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Projected Scores
Week 10
Louisiana-Monroe 17 Florida International 7
Houston 31 Central Florida 27
Troy 24 Florida Atlantic 13
Wisconsin 34 Penn State 31
Memphis 34 UAB 30
Western Michigan 31 Eastern Michigan 13
Iowa State 31 Kansas State 20
Georgia Tech 16 Wake Forest 10
Toledo 27 Ohio 17
Northern Illinois 24 Central Michigan 17
Utah 31 Wyoming 20
Texas-El Paso 35 Tulsa 24
Miami (Ohio) 45 Buffalo 7
Texas Tech 34 Texas A&M 10
Bowling Green 38 Kent State 21
Ball State 27 Akron 20
Louisiana Tech 38 Utah State 13
Florida 34 Vanderbilt 15
West Virginia 17 Connecticut 10
TCU 24 Colorado State 23
Clemson 41 Duke 10
Fresno State 48 San Jose State 10
Rutgers 24 South Florida 20
Washington 24 Oregon State 20
Virginia 45 Temple 0
Southern California 55 Stanford 21
Ohio State 41 Illinois 7
Tennessee 27 Notre Dame 20
Northwestern 31 Iowa 23
North Texas 17 La.-Lafayette 9
Southern Methodist 20 Rice 17
Florida State 34 North Carolina State 7
Oregon 40 California 34
Brigham Young 20 UNLV 10
Boston College 20 North Carolina 17
Nevada 45 Hawaii 30
Nebraska 20 Kansas 17
Navy 31 Tulane 16
Boise State 54 New Mexico State 28
Colorado 23 Missouri 17
Texas 37 Baylor 13
Minnesota 36 Indiana 27
Purdue 31 Michigan State 30
Virginia Tech 24 Miami (Fla.) 13
Auburn 24 Kentucky 17
Middle Tennessee 31 Arkansas State 15
Arkansas 23 South Carolina 20
Washington State 31 Arizona State 27
UCLA 34 Arizona 20
Alabama 27 Mississippi State 6
Louisville 41 Pittsburgh 20
LSU 45 Appalachian State 0
Air Force 24 Army 6 -
Harmon Forecast NCAA
Game of the Week
*Virginia Tech 27, Miami (Fla.) 20
Since 1995, Virginia Tech has won seven of the past 10 meetings, including last year's 16-10 victory in Miami. The last time the two met in Blacksburg (2003), Virginia Tech won 31-7.
Week of Nov. 5
Major Colleges - Div. I-A
*Air Force 23 Army 17
Alabama 22 *Mississippi State 13
Akron 23 *Ball State 6
Arizona State 31 *Washington State 28
Auburn 31 *Kentucky 14
*Boise State 44 New Mexico State 10
Boston College 24 *North Carolina 14
Bowling Green 33 *Kent State 16
Brigham Young 26 *UNLV 20
*Clemson 28 Duke 10
*Colorado 24 Missouri 23
*Eastern Michigan 27 Western Michigan 20
*Florida 24 Vanderbilt 12
*Florida State 31 North Carolina State 17
*Fresno State 33 San Jose State 14
*Georgia Tech 25 Wake Forest 17
Houston 24 *Central Florida 23
Iowa 31 *Northwestern 30
Kansas State 21 *Iowa State 20
Louisiana-Monroe 22 *Florida International 19
Louisiana Tech 27 *Utah State 7
*Louisville 38 Pittsburgh 21
*LSU 36 Appalachian State 7
*Miami (Ohio) 31 Buffalo 7
Michigan State 33 *Purdue 31
*Middle Tennessee 24 Arkansas State 21
Minnesota 34 *Indiana 20
*Memphis 23 UAB 20
Nebraska 23 *Kansas 14
*Nevada 30 Hawaii 28
*Navy 20 Tulane 6
Northern Illinois 27 *Central Michigan 23
*North Texas 17 La.-Lafayette 14
*Notre Dame 27 Tennessee 17
*Ohio State 29 Illinois 10
*Oregon 31 California 27
Oregon State 34 *Washington 21
*Penn State 31 Wisconsin 24
*Rutgers 20 South Florida 17
South Carolina 28 *Arkansas 13
*Southern California 38 Stanford 16
*Southern Methodist 23 Rice 14
*TCU 27 Colorado State 21
Texas 33 *Baylor 17
*Texas-El Paso 26 Tulsa 20
*Texas Tech 35 Texas A&M 28
Toledo 31 *Ohio 17
*Troy 17 Florida Atlantic 14
UCLA 44 *Arizona 14
*Virginia 34 Temple 7
*Virginia Tech 27 Miami (Fla.) 20
*West Virginia 21 Connecticut 14
Wyoming 26 *Utah 24Comment
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Good luck this Weekend BB!!!!!! Great job you do with all these plays...
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College football all picks
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2...xpertPicks.htm
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2...redictions.htmComment
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once again---thanks Beard---kapt
Don't make me go Cajun on your Ass!Comment
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Foxsports fearless predictions
Game of the Week
No. 5 Miami (FL) at No. 3 Virginia Tech — Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET
Line:
Va Tech -6.5
With all due respect to Florida State, welcome to your 2005 Big East, err, ACC Championship. Actually, the winner will end up representing the Coastal Division in the ACC title game and will still be in the hunt for the national title. Virginia Tech hasn't been able to break the Texas ceiling in the BCS ranking a solid third in the human polls, but an impressive win might finally change the minds of the voters' set-in-stone belief that USC is one and Texas is two.
