NCAA Free Football Picks Review: Week 14 2009

And it was a very nice week to end my free NCAA football picks on. It started nice and finished even better. I wish both Alabama and Florida would have lost, but since that was impossible, I guess I’ll settle for the Gators getting upset in their bid for a repeat of the National Championship. Lots of good teams barely got by this week, but some nice underdogs made looking for the upset bid very profitable. Here’s how 7-3-1 looked…

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Arkansas State Indians @ Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+7) (WINNER) The Indians needed fourteen 4th quarter points just to win, but it wasn’t by enough to make me a loser – the Hilltoppers looked like the better team throughout, and I was definitely right about these two teams being more equal than the records suggested.

Oregon State Beavers (+10) @ Oregon Ducks (WINNER) The Beavers gave it a shot, and they had some chances. But the normally accurate Canfield couldn’t get some key completions late, and the Ducks offense ended up being just too tough to stop. Oregon completed two 4th downs on their final drive to seal the victory. But OSU covered in a game that was very close.

Ohio Bobcats (+12) @ Central Michigan Chippewas (WINNER) The Bobcats continued to do what they’ve done all year, keep it close against good teams. They were underrated coming in, and while Dan LeFevour was too much for them to pull the upset, a solid defensive performance got me a close cover.

West Virginia Mountaineers @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+2.5) (Loss) Just by the hair on my chubby chin chin. The Mountaineers pulled out a 3-point victory over a Scarlet Knights team that was their own worst enemy early. A late comeback fell just short, and Rutgers go me a rare loss in the last week of the season.

Cincinnati Bearcats (-1) @ Pittsburgh Panthers (Push) Well, this was one hell of a game. I can’t believe the small mishaps went the way the did, the unbelievable performances the Bearcats got from key players to stay undefeated, and the overall amazingness from this game. I thought the Panthers had it all wrapped up, but apparently they had it “all but wrapped up” as the Bearcats did what they needed to do, just like thy had all year. The 1 point win wasn’t enough for me, though, as Cinci’s win just got me a push. Amazing.

Fresno State Bulldogs (+1) @ Illinois Fighting Illini (Winner) This was another great game, and while it didn’t have an undefeated or a National Championship on the line, it had two teams playing solid football at the end of the year. As close as Rutgers loss was, this win was equal. The Bulldogs went for two to win it, and a tipped pass ended up in a lineman’s hands, and he took it in for the game winning conversion. Amazing.

Arizona Wildcats (+7.5) @ USC Trojans (Winner) The Wildcats beat the Trojans. Yeah, just like I predicted. Just like I said, the better team won this game.

Florida Gators (-5.5) @ Alabama Crimson Tide (Loss) The Gators got stomped, rolled, beaten, battered, destroyed, embarrassed, and Tim Tebow cried, and I’m okay with that. But I must say, it was fun to be a part of, even if I had picked the Gators.

California Golden Bears (-6) @ Washington Huskies (Loss) Well, it’s rare when I miss a Huskies cover, but I sure did exactly that this Saturday. The Huskies straight stomped the Bears, even though Cal had two weeks to prepare for the Dawgs. I stand surprised and impressed, and I’m back to being disgusted with Cal.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-2.5) @ Clemson Tigers (Winner) The Yellow Jackets needed a last minute touchdown to get the win over a game-Clemson team. C.J. Spiller showed the Nation why he’s labeled “one of the most dynamic football players in the country” and he almost single handily won the ACC Crown. But Jonathan Dwyer made a case for why he might be the best pro-style running back in college football, using his strength and speed to get the game winning score. What a week in college football.

Texas Longhorns @ Nebraska Cornhuskers (+13.5) (Winner) The Longhorns were out-played by the Cornhuskers, and again didn’t look like a National Championship level team -but they managed a win out of the situation, and that’s good enough to get them there. A 46 yard field goal won them their Big 12 crown and a spot in the BCS Title game. But I still easily covered.

NCAA Free Football Picks Review: Week 13 2009

Well, not a great week, but 7-6 is a winning week, and while I haven’t had many big college winners this year, I’ve been pretty consistent over the last 8 or 9 goes at it, and a good run every week, plus a great read on a couple teams week in and week out, should be giving you a good chance to make some money. A tough 1-4 start wasn’t too big of a hole for me to climb out of after all. Here’s how I won one more than I lost.

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Ball State Cardinals @ Western Michigan Broncos (-10) (Loss) Well, the Cardinals came out and beat the Broncos in this one. I really can’t believe it, but it happened. Ball State just played a better game, and never even worried about a cover.

Texas Longhorns (-22.5) @ Texas A&M Aggies (Loss) The Aggies exposed a Longhorns defense that was lucky to have Colt McCoy in control of their offense, or the Aggies might have just pulled the upset. This was one hell of an offensive game, and the Aggies came away with an easy cover in a tight contest. McCoy was awesome, but I think any team in the Big 12 would have a lot of trouble with better defenses and downright tough run-games. We’ll see during the bowl season.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-4) @ Louisville Cardinals (WINNER) Tom Savage did what he’s done almost all year long, got the win while looking confident and throwing the ball with accuracy and consistency. The Knights are tough to beat behind their young gun slinger.

