game.  24-17 Sooners.

#7 Beavers @ Huskies - The Beavers keep winning despite having the 100th rated rushing attack in the nation.  In fact, I wouldn't even call it an "attack", I'd call it a rushing distraction.  Clearly the Beavers like to air it out. In the past three weeks, UW got destroyed by Oregon, played USC tough, and got destroyed by Arizona 52-17.  So which Huskies team shows up this week?  UW just doesn't do anything well on offense or defense.  Unless the Beavers get dysentery while on the trail...

I don't see the UW pulling the upset.  37 - 17 Beavers.

#9 USC @ Arizona - The Trojans have been slowly climbing back up the rankings since their loss to Stanford and if they can put away the Wildcats this week, they can officially get back into the BCS picture with a win over Oregon next week.  We all know Lane Kiffin will do whatever it takes to win, from poaching opposing teams players, to pulling dirty tricks to beat a Colorado squad that is one of the worst in the nation. Really Lane? Colorado?  Lame.   For a coach that hates playing Defense as much as RichRod does, this is not a good matchup. With QB Matt Barkley throwing to WR's Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, it will be a long night for the Arizona secondary.  52-24 Trojans.

Duke @ #12 Seminoles - Duke is for real!  After blowing a 20 point lead to VA Tech last week, the Dukies could have easily given up and waited for bball season like the rest of tobacco road, but this Duke team did the opposite.  They came out swinging and beat rival North Carolina on a TD pass with 13 seconds left in the game 33-30!  That may have been Duke's biggest win on the grid iron in over a decade, so the question is can they sustain this success from week to week?  A HUGE test comes this week as they take on a Seminoles squad coming off a decisive victory over Miami last week.  The 'Noles tend to lose focus, especially against lesser opponents, and appear to be more of a second half team, so expect this one to be uncomfortably close for the 'Noles for a half. I wouldn't be surprised to see Duke leading at the half, but the 'Noles have superior players, and will break through and put the game away in the second half.  37-21 FSU.

Volunteers @ #13 Gamecocks - The Gamecocks got bludgeoned in The Swamp last week 44-11.  RB Marcus Lattimore played, but touched the ball only 5 times and was clearly not 100%.  That's two straight losses for USCe and they are now looking at a second tier bowl game.  Will HC Steve Spurrier keep these kids focused after two tough losses?  The Volunteers may be just what the doctor ordered for an ailing team.  The Vols have lost to every ranked team they've played this year and none of the games have been close.  The 'Cocks will get back into the win column this week and make HC Derek Dooley's seat even hotter in Knoxville. 32 - 21 Gamecocks.

Kent State @ #15 Rutgers - Like skinny jeans on a fat person...

Rutgers football is somewhere they don't belong.

The Scarlet Knights are still undefeated and have still played absolutely nobody.  They take on a 6-1 Kent State team who is arguably the best team they've played this year.  The Golden Flashes can't throw the ball to save their lives so Rutgers D will key on Kent's two headed monster, RB's Dri Archer and Trayion Durham.  The Rutgers D is only giving up 11.3 points per game, but when you play nobody, nobody scores any points.  Rutgers will remain undefeated and overrated again this week.  27-13 Scarlet Knights.

Cincy @ #16 Louisville - Toledo spoiled what would have been a battle of undefeated teams this week when they knocked off Cincy 29-23 last week. If the MAC had an automatic bid to the BCS, one would argue both Toledo and Kent State would be ranked.  I'm convinced the only reason Big East teams are ranked is because of the BCS tie in.  The conference is closer to the MAC than it is to any other BCS conference. The Cardinals are the other undefeated Big East team thanks to a comeback win against South Florida last week.  QB Teddy Bridgewater threw a TD pass with under 2 minutes left to seal the victory for the Cardinals.  I expect the Bearcats to reduce the number of Big East undefeated teams to 1 this week with a victory at Louisville.  34-24 Cardinals.