Miami has turned it on, especially on defense, after a rough opening two games allowing an average of 7.2 points per game over its last five wins. Lurking out of the spotlight ever since the ugly opening day loss to Florida State, the Canes need to avenge last year's 16-13 loss in the Orange Bowl to earn the national respect they're looking for.
Miami would be the pick if this was in the Orange Bowl, but Virginia Tech is way too good at home and playing way too well right now. The Canes looked too shaky against North Carolina last week to think they can handle a Hokie team that really is good enough to play for the national title.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 20 ... Miami 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
More Top 25 Matchups
No. 19 Boston College at North Carolina
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
BC
-5
For those of you itching for the rematch of BC's 37-24 win over North Carolina in the Continental Tire Bowl, it's Christmas morning. Outside of the 69-14 nail-biting loss to Louisville, the Tar Heels have been solid all season long under the pressure of one of the nation's most brutal schedules. With this the beginning of a three-game homestand before ending the year at Virginia Tech, there can't be any slip ups if they want to go to a bowl game. The Eagles have to gear it back up after getting rolled 30-10 by the Hokies last week. While they're realistically out of the ACC title hunt, they're still in line for a great bowl if they can get through the last three games unscathed. This is still one of the ACC's best teams, but it's going to get a big push this week.
Prediction: Boston College 20 ... UNC 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 2 Texas at Baylor
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Texas
-28.5
ON FSN
Baylor has had an impressive season under Guy Morriss, but nothing would change the program more than to knock off the No. 1 (at least by the BCS computers) Longhorns and ruin the national title season. O.K., so Baylor doesn't have enough to win, but if this is close and Texas struggles to get by, and Virginia Tech steamrolls Miami, hearts and minds could start to change in the human polls. Texas is starting to realize it actually has to play the rest of its games, and after a less-than-stellar first half against Oklahoma State, needs to dominate for sixty minutes to end any doubts about who the number two team in the nation is. Texas has way too much on defense to let Baylor breathe, while Vince Young will account for well over 300 total yards in about three quarters.
Prediction: Texas 42 ... Baylor 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 17 Auburn at Kentucky
Saturday at 1 p.m. ET
Line:
Auburn
-22.5
Kentucky got its first win against a D-I team this year beating Mississippi State 13-7, and now it looks to come up with a really big win to ease the tension on head coach Rich Brooks. Auburn struggled a bit against Ole Miss last week despite the 27-3 score, and it needs to sharpen everything up with a nasty finishing kick facing Georgia and Alabama. The Tigers are still in the race for the West, but they can't afford to let down in Lexington. If Kentucky is going to keep this from being brutally ugly, it needs a big game out of super-soph Rafael Little. Little has rushed for over 100 yards in two of his last three games and has a respectable 651 yards and four touchdowns on the year. He's also an effective receiver catching 20 passes for 163 yards. With no one else doing much of anything on the Wildcat offense, Little has to rush for at least 120 yards to get the offense moving. Kentucky's offense simply won't be able to score enough to make this close, but expect a good effort at home.
Prediction: Auburn 38 ... Kentucky 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Tennessee at No. 8 Notre Dame
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Notre Dame
-9
It's a tale of two mega-programs going in the opposite direction, but that can change in a heartbeat. Tennessee has lost three straight with the deadliest of all sins coming last week in a 16-15 defeat at the hands of the evil one, Steve Spurrier. The problem has been high expectations with the team going from talking about a national title two months ago to fighting for a bowl bid and a winning season. For anyone else, there'd be no shame in losing at Florida, to Georgia, at Alabama and against South Carolina, but Tennessee isn't anyone else. A win in South Bend would do wonders with three easy games against Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky to close things out. The Irish have had two weeks off and is getting nothing but love from the pollsters, at least the human kind. This is the last chance to make any sort of a statement with layups against Navy, Syracuse and Stanford to close things out, but even a big win over Tennessee won't make the BCS computers happy.
Prediction: Notre Dame 23 ... Tennessee 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Missouri at No. 25 Colorado
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Colorado
-12
While Iowa State and Nebraska are still in the mix for the North title, Colorado can all but end things with a win over the maddeningly inconsistent Tigers. Missouri appeared ready to be a major Big 12 player after an impressive 41-24 win over Nebraska, but then it crashed and burned with a 13-3 loss at Kansas. Even so, the North title is still there for the taking by winning out with a home game against Baylor next week followed up by a road trip to Kansas State. Colorado hasn't lost to a North team since last year dropping a 17-9 decision to Missouri in the Big 12 opener. A thrilling 23-20 win over Kansas State last week set the table for this week's showdown, but it won't be easy with Missouri in must-win mode.