Pittsburgh Panthers (-1) @ West Virginia Mountaineers (Loss) The Panthers folded, not handling being the favorites in a big game, and West Virginia thrived as the upset minded team coming in late to down the Panthers. A turn of the tables, indeed.

Alabama Crimson Tide (-12) @ Auburn Tigers (Loss) Alabama got the win, but Auburn came to play and gave the Tide all they could handle. Down late, Alabama scored a short touchdown on a pass, and despite having trouble finding running room, got a big win heading into the SEC Championship with Florida.

Illinois Fighting Illini (+18) @ Cincinnati Bearcats (WINNER) The Illini put up plenty of yards and scored plenty of points, and while they couldn’t stop the Bearcats, a late touchdown was just enough to get me the cover for the road team. Can Cincinnati be beat? Pitt will give it a shot next week!

Nevada Wolf Pack (+12) @ Boise State Broncos (WINNER) Nevada put up tons of yardage and scored lots of points against Boise, proving a tough offense to stop, and giving the Broncos a scare. Boise won, but by just enough to keep me on the winning side of things.

Clemson Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks (+3) (WINNER) Clemson looked overwhelmed by the Gamecocks’ attacking defense, getting out-matched just about all game long. South Carolina looked too fast, and with Georgia’s win over the Yellow Jackets as well, the ACC looked like a 2nd tier conference on Saturday.

New Mexico Lobos (+43.5) @ TCU Horned Frogs (WINNER) New Mexico held the Horned Frogs out of the end-zone late, and that just barely got me a big cover. Haha. I was sweating it, nothing like sweating that 9th touchdown win late, you’re probably the only guy with an eye on a game like this, but hey, this is the bettor’s life.

Arizona Wildcats (-2.5) @ Arizona State Sun Devils (WINNER) They won by just 3, and I’m lucky I got them at 2.5 when I did. The Wildcats were the better team, but the Sun Devils came to play and luckily for me, couldn’t find a way to get it done.

Florida State Seminoles (+23) @ Florida Gators (Loss) This one was very close, and I thought I might get a late score to give me a miracle cover. But I didn’t and the ‘Noles didn’t, and to think, that might have been Bobby Bowden’s last game on the sideline.

Washington State Cougars @ Washington Huskies (-24) (WINNER) You can’t argue much about my knowledge and feel for the Huskies and Cougars – but this one almost didn’t work out. Still, the Cougars couldn’t do anything offensively, and the Huskies did just enough. I predicted a 29 point win for UW, and they won by 30. Right on the money.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-7) (Loss) I should have left this game alone. I didn’t think anybody would out-rush the Yellow Jackets the rest of the season, but Georgia came out and pushed the Jackets around, and stopped Tech’s rushing attack enough early to force them into some things they weren’t comfortable with. And the ACC took another hit.

NCAA Football Free Picks Review: Week 12 2009

Well, I didn’t win them all, but I started out great and finished well enough to pull out a winning week. I was 7-5 and continued to bolster my NCAA football free picks record with mid-week games and afternoon games on Saturday. Something about those late games that I’ve figured out. Check back later in the week to see if I can continue.

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Buffalo Bulls (-1.5) @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks: (WINNER) I picked this one out early, and loved the odds going in. Like I said in my newsletter, the Bulls got a full week to prepare for the Redhawks while Miami-Ohio got just five days. You add up the fact that they are a better team, and you get a 42-17 Bulls-blowout.

Central Michigan Chippewas (-17) @ Ball State Cardinals: (WINNER) The Chipps are just too good. Ball State came in and, like everyone else, couldn’t stop Dan LeFevour. Central Michigan put up 35 points to the Cardinals’ 3, and that’s what you’ll call an easy cover.

Colorado Buffaloes @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (-14.5): (Loss) I thought Zac Robinson would play. There it is. I’m not positive he would have made all the difference, but I sure would like to think so. Regardless, I got my first loss of the week when Oklahoma State had to fight tooth and nail to pull out a 3 points win over Colorado.

Akron Zips (+13) @ Bowling Green Falcons: (Loss) Akron was keeping this close, and a 4th quarter touchdown with about 10 minutes left gave me a glimmer of cover-hope. That was crushed in less than 7 seconds as the Falcons went Joshua Cribbs on the Zips, returning a kick-off for a touchdown, going up 16, and the game would end there. Blast.

Boise State Broncos (-24.5) @ Utah State Aggies: (WINNER) Who in the SEC would blast the Broncos? Who is better than them? Maybe Alabama, maybe Florida? That’s it. I’m sorry, but this is not a National Championship – it is a big conference Championship – and that’s what it should be called. Boise State took it to a Utah State team that had played tough all year long. They put up 52 and won by 31. I’ll take it.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-12) @ Michigan Wolverines: (Loss) The Buckeyes didn’t help me out. They won by 11 in a game they should have dominated. Same old Buckeyes. I thought playing in a game that didn’t matter for much in the win column would have allowed them to open it up a little. Unfortunately for me, they kept it all in the sweater vest.

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North Carolina Tar Heels @ Boston College Eagles (-3.5) (Loss) The Heels just flat out whooped up on the Eagles, making me wonder what I was thinking. That Tar Heel defense is just tough. The Eagles didn’t have the guys to do much against that D, they were outmatched all day long.

