1) I would take Cal to cover over Maryland, since I watched both the Cal-WSU game (final score 66-3) and part of the MTSU-Maryland game (24-14). While I would expect both teams to regress toward the mean a bit, as it were, that leaves plenty of room for Cal to dominate. Factors working against them include a 3-hour time zone shift and a 9am start, but Cal has been working on east coast time all week so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Maryland will almost certainly come out harder, and they do have playmakers at RB and WR, but it is hard to see this one being competitive.

2) I would definitely take Penn State to cover against ’Cuse – the former simply dominated Oregon State last week, and the latter is almost unspeakably awful. The fact that this is a rivalry game (of sorts) ensures that PSU will not hesitate in running up the score against a team that has reliably given up huge yardage on the ground and in the air and lost by double digits to the Akron “Zips” last week.

3) Georgia over S. Carolina also seems like a good bet – granted, Spurrier won that one last year and has a history of upsetting ranked teams at least once a year, but it’s kind of hard to do that without any semblance of an offense.

4) Ga Tech should cover against Va Tech, if not win outright. The latter is completely impotent offensively, which certainly bodes well against a team that is only marginally so. Whatever the outcome ends up being, however, this game could be uglier than a jar of smashed a**holes.

5) Fresno State will not beat Wisconsin, even if they are at home and “fired up”. The fact that they won against a pathetic Rutgers means nothing – I watched that game in its entirety, and neither side looked pretty. I know Wisconsin is overrated as usual, but they have shown the ability so far this year to get yards on the ground and in the air.

6) Oklahoma over Washington would seem to be a lock – I know Stoops has bad karma away from home, (especially against Pac-10 officiating), but they are just too good. Plus, Washington just lost their top running back for the season.

7) USC is also looking good against Ohio State, especially since Beanie is “doubtful” as mentioned above. Taking into account the location, USC’s dominance against ranked teams, USC’s dominance against the Big Ten, Todd Boeckman’s inability to play well against tough opponents, etc., I don’t see this one being close at all. Then again, I did predict that Notre Dame would cover against SDSU…

hook ’em

1) On paper, USC-OSU looks a lot more evenly matched than it really is… That slow, grinding Big10 style will get crushed by the speed and skill at USC. Especially now that The Bean has been ruled out, I don’t expect OSU to cross over ten points unless the game is out of hand in favor of USC. Much as I hate them, you could probably put the USC 11 defenders on one of the lower tier NFL teams with no dropoff. It is telling that the line on this game is 10.5, whereas UGA only has to give 7/8 to the unranked “other USC.” This game is a total mismatch, and will force tOSU’s program to either evolve or languish.

2) As mentioned above, UGA will walk on Spurrier and the Cocks. I’d give SC seventeen points, but I only have to surrender eight – what a deal.

3) Great dog pick is sitting out there in SMU +36.5. Tech is not going to win that badly. They couldn’t beat Eastern Washington by that much, come on.

And OU at -21.5 or whatever is great. I can’t see that missing. I already have a good chunk in for this week, but I think that I’ll roll whatever I get out of UNC+6 and Kansas+3.5 into that game as well. It just makes too much freakin sense.

I want to go with Kansas + 3 or the ML, I really do. I just have this vision of Todd Reesing and receivers crumbling under noise and pressure @ SF, and their undersized line getting destroyed.

But then I think about them shutting down VTech, shutting out La. Tech last week, and putting up so many points all the time.

Poster picked KU. Someone convince me. I’m ready to go one way or the other, I just need some reason to justify the -110 on (what looks like to me) a coinflip…

OU over Washington. Too many points. Under most circumstances, I’d accept this blindfolded. However, with Washington holding on to a little cosmic karma, Big 10 refs, and the problems OU has had on the road, suddenly 20.5 seems a bit much. If OU can’t get off to a fast start, watch out. No including any rain, which will make it worse.

The other is Michigan State over FAU. Too many points at this part of the season. Six games down the road I wouldn’t have a problem with this, but not now. The Spartans are in learning mode, FAU has the more mature offense and scoring capability. 17.5 is 10 points too much.

my 2 coppers

Better be more agile than Locker…. Grutze (the Cinn QB) is getting out of the hospital pretty soon I think.