Prediction: Colorado 23 ... Missouri 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
N.C. State at No. 9 Florida State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
FSU
-13.5
The two teams always battle hard with NC State beating the 'Noles three years ago and losing classics over the last two seasons. NC State might not be as good as it was, but there's enough talent and enough athletes to hang around with the slightly struggling Seminoles. Yeah, FSU has won two straight and will be the Atlantic champions with a win this week, but it isn't playing all that well having problems with Maryland, who played its backup quarterback, and is giving up close to 26 points per game over the last four games. NC State is still in the hunt for a bowl bid, but it needs to win three of its final four games. Florida State will force at least four turnovers and NC State will implode late with penalties and mistakes.
Prediction: Florida State 31 ... NC State 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 4 Alabama at Mississippi State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
'Bama
-16.5
In 1980, Alabama was 7-0 with a dominant team that had only allowed 8.3 points per game, and then lost to Mississippi State 6-3 to ruin all national title hopes. This Bulldog team isn't nearly as good, but it could provide a trap for a Bama team looking ahead to the SEC West showdowns with LSU and Auburn. At 8-0, the Tide is still in the national title hunt with a nasty defense and just enough offense when it needs it. MSU could use a stunning win to break a five-game losing streak with the low point coming last week in a loss to Kentucky. The Bulldogs have a solid defense that should give the Tide a bit of a push.
Prediction: Alabama 27 ... Mississippi St. 7
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Illinois at No. 12 Ohio State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
OSU
-34
It's one of the Big Ten's best teams vs. the Big Ten's bottom feeder with Ohio State looking to blow through this scrimmage before finishing up with Northwestern and Michigan. Illinois hasn't given up showing heart and toughness in last week's loss to Wisconsin, but Ron Zook's club simply isn't any good. Even so, a great performance in Columbus would do wonders for the program as it closes out the season. Zook just wants the team to show more of a sign of life for next year. If Ohio State tries, it should be able to win in a brutally ugly blowout. Expect the backups to get in the mix in the third quarter.
Prediction: Ohio State 44 ... Illinois 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 23 Cal at No. 15 Oregon
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Oregon
-2
O.K. Dennis Dixon, let's see what you've got. With Oregon's star starting quarterback Kellen Clemens out for the year, it's up to Dixon to carry the surprising Ducks through the final three games. With all due respect to Washington State and Oregon, the final two teams on Oregon's slate, a win over Cal this week should mean a 10-1 season and a shot at the Holiday Bowl. Cal has been a slight disappointment with losses to UCLA and Oregon State, but this is still a strong, dangerous team looking to tune up before next week's showdown with USC. These are two of the nation's top scoring teams ready to wage what should be a classic Pac-10 shootout. This will be fun. Expect about 900 yards of total offense, several long touchdowns and turnovers. Lots of turnovers. Cal has a few more weapons than Oregon.
Prediction: California 34 ... Oregon 31
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 14 Wisconsin at No. 10 Penn St.
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Penn St.
-11
Take a deep breath and see if you can follow the implications of this showdown. If Penn State wins this week and beats Michigan State next week, it'll be the Big Ten champion thanks to the win over Ohio State and will go to the BCS. If Wisconsin wins this week and beats Iowa next week it'll win at least a share of the title, and will own it outright if Ohio State loses one of its final two games to either Illinois or Michigan. Wisconsin hasn't played all that well, but it's a second-half collapse against Northwestern away from being unbeaten. Penn State has been magnificent on both sides of the ball, and is a last-second stop against Michigan away from being in the national title picture. Will the Badgers collapse like last year or is this a magical final year for Barry Alvarez? Can Penn State put itself in position for an 11-win season?
Prediction: Penn State 38 ... Wisconsin 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 7 UCLA at Arizona
Saturday at 6 p.m. ET
Line:
UCLA
-9.5
Trap game. Screaming trap game. UCLA is two games and four weeks away from its dream shot at USC, but it has to handle all of Arizona first facing the Wildcats this week and the Sun Devils next week. The Bruins have a nagging habit of not showing up for three quarters before writing a Hollywood ending. Week after week, five in a row to be exact, UCLA finds a way to jet the job done in the fourth quarter. There's a concern that it'll be on the wrong side of the final score in one of these close games. Arizona finally got its first Pac 10 win of the season in a 29-27 turnover fest against Oregon State. The Wildcats would love nothing more than to ruin the Bruins' dream season and go on a nice run with lowly Washington coming up next.
Prediction: UCLA 31 ... Arizona 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Texas A&M at No. 16 Texas Tech
Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
Line:
Tech
-16.5
What some though would be the battle for second in the Big 12 South is now a fight for survival for Texas A&M, and a fight for the Cotton Bowl for Texas Tech. A&M was rolling along through the Big 12 season and was hoping to get through a winnable home date with Iowa State before dealing with the big boys from the South. Boom goes the dynamite. One 42-14 Cyclone win later, and A&M is in big, big trouble in its hope for a winning season. Texas Tech has a great record, but Nebraska is the only team it has beaten that might got to a bowl. The offense slowed to a near crawl by Red Raider standards over the last two weeks with only 375 yards against Baylor. This should be a high scoring game with high intensity.