North Carolina State Wolf Pack @ Virginia Tech Hokies (-19.5): (WINNER) Last time I checked, 38-10 was an easy 20 point spread cover. That’s what Va-Tech did to NC State. It was 24019 at the half. The Hokies scored 14 more in the 3rd while shutting the Wolf Pack out. The 4th quarter was scoreless for both teams as the Hokies ran out the clock effectively. Got a Hokies win just before Turkey-Day – you bet! Gobble flippin’ Gobble!

Connecticut Huskies (+6) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish: (WINNER) I was pulling hard for the Huskies, no doubt. And they sure fought hard, and it was a great moment seeing them win. I must say, for the first time in a long time I was happier seeing Notre Dame’s opponent celebrate than I was watching the Irish fret. Might have been the first time ever.

Oregon State Beavers (-30.5) @ Washington State Cougars: (WINNER) Well, the Beavers killed WSU, obviously, that was going to happen. But would it be by enough? Ah, the 30 point favorite question. It was a 21-10 half time score, but I must say, I wasn’t too worried until it was only 28-10 after 3. But Jacquizz Rodgers would score his 2nd TD in the 4th, and with 5 minutes left, the Beavers stumbled into another rushing touchdown, getting the cover by a point and a half. Whew.

California Golden Bears  @ Stanford Cardinal (-7): (Loss) Cal went and won outright. Not sure how it happened, maybe it was Stanford getting a little too pass-happy, being a little too young, or just being a little too happy about the things they had done over the last couple weeks. Whatever it was, the Bears took advantage and got a big win on the road.

Nevada Wolf Pack (-31.5) @ New Mexico State Aggies: (WINNER) 63-20. That was the final score in this one – and it wasn’t that close. This one was 28-3 after the 1st, then 42-6 after the 2nd quarter. The 3rd quarter saw two more  Wolf Pack touchdowns as the lead grew to a 50-point margin. The Aggies tried to make it respectable, but since that was impossible, they just settled for two 4th quarter touchdowns to get it within 50. Winner, winner, Sunday College Football chicken dinner!

College Football Betting: NCAA Week 11 2009 Review

I put together another winning Week in NCAA football, and it’s all starting to come together. This week I took games from Tuesday to Sunday, and I found a lot of winners in big conference match-ups, finishing 9-6 overall. What will a crazy Week 12 bring? Lets check out the review for Week 11 first. Here goes!

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Ohio Bobcats (+3) @ Buffalo Bulls: (WINNER) The Bobcats may have needed a late field goal to get the win, but they outplayed the Bulls – and that’s why they got the win. It’s always good to start out with a victory.

Toledo Rockets (+16) @ Central Michigan Chippewas: (Loss) This is what I get for picking against the Chipps. CMU put up 28 points in the 2nd quarter alone, tying the Rockets totals for the entire game. Toledo just couldn’t get it going, got some tough breaks, had a couple dropped balls, and just flat out couldn’t stop Dan LeFevour. The Chipps won by 28. That was 13 too many for me!

Bowling Green Falcons @ Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (+3) (Loss) This was tied at halftime, 14-14. That didn’t last too long into the second half as Bowling Green came out throwing, and defensively shutting down the Redhawks. 21 unanswered points later, the Falcons took me down, ousting Miami-Ohio 35-14. Sorry about this one.

South Florida Bulls @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+1): (WINNER) The Scarlet Knights dominated this game. Face it, with Tom Savage at quarterback, these Knights are very efficient, look how they’ve played since he became the starter. They are 7-1 with just a loss to Pittsburgh. They deserve more credit, until they get that, they have nice value.

West Virginia Mountaineers (+10) @ Cincinnati Bearcats: (WINNER) West Virginia battled all night with the Bearcats. Some will say that WVU had a late and seemingly meaningless score, ha, they played the Bearcats tough all game long, and were in it from start to finish, just like I said, 10 was too much.

Clemson Tigers (-7) @ NC State Wolf Pack: (WINNER) C.J. Spiller: best college football player I’ve seen this year. He almost outscored the Wolf Pack all by himself, throwing, rushing for, and catching a touchdown, Spiller was responsible for 3 TDs – the Pack scored just 23. If it was just C.J. versus the Pack, it would have been close, but Spiller got to use his teammates to help on Saturday, proving to be too much for N.C. State.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-10) @ Duke Blue Devils: (WINNER) The Yellow Jackets annihilated the Blue Devils, showing that while the Duke program is improving, they have a long way to go. GT just had too much power and swag, dominating this contest all the way through.

Michigan Wolverines (+10) @ Wisconsin Badgers: (Loss)The Wolverines weren’t looking so bad going into half, down just 21-17, but the Badgers did work in the second half, scoring 24 points to the Wolverines’ 7. One has to wonder how long Coach Rodriguez will have that job in Michigan. Maybe Notre Dame will hire him?

Kentucky Wildcats @ Vanderbilt Commodores (+3): (Loss) After being up 13-10 going into the half, the Commodores remembered how they collected those first 8 losses on the season, and sure enough, the managed to duplicate the feat and give up 14 points in the 2nd half while scoring none. When you pick teams that lose, sometimes they manage to show you exactly why they do so.