Wazzu @ #17 Stanford - The Cardinal didn't need OT to dispatch with their NoCal rivals Cal last week, winning 21-3.  Stanford's pass D will be tested against HC Mike Leach's spread pass attack.  The deeper into the season we get, the more the disparity grows between Wazzu's run and passing games.  The Cougars boast the 9th rated passing offense and the 123rd rushing offense. Unfortunately for the Cougars, their scoring offense is closer to their rushing rank than their passing rank.  45-17 Stanford.

#18 Clemson @ Wake Forest - Thursday night game alert!  I may or may not get this posted before this game.  The Tigers are 6-1 with their lone loss coming to FSU.  It's almost time for their annual late season swoon but I don't think it happens this week against Wake.  Wake is, well, Wake. An average team in an average conference.  They did manage to knock off Virginia last week in an ugly 16-10 game.  This week will be ugly again, but with no victory for the Demon Deacons.  37-13 Clemson.

#20 Texas A&M @ Auburn - Oh Auburn. They were 7 point dogs to Vandy last week and managed to cover the spread!  But still lost the game 17-13.  Auburn is bad, but as HC Gene Chizik would tell you...

With games against Texas A&M, Georgia and 'Bama left on their SEC schedule, it's a very real possibility Auburn will send up 0-8 in the SEC.  The Tigers offense is historically bad, rankings in the 100's in ever major statistic.  This is what's left of the Tigers once proud offense...

In fact, Alabama A&M and New Mexico State appear to be the only winnable games left for the Tigers.  The Aggies played LSU tough at home last week but couldn't pull off the upset, losing 24-19. The Aggies gave the ball up five times to LSU and as everyone knows, anytime you turn the ball over that much it's hard to win a game.  Aggies QB Johnny Manziel threw the ball 56 times against LSU but couldn't get the ball in the end zone.  He should have an easier time this week.  45-7 Aggies.

#21 Boise @ Wyoming - Boise lost to the only ranked team they played this year, and luckily for Boise, that's the only ranked team they play this year.  Their loss to Sparty to start the season has looked worse as the season has progressed.  It's a toss up as to who has the easier schedule, Boise or Rutgers.  I'd argue the Broncos would win the Big East if they were in the conference this year. The Broncos D has been stout all season and will continue that tough play against the Cowboys.  Wyoming is bad.  Their lone win was an OT squeaker against an even worse Idaho squad.  45-3 Boise.

#22 Michigan @ Nebraska - The Huskers are favored in this game even though they're not ranked and Michigan check in at #22.  The Wolverines offense is all QB Denard Robinson running the ball.

The Huskers let Buckeyes QB Braxton Miller gash them for big yardage, and D Rob is even faster.  Michigan eked out a win against rival Sparty last week on a last second FG.  The Huskers needed a 4th quarter come back to knock off Northwestern 29-28 last week.  The Huskers offense depends on which Taylor Martinez shows up, the good QB who threw 3 TD's last week or the inconsistent QB that isn't accurate and prone to mistakes.  Michigan's D is playing better right now and that gives them the edge this week.  30-27 Michigan.

#23 Longhorns @ Jayhawks - I've hammered on Fatty Weis and the Jayhawks all year that it's almost no fun anymore.  Almost.  If you had to guess which D is giving up more points per game this year how many of you would pick Kansas?  And all of you would be wrong.  The Jayhawks are 95th in the nation surrendering 31.4 points per game, while Texas checks in at 105th, giving up 35 points per contest, including allowing Baylor to put up 50 last week.  Expect the scoreboard to get lit up in this game.  56 - 45 Longhorns.

#24 Ohio @ Miami(OH) - The Bobcats just win and will be favored in every remaining game this year.  Barring an upset, Ohio could go 12-0.  Ohio has a fairly balanced offense and a decent D.  The Redhawks like to throw the ball and have no running game to speak of.  Their D is worse than the Longhorns.  40-23 Ohio.