Prediction: Texas Tech 41 ... Texas A&M 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Vanderbilt at No. 13 Florida
Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET
Line:
BC
-5
With a win over Georgia, Florida has gotten itself right back into the SEC title race with games against Vandy this week and South Carolina next week, while Georgia still has to deal with Auburn. Vandy is on a four-game losing streak with all the air out of the balloon from the great 4-0 start. Vandy isn't playing poorly, but now they're facing tougher teams. A bowl game isn't out of the picture considering Tennessee, who they play at the end of the year, is having so many problems and with Kentucky coming up next week, but they'd like to turn things around now with a shocker in the Swamp.
Prediction: Florida 38 ... Vanderbilt 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Stanford at No. 1 USC
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Texas
-33.5
Is Stanford really dangerous enough to upset USC? In Palo Alto, maybe, but not in L.A. where the Trojans have dominated over the last few seasons. USC keeps on rolling with a 30-game wining streak and an offense that's looking better than ever cranking out 106 points in the last two games and 601 yards of total offense on the season. Stanford gave UCLA all it could handle last week before melting down in the fourth quarter and losing an overtime heartbreaker. Walt Harris has his team playing well; a win over the Trojans would do indescribable wonders for the program.
Prediction: USC 50 ... Stanford 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTraxComment
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USA Today/Eric Smith
Game of the Week
No. 5 Miami (FL) at No. 3 Virginia Tech — Saturday at 7:45 p.m. ET
Line:
Va Tech -6.5
With all due respect to Florida State, welcome to your 2005 Big East, err, ACC Championship. Actually, the winner will end up representing the Coastal Division in the ACC title game and will still be in the hunt for the national title. Virginia Tech hasn't been able to break the Texas ceiling in the BCS ranking a solid third in the human polls, but an impressive win might finally change the minds of the voters' set-in-stone belief that USC is one and Texas is two.
Miami has turned it on, especially on defense, after a rough opening two games allowing an average of 7.2 points per game over its last five wins. Lurking out of the spotlight ever since the ugly opening day loss to Florida State, the Canes need to avenge last year's 16-13 loss in the Orange Bowl to earn the national respect they're looking for.
Miami would be the pick if this was in the Orange Bowl, but Virginia Tech is way too good at home and playing way too well right now. The Canes looked too shaky against North Carolina last week to think they can handle a Hokie team that really is good enough to play for the national title.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 20 ... Miami 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
More Top 25 Matchups
No. 19 Boston College at North Carolina
Saturday at Noon ET
Line:
BC
-5
For those of you itching for the rematch of BC's 37-24 win over North Carolina in the Continental Tire Bowl, it's Christmas morning. Outside of the 69-14 nail-biting loss to Louisville, the Tar Heels have been solid all season long under the pressure of one of the nation's most brutal schedules. With this the beginning of a three-game homestand before ending the year at Virginia Tech, there can't be any slip ups if they want to go to a bowl game. The Eagles have to gear it back up after getting rolled 30-10 by the Hokies last week. While they're realistically out of the ACC title hunt, they're still in line for a great bowl if they can get through the last three games unscathed. This is still one of the ACC's best teams, but it's going to get a big push this week.
Prediction: Boston College 20 ... UNC 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 2 Texas at Baylor
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Texas
-28.5
ON FSN
Baylor has had an impressive season under Guy Morriss, but nothing would change the program more than to knock off the No. 1 (at least by the BCS computers) Longhorns and ruin the national title season. O.K., so Baylor doesn't have enough to win, but if this is close and Texas struggles to get by, and Virginia Tech steamrolls Miami, hearts and minds could start to change in the human polls. Texas is starting to realize it actually has to play the rest of its games, and after a less-than-stellar first half against Oklahoma State, needs to dominate for sixty minutes to end any doubts about who the number two team in the nation is. Texas has way too much on defense to let Baylor breathe, while Vince Young will account for well over 300 total yards in about three quarters.
Prediction: Texas 42 ... Baylor 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 17 Auburn at Kentucky
Saturday at 1 p.m. ET
Line:
Auburn
-22.5
Kentucky got its first win against a D-I team this year beating Mississippi State 13-7, and now it looks to come up with a really big win to ease the tension on head coach Rich Brooks. Auburn struggled a bit against Ole Miss last week despite the 27-3 score, and it needs to sharpen everything up with a nasty finishing kick facing Georgia and Alabama. The Tigers are still in the race for the West, but they can't afford to let down in Lexington. If Kentucky is going to keep this from being brutally ugly, it needs a big game out of super-soph Rafael Little. Little has rushed for over 100 yards in two of his last three games and has a respectable 651 yards and four touchdowns on the year. He's also an effective receiver catching 20 passes for 163 yards. With no one else doing much of anything on the Wildcat offense, Little has to rush for at least 120 yards to get the offense moving. Kentucky's offense simply won't be able to score enough to make this close, but expect a good effort at home.
Prediction: Auburn 38 ... Kentucky 10
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Tennessee at No. 8 Notre Dame
Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Notre Dame
-9
It's a tale of two mega-programs going in the opposite direction, but that can change in a heartbeat. Tennessee has lost three straight with the deadliest of all sins coming last week in a 16-15 defeat at the hands of the evil one, Steve Spurrier. The problem has been high expectations with the team going from talking about a national title two months ago to fighting for a bowl bid and a winning season. For anyone else, there'd be no shame in losing at Florida, to Georgia, at Alabama and against South Carolina, but Tennessee isn't anyone else. A win in South Bend would do wonders with three easy games against Memphis, Vanderbilt and Kentucky to close things out. The Irish have had two weeks off and is getting nothing but love from the pollsters, at least the human kind. This is the last chance to make any sort of a statement with layups against Navy, Syracuse and Stanford to close things out, but even a big win over Tennessee won't make the BCS computers happy.