Arizona Wildcats (pk) @ California Golden Bears: (Loss) The Cats really ruined a chance for a big match-up further down the line, and a chance to really take their program up a notch when they just flat out didn’t make big plays against the Bears. Cal played like they wanted it more, if was definitely a tough one to stomach, despite the competitiveness of the game and the close score, I think this Arizona team should beat the Bears 8 of 10 times they play. This was one of those two…

Washington Huskies @ Oregon State Beavers (-11): (WINNER) I said the line wouldn’t matter here, and I was dead on, just like I wrote, the Beavers were the Huskies worst nightmare, further proving that while the Huskies can hang around against throwing teams, these running powerhouse’s just dominate the Dawgs.

UCLA Bruins (+18) @ Washington State Cougars: (WINNER) The Bruins did everything I thought they’d do, dominate the Cougars from snap to end game, and they did it a lot of ways. In my write up I said, “just because teh Bruins only average about 20 points a game doesn’t mean they won’t put up 30+” and I couldn’t have called it better. I also mentioned that if the game was “any closer than 35-10 I would be absolutely stunned”. Not stunned.

Miami Hurricanes @ North Carolina Tar Heels (+3.5): (WINNER) I really liked the Tar Heels chances with capitalizing on Miami mistakes, and just like I predicted, that became a huge part of this game. The Heels didn’t keep it as low scoring as I imagined, but that’s because they put up tons of points against the Canes. A nice upset on the road for a growing Tar Heel program.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+7.5) @ Pittsburgh Panthers: (WINNER) The Irish were outmatched and out-manned in this one, but they fought back late to get me the cover. An Irish loss, a cover for me – it couldn’t get much better. What did I learn from this game? If Charlie Weis has a job in football next season, he has Golden Tate to thank, because without that guy’s turbo button, I think the Irish wouldn’t have made a bowl game this year.

East Carolina Pirates @ Tulsa Hurricane (-5.5): (Loss)Tulsa not only lost, they got smacked around. Favored by 5 against an East Carolina team that couldn’t seem to muster an ounce of offense last week was too much for them. ECU’s defense scored more than Tulsa’s offense – never a good sign. Sunday NCAA loss for me.

College Football Free Picks Review: Week 10

9-3-1: You have to like slamming home 75% of your bets – this was my best college week of the year. I had previously thought college ball to be a little easier than the NFL, but the start to the season has been 50/50 and it was nice to get a big week out of my College picks. It was a big week for all my picks, winners everywhere! Here’s the review!

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Bowling Green Falcons (+3.5) @ Buffalo Bulls: (WINNER) “I just think Bowling Green plays well on the road. They lost to Missouri and Marshall away from home, 7 points separated them in each loss. They recently won at Kent State, be it by just a single point, before beating Ball State by two touchdowns on the road. They’ve done this all through the air, using their passing attack to efficiently move the ball and create big plays. The Bowling Green Falcons have out-passed every opponent outside of Boise State so far this season. Now, they have been out-rushed in almost every game, so they definitely go how their passing attack goes.”

So their passing attack didn’t really hit the gold until the 4th quarter, but that was enough for Bowling Green as they snaked out another one-point win this season. They couldn’t run the ball, but when it came down to it, they sure could throw it. A big stop late gave the Falcons a chance, and they cashed it in. Big win to start the week!

Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (+14) @ Temple Owls: (WINNER) “Alright, it’s your lucky day, the Redhawks have moved from a 13 point dog to open, to a 14 point dog when I made my pick, to a 17 point dog right now. That’s a huge move, and it might be because 67% of the public likes the Owls. It also might be because the Redhawks have their fair share of injuries while Temple is basically injury free, healthy as a night owl, if you will. It also might be because people are realizing Miami’s 1-8 record to start the season. You could say they are the favorite. But 14 points? (17 points for you if you’re betting now)? The Owls haven’t been a two touchdown favorite since 2001. Now, they covered in that game, but as you can see it has been a long time. It’s almost 2010.”

The Redhawks made it tough on me, waiting until the last quarter of each half to get their game right. After 19 straight and unanswered points to grab the lead late in the 4th, Temple hit a last second field goal to secure the win. What a game of swings. I still got my win, though, and I know you got yours. Nobody said it would be easy, but the points were too much for a team that hadn’t been a big favorite in, well, just under forever.

Purdue Boilermakers (+4) @ Michigan Wolverines: (WINNER)  “Luckily for you, this spread has made a change for the better since Monday Night when I made my selection. I have the Boilermakers at +4 but they are already getting +6 at almost every book. Still, 75% of the public likes Michigan to cover at home in this one. Fortunately, I think the public is confused, and the man is happy as a clam at high tide about the whole thing. See, the public (or so I guess) sees 5-4 Michigan hosting 3-6 Purdue, and they think, “favored by less than a touchdown, give me that football powerhouse, Michigan” – but that’s where they’re all wrong. Sure, the Wolverines got the Fighting Irish when they were on the other side of that luck thing, and that was a good win. But their other four wins have come against less than stellar competition, Delaware State, Western and Eastern Michigan, and good old Indiana. How’s that 5-4 resume looking now? And Michigan has really struggled lately, losing 4 of their last 5, including a beat down last week at the hands of Illinois, of all teams. Purdue may have 6 losses, and on any given day they can play like piss, but aside from last week, they’ve been very competitive against some pretty good teams. Purdue has lost by more than a touchdown just twice this season, losing to Notre Dame and Oregon by 5 points combined. They got kicked around last week by Wisconsin, but that puts them in a good place to come out and fight hard against Michigan. I’ll take Purdue, the better team of the two.”