Sparty @ #25 Badgers - Oh Sparty... if there is a way to lose a game, you will find it.  Sparty's D only gives up 15.3 points per game, which is good enough for 11th in the nation, but their offense is moribund, putting up only 19.6 points per game, good for 109th in the nation.  Wisconsin is rounding into form.  This is not the same Badger team that lost to Oregon State or Nebraska earlier in the season. The offense has finally started putting up points, and RB Montee Ball is playing much better.  The D was never the problem and continues to make plays.  You never know what will happen in a weak Big Ten this year, but with home field advantage, Badgers will pull this one out.  27 - 14 Wisconsin.

Games of Note 

Buckeyes @ Nittany Lions - Penn State could use this kid.  A high schooler kicked a 67 yard FG. Who will win the IneligiBOWL?

Buckeye QB Braxton Miller is good to go this week after hitting his head last week.  As goes Braxton, so goes the Buckeyes offense.  Last week it took OSU overtime to knock off Purdue.  Meanwhile, Penn State dominated Iowa at Iowa, at one point going up 31-0.  This expression says it all...

Yes, this is the very same PSU team that was left for dead before the season.  Now, they are begrudgingly getting some respect.  It's a shame too, because there is not a single coach, player, student or fan that did anything wrong and yet some people still can't wrap their heads around that. This is the biggest game of the year for PSU.  At home, at night, nothing to lose.  This is the best D PSU will have faced this year, and the same goes for OSU.  It's also the best offense PSU's D has faced, and the same can be said for OSU.  This will be a tough, hard fought game, and I expect the difference to be OSU's special teams.  A blocked punt or kick return for a TD will be the deciding factor as OSU moves to 9-0.  31-24 Buckeyes.

Ole Miss @ Arkansas - At least we know what John L. Smith will be doing at this time next year...

If his used cars run anything like his offense, I'd stay far away.  The Razorbacks are salvaging what's left of their season, winning their last two games.  QB Tyler Wilson is showing why he was considered a potential 1st round pick before the season as he directs the 13th ranked passing attack in the nation.  The Hogs still have no running game though and the D is average.  Ole Miss is another average team.  Their offense is balanced and they score more points than they give up, but have trouble beating good teams.  As much as I'd like to give this game to Arkansas, I know John L will find a way to blow it.  33-27 Ole Miss.

Iowa @ Northwestern - Has Northwestern invented away field advantage?  The Hawkeyes were shell shocked at home against the Nittany Lions last week.  Nobody expected the Nits to dominate like they did, least of all Iowa.  The Wildcats blew a 13 point 4th quarter lead to Nebraska last week.  Northwestern has a good offense and an average defense.  The O likes to run the ball with their spread attack.  The Hawkeyes have no identity on offense.  If RB Mark Weisman isn't at full strength, the Hawkeyes will struggle to put up points again, but can Northwestern hold on to any lead they get?  30-20 Northwestern.

Temple @ Pitt - Philly v. Pittsburgh! East v. West!  This would be a compelling game if it were being played on Sunday instead.  The Owls aren't as bad as they used to be, but still aren't very good.  They have an atrocious passing game and their D is average at best. Pitt has sucked since Mark May was playing for them back in the early 80's.  The Panthers will attempt to get to .500 before facing the Fightin' Irish next week, but it won't happen. 24-19 Temple.

Wolfpack @ Tar Heels - I could not have made up this story if I had tried..

UNC WR caught plagiarizing 11 year old

Sadly, with UNC's reputation for no show classes and handing out A's to athletes, the only surprise here is that he got caught.  The Heels may need to recruit some more players, they lost to tobacco road rival Duke last weekend.  All the no show classes in the world aren't worth shit if you can't even beat Duke on the grid iron.  The Wolfpack are an air it out team that plays solid D.  You never know what can happen in an average ACC. 35-29 Wolfpack

Upset of the Week

Indiana @ Illinois - I'm not sure if this would actually be considered an upset if it's two terrible teams facing off.  Indiana blew their game to Navy last week giving up two 4th quarter TD's on their way to a 31-30 loss.  The Illini offense is one of the worst in college football and their D is not much better.  I can see the Hoosiers winning their first Big Ten game and sending the Fightin' Illini to the bottom of the Big Ten.  Hey Illini!

37-13 Hoosiers.