Prediction: Notre Dame 23 ... Tennessee 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Missouri at No. 25 Colorado
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Colorado
-12
While Iowa State and Nebraska are still in the mix for the North title, Colorado can all but end things with a win over the maddeningly inconsistent Tigers. Missouri appeared ready to be a major Big 12 player after an impressive 41-24 win over Nebraska, but then it crashed and burned with a 13-3 loss at Kansas. Even so, the North title is still there for the taking by winning out with a home game against Baylor next week followed up by a road trip to Kansas State. Colorado hasn't lost to a North team since last year dropping a 17-9 decision to Missouri in the Big 12 opener. A thrilling 23-20 win over Kansas State last week set the table for this week's showdown, but it won't be easy with Missouri in must-win mode.
Prediction: Colorado 23 ... Missouri 14
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
N.C. State at No. 9 Florida State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
FSU
-13.5
The two teams always battle hard with NC State beating the 'Noles three years ago and losing classics over the last two seasons. NC State might not be as good as it was, but there's enough talent and enough athletes to hang around with the slightly struggling Seminoles. Yeah, FSU has won two straight and will be the Atlantic champions with a win this week, but it isn't playing all that well having problems with Maryland, who played its backup quarterback, and is giving up close to 26 points per game over the last four games. NC State is still in the hunt for a bowl bid, but it needs to win three of its final four games. Florida State will force at least four turnovers and NC State will implode late with penalties and mistakes.
Prediction: Florida State 31 ... NC State 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 4 Alabama at Mississippi State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
'Bama
-16.5
In 1980, Alabama was 7-0 with a dominant team that had only allowed 8.3 points per game, and then lost to Mississippi State 6-3 to ruin all national title hopes. This Bulldog team isn't nearly as good, but it could provide a trap for a Bama team looking ahead to the SEC West showdowns with LSU and Auburn. At 8-0, the Tide is still in the national title hunt with a nasty defense and just enough offense when it needs it. MSU could use a stunning win to break a five-game losing streak with the low point coming last week in a loss to Kentucky. The Bulldogs have a solid defense that should give the Tide a bit of a push.
Prediction: Alabama 27 ... Mississippi St. 7
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Illinois at No. 12 Ohio State
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
OSU
-34
It's one of the Big Ten's best teams vs. the Big Ten's bottom feeder with Ohio State looking to blow through this scrimmage before finishing up with Northwestern and Michigan. Illinois hasn't given up showing heart and toughness in last week's loss to Wisconsin, but Ron Zook's club simply isn't any good. Even so, a great performance in Columbus would do wonders for the program as it closes out the season. Zook just wants the team to show more of a sign of life for next year. If Ohio State tries, it should be able to win in a brutally ugly blowout. Expect the backups to get in the mix in the third quarter.
Prediction: Ohio State 44 ... Illinois 13
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 23 Cal at No. 15 Oregon
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Oregon
-2
O.K. Dennis Dixon, let's see what you've got. With Oregon's star starting quarterback Kellen Clemens out for the year, it's up to Dixon to carry the surprising Ducks through the final three games. With all due respect to Washington State and Oregon, the final two teams on Oregon's slate, a win over Cal this week should mean a 10-1 season and a shot at the Holiday Bowl. Cal has been a slight disappointment with losses to UCLA and Oregon State, but this is still a strong, dangerous team looking to tune up before next week's showdown with USC. These are two of the nation's top scoring teams ready to wage what should be a classic Pac-10 shootout. This will be fun. Expect about 900 yards of total offense, several long touchdowns and turnovers. Lots of turnovers. Cal has a few more weapons than Oregon.
Prediction: California 34 ... Oregon 31
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 14 Wisconsin at No. 10 Penn St.
Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Penn St.
-11
Take a deep breath and see if you can follow the implications of this showdown. If Penn State wins this week and beats Michigan State next week, it'll be the Big Ten champion thanks to the win over Ohio State and will go to the BCS. If Wisconsin wins this week and beats Iowa next week it'll win at least a share of the title, and will own it outright if Ohio State loses one of its final two games to either Illinois or Michigan. Wisconsin hasn't played all that well, but it's a second-half collapse against Northwestern away from being unbeaten. Penn State has been magnificent on both sides of the ball, and is a last-second stop against Michigan away from being in the national title picture. Will the Badgers collapse like last year or is this a magical final year for Barry Alvarez? Can Penn State put itself in position for an 11-win season?