A lot of you thought I was full of it when I labeled Purdue the better team of the two – but I’m not looking so silly now am I? Neither team is what one would call good, but Purdue’s tough schedule makes them an interesting team to look at every week, while Michigan’s patty-cake start has them close to aut0-fade status.

Washington Huskies (+4.5) @ UCLA Bruins: (WINNER)  “The public actually slightly likes Washington in this one, and that kind of surprises me, but I’m proud of them, maybe they see what I see. I see that UCLA has a pretty good defense, but they can’t get anything working on offense. They have quarterbacks that can’t seem to step into any throws, and a rushing attack that doesn’t produce much. They’ve been out-rushed in each of their last 5 games, all losses. Washington can play with any team that can’t efficiently run the ball, or won’t commit to running the ball early and often, and in all those cases they are a good bet to cover.”

The Huskies managed to lose this game, but that’s what the Huskies do. They covered the spread nicely though, and that’s the perfect recipe for me. After all, it’s not like I need a win to get a win, you know? And one for the public! Go team!

Oregon Ducks @ Stanford Cardinal (+5.5): (WINNER) “Stanford is one of the best teams in the Nation that nobody knows about. What does that mean to you? It means they are a great bet. They’ve had a couple tough losses over the last three games, going just 1-2 during that stretch. But this spread is not right. First of all, it’s even better (for Stanford side) now than it was when I made the pick. The Cardinal are now getting a full touchdown at home. They are a physical team that matches up well with Oregon, and the Ducks are just coming off a huge emotional high after upsetting the Trojans. Regardless, the value is in Stanford’s corner. Andrew Luck is a very good quarterback that nobody knows. The Cardinal have a very physical offense line that should give Oregon’s defense lots of trouble. Both these teams run the ball very well, Stanford doesn’t have as many big plays, but they get first downs, shorten games, and end up on top more often than not.”

It was what I thought it was. They were who I thought they were. And nobody let anybody off the hook. The Cardinal came out and did what they do. They ran the ball with great success, as Toby Gerhart got the ball 38 times, rushing his team to victory with 223 yards and three touchdowns. Both teams did their thing, and Oregon tried to fight hard late to get the win, but they came up just short in stopping Gerhart, and a late field goal by Stanford sealed the deal. The Cover was rarely in question, as Oregon couldn’t stop Stanford’s powerful run game, and QB, Andrew Luck was solid as usual.

Kansas Jayhawks (-3) @ Kansas State Wildcats: (LOSS) “64% of the gambling public agrees with me, they’re taking Kansas. Not the greatest feeling when you’re betting on a team that has lost 5 straight against the spread yet they’re still getting public love, but it is what it is.” Yeah, so, like I said, not the greatest feeling. The Wildcats pretty much shut Kansas down from the get go. A 2nd quarter touchdown and a very late field goal made it a 7 point game, but K State didn’t really make any mistakes, and Kansas wasn’t good enough to create for themselves. Missed this one.

Illinois Illini (+7) @ Minnesota Golden Gophers: (WINNER)  “Once again, I love these late season games where 2-6 teams that have struggled but are still better than 5-4 teams finally get a chance to try and make things right. I’m a strong believer that when Illinois travels to Minnesota to play the Gophers, that’s exactly the type of game they’ll be playing. Illinois has stunk this year, no doubt about it. But despite their stinking, they had lost 3 games by two touchdowns or less before beating the piss out of Michigan last week, 38-13. That was their second straight win against the spread, and probably the first game they played up to their talent level.”

The Illini continued to play the football many expected them to be running from the beginning. I had this was spot on, as Illinois looked like the much better team from the get-go. I wonder why it took so long, but no matter, hopefully they continue getting good numbers from the books.

Navy Midshipmen @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-11): (LOSS)  “I normally don’t think much of Notre Dame’s chances to cover double digit spreads. They play heaps of close games, are greatly overrated, and spend way too much time throwing the ball, which, if you’ve noticed, is a good way not to cover spreads against lesser teams. Now, Navy is a run-centered team, they hardly ever throw the ball and use the ground and pound style to shorten the game and get tough yards. That’s good for covering double digit spreads as well.”

Why in the hell I just ignored this is beyond me. I know, the QB injury, well he played and he ran – 31 times for 100+ yards, and while his yards per carry weren’t much, that grind it out styled kept the Irish off the field. That Notre Dame defense couldn’t stop anything the Midshipmen ran at them. It was glorious. What did I learn here? A couple things; 1 – ever if I pick Notre Dame, I love it when they lose. And 2 – I need to listen to myself, and when I have an overrated favorite with many reasons to go against them, I definitely need to follow that reasoning!