Prediction: Penn State 38 ... Wisconsin 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
No. 7 UCLA at Arizona
Saturday at 6 p.m. ET
Line:
UCLA
-9.5
Trap game. Screaming trap game. UCLA is two games and four weeks away from its dream shot at USC, but it has to handle all of Arizona first facing the Wildcats this week and the Sun Devils next week. The Bruins have a nagging habit of not showing up for three quarters before writing a Hollywood ending. Week after week, five in a row to be exact, UCLA finds a way to jet the job done in the fourth quarter. There's a concern that it'll be on the wrong side of the final score in one of these close games. Arizona finally got its first Pac 10 win of the season in a 29-27 turnover fest against Oregon State. The Wildcats would love nothing more than to ruin the Bruins' dream season and go on a nice run with lowly Washington coming up next.
Prediction: UCLA 31 ... Arizona 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Texas A&M at No. 16 Texas Tech
Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
Line:
Tech
-16.5
What some though would be the battle for second in the Big 12 South is now a fight for survival for Texas A&M, and a fight for the Cotton Bowl for Texas Tech. A&M was rolling along through the Big 12 season and was hoping to get through a winnable home date with Iowa State before dealing with the big boys from the South. Boom goes the dynamite. One 42-14 Cyclone win later, and A&M is in big, big trouble in its hope for a winning season. Texas Tech has a great record, but Nebraska is the only team it has beaten that might got to a bowl. The offense slowed to a near crawl by Red Raider standards over the last two weeks with only 375 yards against Baylor. This should be a high scoring game with high intensity.
Prediction: Texas Tech 41 ... Texas A&M 23
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Vanderbilt at No. 13 Florida
Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET
Line:
BC
-5
With a win over Georgia, Florida has gotten itself right back into the SEC title race with games against Vandy this week and South Carolina next week, while Georgia still has to deal with Auburn. Vandy is on a four-game losing streak with all the air out of the balloon from the great 4-0 start. Vandy isn't playing poorly, but now they're facing tougher teams. A bowl game isn't out of the picture considering Tennessee, who they play at the end of the year, is having so many problems and with Kentucky coming up next week, but they'd like to turn things around now with a shocker in the Swamp.
Prediction: Florida 38 ... Vanderbilt 17
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTrax
Stanford at No. 1 USC
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET
Line:
Texas
-33.5
Is Stanford really dangerous enough to upset USC? In Palo Alto, maybe, but not in L.A. where the Trojans have dominated over the last few seasons. USC keeps on rolling with a 30-game wining streak and an offense that's looking better than ever cranking out 106 points in the last two games and 601 yards of total offense on the season. Stanford gave UCLA all it could handle last week before melting down in the fourth quarter and losing an overtime heartbreaker. Walt Harris has his team playing well; a win over the Trojans would do indescribable wonders for the program.
Prediction: USC 50 ... Stanford 20
Complete Fearless Prediction | GameTraxComment
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Miami herald/Jeff Shain
• Virginia Tech 23, Miami 14: Hokies not only have been unbeatable in Blacksburg, but darn near impenetrable. Five of eight foes have been held under 100 yards rushing, making it very iffy that UM's Tyrone Moss can bail out Kyle Wright. Another slow start here is doom. (Favorite: Tech by 6 ½.)
• Florida 36, Vanderbilt 20: Gators haven't beaten Vandy by more than 18 since the Spurrier era, and even then usually viewed this week as a breather. Commodores have the SEC's top passing offense behind QB Jay Cutler, but UF's Chris Leak won't see much of a pass rush. (Favorite: UF by 19.)
• Florida State 26, N.C. State 16: Expect DEs Manny Lawson and Mario Williams to bring the heat on FSU's Drew Weatherford, especially with RB Leon Washington out. But Wolfpack has its own turnover problems on offense (20), and a bad tendency to self-destruct in crunch time. (Favorite: FSU by 13 ½.)
• Penn State 37, Wisconsin 24: Badgers' defense has been brutal, ranking 97th in the nation and finding its most trouble against mobile QBs -- like, say, PSU's Michael Robinson. Nittanys' D also has been stout. Last time they took on a workhorse RB, they pounded Minnesota by 30. (Favorite: PSU by 10.)
• Colorado 34, Missouri 21: Jekyll-and-Hyde Tigers turned meek in last week's loss to Kansas, one game after QB Brad Smith went for 200-200 against Nebraska. He needs support, but RB Marcus Woods averages just 49 yards a game. Buffs QB Joel Klatt will light up Mizzou's D. (Favorite: Colorado by 11 ½.)
• California 33, Oregon 17: Not sure why Ducks are favored after losing their top two QBs in their last outing vs. Arizona. Now it's down to soph Brady Leaf -- Ryan's brother, which certainly would draw more ridicule if this game was played in Berkeley. (Favorite: Oregon by 1 ½.)
• TCU 30, Colorado State 27: Rams made a late charge to force showdown for Mountain West crown, but defense that ranks 95th in nation doesn't inspire much trust. Horny Toads won't overwhelm anyone, but lead nation in turnover margin and -- SMU excluded -- keep finding ways to win. (Favorite: TCU by 7.)
• Last week: 5-2. Tennessee really should have known better than to honor Peyton Manning with Steve Spurrier in the house. Against spread: 3-4.
• Season: 36-22 (30-27 vs. spread).Comment
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GL this weekend BB!Comment
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ESPN INSIDER
Saturday
North Carolina +4½ vs. Boston College: North Carolina's become a real spoiler at home. Last year it upset Georgia Tech, NC State and Miami at home and only lost to Virginia Tech by a field goal. This year the Heels have knocked off Utah and Virginia at home and scared the heck out of Miami last week in the Orange Bowl. Coach John Bunting has the Tar Heels believing and is now driving them to another bowl. BC is coming off a loss at Virginia Tech, and now the Eagles face the deflating fact that they are out of the ACC race. Can they draw on their positive experience of defeating UNC in last year's Continental Tire Bowl?
The pick: North Carolina.
Northern Illinois -2½ at Central Michigan: What's going on in the MAC? Last week all three powers -- NIU, Toledo and Bowling Green -- went down. Bowling Green lost because star quarterback Omar Jacobs was out again with a separated shoulder. Northern Illinois lost because star running back Garrett Wolfe was out with a badly sprained knee. Toledo, though, had no such excuse at Central Michigan.
Because the Central Michigan Chippewas shocked Toledo last week, they control their own destiny and can play for the MAC title if they continue to win. Central Michigan is led by running quarterback Kent Smith and a defense that has held its last four opponents to 17 points or less. This is the same team that began the year by playing Indiana tough (losing 20-13), and then shocked Miami (Ohio) 38-37 in Oxford. The Chips are on a roll, but the fear is that they celebrated too long after their first victory over Toledo in 10 years, and might not be as focused for this game.
Northern Illinois also controls its own destiny, and can win out and gain a spot in the MAC title game. Wolfe will be out again this week, but they still have RB Adrian Davis, who ran for 252 yards two weeks ago at Kent State in Wolfe's absence.
The pick: Northern Illinois.
NC State +13 at Florida State: Nobody has done less with more this year than NC State coach Chuck Amato has with his talented collection of running backs and defensive linemen. But there are some games the Wolfpack always show up for, and this one of them. These two teams have split their last four meetings, all close games. The last time Amato brought his team to Tallahassee, it took FSU to double overtime. Two years before that, NC State pulled a shocking upset. Last year, Florida State won a defensive battle, 17-10. One reason for the close games might be that Amato was formerly a top assistant for Bobby Bowden.
All those coincidences might not mean a thing if FSU takes advantage of NC State's quarterback problems and unleashes its great team speed. But FSU is still a little banged up (TB Leon Washington and CB Gerald Ross are listed as doubtful) and you've got to wonder if Bowden can get his players to take Amato's team seriously after they watch the films of the struggle NC State had with Southern Miss.
The pick: NC State.
Notre Dame -8 vs. Tennessee: After playing head-knocking games against Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama it's no wonder Tennessee took the night off last week against South Carolina. The offensive problems continue for the Vols, forcing coach Phillip Fulmer to now call the plays. Four times they got the ball on South Carolina's side of the field and didn't get a single point out of it. Fulmer keeps yanking his quarterbacks and now nobody knows who's starting and the team has little confidence in either Erik Ainge or Rick Clausen. And to top things off, the Vols have to travel to South Bend to take on the Irish after Charlie Weis has had an extra week to work on the game plan. Notre Dame's fresh, sharp and ready. Tennessee's far from ready, it appears.
The pick: Notre Dame (best bet). We still have total respect for the Vols' defense and their ability to play well on the road. At this point of the season, this game means far more to Notre Dame, which might have a BCS bowl awaiting them.
BYU -11½ at UNLV: There's no doubt that BYU is on a roll and is scoring at a prolific pace. Last week's 62-41 victory over Air Force was never that close. Complementing QB John Beck has been RB Curtis Brown, who has run for triple digits in his last three conference games, including 219 yards last week. This year UNLV has had problems defending against two-dimensional offenses like BYU's. The Rebels gave up 42 points to Air Force and to Wyoming in road losses earlier this month.
The pick: BYU. The Cougars are focused on getting a bowl bid and have never lost in Las Vegas (5-0).
Texas Tech -16 vs. Texas A&M: This is a play as much against Texas A&M as it is on Texas Tech. At Texas A&M, the 12th man doesn't play pass defense. The Aggies are ranked 115th overall in that category. Last week they made Iowa State's Bret Meyer look like Peyton Manning. Meyer threw for 371 yards in a 42-14 victory at College Station. Earlier this year they gave up 31 points and 378 passing yards at home against Division I-AA Texas State. Colorado's Joel Klatt passed for 398 yards and even offensively challenged Kansas State threw for 357. If those QBs played target practice with the Aggies, then Tech's Cody Hodges and his set of great receivers ought to be able to eat A&M alive. Add to the mix that the Aggies will be without one of their top receivers, Chad Schroeder (20 receptions), who is now out for the year. When these teams met in Lubbock two years ago, Tech won 59-28. A repeat of that score may be in order.
The pick: Texas Tech (best bet). The Red Raiders are one of the most potent home teams in history, scoring 70 twice last year and 59 in their last home game (vs. K-State).
Virginia Tech -6½ vs. Miami: Virginia Tech has three advantages over Miami in this game: offense, defense and special teams. Not to be funny, but the Miami offense under new quarterback Kyle Wright has greatly disappointed this year, and only last week's explosion for 195 yards by RB Tyrone Moss was the first sign of life. It should be noted that Moss gained those yards against North Carolina's defense, not Virginia Tech's, which is possibly the best in the country.