Virginia Tech Hokies @ East Carolina Pirates (+13): (PUSH) This was a push. What more is there to say? The reasons I went with the Pirates were there. The reasons I should have gone with the Hokies were there. It was a push. I hate ’em, but they rear their ugly heads from time to time. The Hokies really shut down that Pirate offense, putting their offense in good places to succeed. They rarely did, but a late field goal was enough to push. Blast!

Nevada Wolf Pack (-12.5) @ San Jose State Spartans: (WINNER) This one wasn’t even as close as I thought it could be. Nevada dominated from the coin flip, what can you say, tails never fails! It was nice to get a big Sunday win to top off a very nice week. Yay us! Winning is good! How close was this? San Jose scored their first points in the 4th. Four Nevada players rushed for at least 112 yards, 5 rushed for at least 1 touchdown. Believe it.

LSU Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide (-8.5): (WINNER) I definitely was sweating this one out. The Crimson Tide had to ride a 2nd 4th quarter comeback to cover my spread, and they did it just by the slimmest of margins. Those half points can certainly come in handy from time to time. If you got this game late, you likely had a little more room to spare, but you still needed that last push from the Tide. I’m sure glad we got it!

Boise State Broncos (-20.5) @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: (LOSS) What should have mattered to me here was Louisiana Tech’s solid play to start the season, especially when going up against big favorites. Boise State did enough to win, and it looked like an easy cover after the first half, but the Bulldogs came out fighting like, well, bulldogs, and they made the Broncos sweat it out a bit indeed. This was one of a couple losses on the day, and it could have gone either way.

Oregon State Beavers (+7) @ California Golden Bears: (WINNER)”This one is a little weird to me, because when you break down these two teams, I think it’s overwhelming that the best team between the two is Oregon State. I know the Beavers are on the road in this one, but they’ve played well away from Beaver-town this season, losing by a score to USC and beating up ASU outright. They’ve only lost to good teams like USC, Cincinnati, and Arizona. Cal’s wins are unimpressive, that’s the bottom line. The best team they’ve beaten is either Arizona State or Minnesota – maybe UCLA?”

If you watched the game you saw that Oregon State was better, everywhere. It didn’t help the Bears when their best player had to be carted off the field (Jahvid Best was released from the hospital with a concussion, but it looked bad). The Beavers didn’t have that feared rushing attack working at it’s best in the first half, but with Canfield completing just under 75% of his passes, taking advantage of the Bears shaky defense, the Beavers were running the show in Cali, just as I imagined.

Week 9 NCAA Football Picks Review

7-6: Just like my NFL record this week. Hopefully next week I can rocks some high winning percentages but a couple winners on a tough weekend, can’t be too upset about that. Here’s the review for how my Week 9 College Football Picks went down.

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Texans Longhorns (-8.5) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys: (WINNER) “I like the Cowboys, like their confidence and numbers, I just don’t think it’s real. Not against good teams anyway. The Cowboys are 6-1 but they’ve had to fight a very easy schedule for wins, Baylor, Texas A&M, Rice, and Grambling don’t strike fear into my heart, and you should consider that when you’re looking at those 6 wins. 6 wins, sure, looks nice, but against who? The Cowboys’ best win? I’d say a marginal Missouri team. Texas, on the other hand, they haven’t looked like a Top team in the nation this year either, but they have won, and they’ve had to go through Oklahoma, Texas Tech,  at Missouri, and a decent Colorado team. They are the better team here, no doubt in my mind, and with Dez Bryant suspended for the season, and more importantly this game, that game breaking presence isn’t going to help bail the Cowboys out. This game could be over quick, or it could take a little while, either way there will be a time when Oklahoma State has their spirits broken, and that’s a good sign for a Texas cover.”

As it turns out, this one was over quick, so option one. The Longhorns jumped all over the Cowboys, and it seemed like OK State’s spirits were broken earlier rather than later. It wasn’t much of a contest, the 41-14 score at the end doesn’t really do it justice. Up 41-7 in the 3rd, the Longhorns didn’t bring out the billy-club in the 4th and the Cowboys finally won a quarter. A little too late, indeed. Perfect for me, and the Longhorns for that matter.

West Virginia Mountaineers (-3) @ South Florida: (LOSS) The crazy Big East, South Florida came out and fed it to the Mountaineers from the get go. After going up with a field goal late in the first quarter, the Bulls never relinquished the lead. It was very close throughout, 20-19 in the 3rd quarter, but South Florida never folded, kept coming after the Mounties rushing attack and got the home win. And they needed it bad!

South Carolina Gamecocks (+6.5) @ Tennessee Volunteers: (LOSS)  “I know that I always take the unranked favorite over the ranked dog, but this one is going to be different.” Famous last words and I don’t know why in the nuts I go against my number one rule ever. I guess I don’t believe in absolutes, but apparently it can get you in a crushing vice if you know what I mean. The Gamecocks got kicked around by the unranked home favorites. Stupid me!

Washington State Cougars @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-27.5): (LOSS) A 26-point win by the Irish? I hate Notre Dame.

UCLA Bruins (+10.5) @ Oregon State Beavers: (WINNER) “I think these two teams are awfully close talent-wise, and despite losing 4 straight games (also 0-4 ATS in those games), the Bruins aren’t out of it. They have some solid players, and defensively they should be a little bit of a challenge for Oregon State’s run-game. I know the Beavers have played well lately, even going to the wire with USC, but the Bruins have had some tough luck and I feel like that’s about to change. Football karma definitely goes around. As a 10.5 point underdog, the value is pretty good. The Bruins have played pretty solid teams in their 4 straight Pac-10 losses, and I think they’ll be ready for this game because of those. The Beavers are solid, no doubt, but UCLA is being underrated here, the value is with them.”

It was a value bet for sure. I still like Oregon State going forward, and a win here should help them keep their confidence going into next week. These two teams were very even on Saturday, and I still think they are. Both could do some more damage in the Pac-10.

Kansas Jayhawks @ Texas Tech Red Raiders (-6): (WINNER) First of all, rarely do Texas Tech Red Raider games come down to 6 points, so if you think the Raiders are going to win, a 6 point spread shouldn’t worry you at all. And it doesn’t worry me. I know Kansas had a nice run to start the season, but you saw how out-matched they were last week when Oklahoma absolutely blew them out of the water. Texas Tech isn’t Oklahoma, but they do have the offensive ability to crush the Jayhawks. What makes me like the Red Raiders even more are the words from Mike Leach’s mouth about how the Raiders are playing like piss because of their fat little girl friends. Awesome. If that doesn’t get their attention, nothing will. After beating up on Nebraska, the Red Raiders fell to Texas A&M, and they fell hard. I think Leach’s antics and just being a better football team gets them back on track this week at home, then Jayhawks just happen to be the team in the way. Texas Tech has taken each of the last 3 meetings with Kansas, and 6 out of the last 7. Last year the Red Raiders smoked the Jayhawks, 63-21. They can put up some points, and since Kansas has yet to slow down any reasonable offense whatsoever, I can’t see them doing anything to slow one of the most dynamic offenses in college football.

Missouri Tigers @ Colorado Buffaloes (+4): (LOSS) It was 33-3 at half time – needless to say I wasn’t stoked about my chances to cover. But it was 33-17 after 3 and I got a glimmer of hope. Maybe it was a glimmer of poop, though, because the Buffs played the rest of the game as if they had Buffalo droppings for a snack prior to the 4th quarter beginning. This was a swing and a miss, and as always, I apologize for that!

California Golden Bears (-6.5) @ Arizona State Sun Devils: (LOSS) Oh Cal. The Bears really haven’t looked good against anybody worthwhile. I didn’t think ASU was, but they impressed me a little bit in this one. Well I don’t know if they impressed me as much as Cal disappointed me. The Bears are in for an interesting end to the season, I can tell you that much – a few more losses will trickle down to Cali.

Georgia Bulldogs @ Florida Gators (-15): (WINNER) “The Bulldogs have played some decent football at times this year, but overall I think they’re overrated. The Gators haven’t really moved the ball well or played mistake free football over the last three weeks, their defense has been winning them football games – so yeah, needless to say, a team that talented is due for a breakout offensive performance. I know the Gators have had a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, and a lot of those guys are still questionable headed into Saturday’s SEC showdown with the 5-2 Bulldogs, I know that. But I also know that the back-ups on defense have been solid, that Georgia’s offense will have one hell of a hard time doing anything against the Gators back-ups, and that Tim Tebow and company shouldn’t find the same frustrations in moving the ball against that very giving Georgia defense. These teams are not equal, don’t get it twisted. Ignore the Gators recent struggles, this is a team that will turn it around soon, better to be ahead of that curve!”

I’m basically going to leave it to my crystal ball preview above. Not much I missed here. The only thing that surprised me was Georgia making it a game early in the 2nd quarter. After that it was “sonturi time”, or Tebow time in this grand country. There was no question which team as better, the Gators slapped it on thick with an interception return late.

North Carolina Tar Heels (+17) @ Virginia Tech Hokies: (WINNER) “I like the match-up problems Carolina’s stout run-defense has against a normally talented rushing game from Virginia Tech. I know UNC isn’t going to throw the ball a lot, they aren’t a passing team, but they have been known to grind out yards on the ground, and any team that can run and stop the run, is a nice value bet at +17. If you look at Virginia Tech’s losses, and games where they struggled – they got out-rushed. If the Heels can commit to stopping that Hokies run game, and put up some yardage on the ground themselves, an upset could happen. Either way, a cover seems likely.”

You bet! I hope you did anyway. The Tar Heels posed the exact problems I talked about in my preview/write up. It may have taken a last second field goal to get the win, but hey, they got 17 points in my book – this one was over early. The Heels out-rushed the Hokies, once again showing the weakness in Tech’s attack. North Carolina looked like the better team throughout. It’s always nice when they win outright!

Cincinnati Bearcats @ Syracuse Orange (-15): (LOSS) Well, it was 7-7 after the first quarter, but from then on out it just got methodically more painful to follow. After two it was 14-7. Still Covering. After three it was 21-7, still covering. But a few minutes into the 4th, the Bearcats got in the end-zone again, and it was a no-cover day for Lucky in Syracuse. The Orange had just 78 yards on 5 drives in the 2nd half – that’s not going to do it. This was very close, though, one big play gets a guy a cover. Shishkabob!