Offensively, the Hokies have come to life behind Marcus Vick, who has a nice throwing touch and a very quick step running the ball. The intangible here is the home field. In a game like this, it means much, much more than your average home game. And Lane Stadium has to be one of the most feared places to play for any visitor.
The pick: Virginia Tech (best bet).
Houston -2½ at UCF: Houston has been a better road team than a home team this year for coach Art Briles. This year, the Cougars have won at Tulsa, Tulane and Mississippi State, losing only in overtime at UTEP in a game they should have won. One reason is a potent passing attack led by quarterback Kevin Kolb, and a defense that bends but doesn't break.
UCF has had a marvelous season and can qualify for a bowl with one more victory. But the Golden Knights are going to find Houston to be a lot tougher than their latest victims, East Carolina and Tulane. Although those two lit up UCF for over 600 passing yards, the Knights were able to come up with a total of seven interceptions, accounting for the victories.
The pick: Houston, which at 4-3 is also bowl bound with two more wins.
TCU -7 vs. Colorado State: Colorado State is a well coached and talented team. Last week, after trailing 22-5, the Rams completely turned things around at New Mexico in the second half to pull off a stunning upset. This week they're on the road again at TCU in a game that might decide the conference title. A victory for TCU will wrap it up for Horned Frogs, and there is no doubt they have been the class of the Mountain West Conference this year. Ever since quarterback Jeff Ballard took over six games ago, the Horned Frogs have taken off. Their defense has come to the fore also, holding the last four opponents to an average of just 15 points, which is no small feat in this conference.
The pick: TCU. Colorado State will come to play, but in the end, TCU is just too talented.
Arizona +9½ vs. UCLA: The UCLA Bruins should be renamed the Kardiac Kids for their last-minute, heart-stopping victories. They've won four of their last five games in that fashion, and don't seem to care how far behind they get. Quarterback Drew Olson and RB/return specialist Maurice Drew are two of the best players in the country and always pick up the slack when things get tough. But their slow start has been the result of a weak running game due to an inefficient offensive line. They also have been sloppy in the defensive secondary.
Arizona finally got a Pac-10 win this year for second-year coach Mike Stoops. The team has been beset by injuries and finally is getting healthy on the defensive line. Last week, the Wildcats upset Oregon State despite giving up 654 yards, but made up for it with six interceptions. Stoops took the red shirt off freshman quarterback Willie Tuitama two weeks ago, and he is learning fast. He threw for 335 yards and two TDs against Oregon State and didn't have an interception. The victory was a huge lift for Arizona's spirits and they are sure to be sky-high for the Bruins. UCLA, though, might be looking ahead to its final two games vs. Arizona State and crosstown rival USC.
The pick: Arizona.
Tulsa +9 at UTEP: Tulsa has been a pleasant surprise in Conference USA and now finds itself battling for conference honors with host UTEP. The Golden Hurricane have won five of their last six, losing only to Houston in the final seconds. On the road this year they nearly knocked off Oklahoma, then defeated Southern Miss and Rice easily. An improved pass defense and steady offense account for the improvement. Tulsa hasn't yielded more than 276 yards through the air in any game this season, which is a key stat because UTEP's main weapon is the forward pass.
UTEP is 6-1, losing only at Memphis, and is led by quarterback Jordan Palmer and RB Tyler Ebell. Palmer has been throwing a good many TD passes for the Miners but is also prone to throwing interceptions. Last week, thanks to a pair of interceptions, Rice nearly upset the Miners.
The pick: Tulsa, which has been underrated all year by the line makers. And by the way, when these two teams met last year, Tulsa won 37-35.
Passing Thoughts
Minnesota has lost its last seven visits to Bloomington but the way Indiana's been playing defense, an eighth straight loss would be a surprise. The Hoosiers have yielded an average of 41 points in their last three games, and now senior MLB and team captain John Pannozzo is out, and he's the team's second-leading tackler. … Can't see any reason for Rutgers to let up now after finally qualifying for a bowl. Besides, South Florida, which has virtually no passing attack, hasn't played in three weeks and hasn't won on the road this year and must be a little rusty. … It looks like Bowling Green, which has lost two straight at home, gets star QB Omar Jacobs back from a shoulder injury this week at Kent State, a team that's lost by 31 and 30 points in the last two weeks. … Oregon State quarterback Matt Moore continues to roll up the yards and also the interceptions. He's thrown for four TDs this year and an astounding 16 interceptions, including six last week against Arizona. This week he'll try Washington, and should have some success with that leaky pass defense. … Despite Wisconsin's porous defense, it's hard to believe that Penn State is a double-digit favorite over an 8-1 Badgers team coached by one of the great big-game coaches, Barry Alvarez. … Hawaii was unlucky last week at home against Fresno, and now that the Warriors have won twice on the road this year, they may make it three times against Nevada this week. … Kansas hasn't beaten Nebraska in its last 36 attempts, but Kansas coach Mark Mangino is already begging fans not to tear down the goal posts. Hmmm.2010 One play a day record
22-19-1 51%
+0.74 units
Passes: 7 days
Streak: L2Comment
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