East Carolina Pirates (-4) @ Memphis Tigers Pick: (WINNER) The Panthers kicked the Tigers around to start my week off right. Those mid-week picks continue to help me out. East Carolina did what everyone expected them to do against Memphis, score early and often and generally make this game a blowout early in the 3rd quarter. Thanks for the free money Vegas!!!

NCAA Football Free Picks Review: Week 8 2009

Well, 7-6 this week for my college football picks, not great but at least I finished up. I had a couple really tough games that I really feel should have covered, Cal against WSU, Army turning into a fumbling problem against Rutgers and falling just short of a cover, and Duke straight dukeing me with their 4 point win as a 4.5 point favorite. Ugh. But like I said, I had more wins than losses despite some tough games – can’t hate that too much. Here’s my review.

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Oklahoma Sooners (-7.5) @ Kansas Jayhawks: (WINNER) “This is one of those fantastic situations that shows you how much Top 25 rankings really mean. The Sooners are missing at least 2 First Round NFL Draft picks, one of which won the Heisman Trophy last season, Sam Bradford, and was pretty universally listed as the Top NFL Prospect in all the land heading into the season. They are heading into 6-1, 21st ranked Kansas to play the Jayhawks, and who’s favored? The Sooners, by a touchdown, and get ready for this, they are a good bet. Rankings are a joke, it’s too bad they mean anything at all. I’ll take the unranked road favorites here. Believe it.” And the Sooners killed Kansas, weird. Rankings… JOKE!

Washington State Cougars @ California Golden Bears (-35): (LOSS) This one should have been a cover, easily, but the Bears fell asleep, and lightening struck, all in the same 5 minute portion of this game. After WSU threw a 68 yard touchdown pass, Cal did absolutely nothing as promptly as possible on the next series, giving WSU just enough time to toss another TD before the half. In the 2nd half, the Bears had no reason to hurry, they scored just enough to not get a cover, I hate both these teams. There it is.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Army Black Knights (+10): (LOSS) A great thing about Army is that they rarely turn the ball over. They don’t make dumb throws, they run the ball hard and gain yardage the tough way. And they did that on Friday Night, they just couldn’t hold onto the ball. A couple tough fumbles stopped drives deep in Rutgers territory, and Army doesn’t have a chance if that happens. Playing from behind – not their strength. Still it was just 20-10 after three quarters, and Army definitely had their chances to cover. Rutgers did enough, and I got the loss.

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Oregon Ducks (-8.5) @ Washington Huskies: (WINNER) This one was just too easy. In fact, take this advice, if the Huskies are facing a prolific rushing attack, they are a great fade! Oregon mauled the Dogs, and I was pretty impressed with everything the Ducks did offensively in the second half. In the first half this one was close, but they took to running the ball and finding wide open places in play action, never looking back after an early 3rd quarter score.

Iowa Hawkeyes (+2) @ Michigan State Spartans: (WINNER)  “The Hawkeyes have gotten by in ugly fashion, sure, and they are probably due for a loss, but their fights have shown me how resilient they are, and that alone is worth a small bet to me, especially against a Spartan team that is also due to have a tough go of it after three straight wins. Against my normal system play (unrated favorite over ranked dog is almost always a bet on the favorite) but I like Iowa’s chances on the road.” Obviously the Hawkeyes probably have no place in the Top 5 in the Nation, but they do find a way to win, and while it is almost always ugly, there’s something to be said about getting a win despite all odds against you. This was what I expected it to be, to the last minute, the one where Iowa got the W.

Penn State Nittany Lions (-4) @ Michigan Wolverines: (WINNER)  “In two games against decent teams this season (Iowa and Michigan State) the Wolverines were out-gained in total yardage. They lost both of those games. Penn State has out-gained every single opponent they’ve played so far this season. I’m just saying.” It’s things like this, that when I find them, it makes me wish I could find that great statistic headed into every match-up. Some teams need that ball control to win games, the Wolverines need to keep their defense off the field. If you out-gain them, you have a great chance of winning. Easy victory here.

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Boston College Golden Eagles (+8) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish Free Pick: (WINNER) The Eagles struggle when teams have the ability to run the ball with speed and power. That’s not the Irish. Sure, they have some talent, and some big boys up front, but when it comes right down to it, they are a foo-foo offense that likes to throw the ball when going gets tough, or right off the bat for that matter. That should allow the discipline Golden Eagles to stay in this game, and cover that 8 point spread against a Irish team with a defense that just can’t get stops. ND might win, with the luck of the Irish and all, but I like the Eagles to cover.

Florida State Seminoles (+3) @ North Carolina Tar Heels: (WINNER) Florida State made it tough, getting stymied early in this one, struggling offensively, and not stopping the Heels when they needed to. But all evened out in the second half, and that electric Seminole offense that I expected to play well got it together in just enough time to win outright in Carolina, giving me a much needed Thursday Night victory.

South Florida Bulls (+7) @ Pittsburgh Panthers: (LOSS) “The Panthers don’t blow good teams out, they aren’t that kid of squad.” One way or another, I was certainly wrong here, maybe every way possible, hell, I don’t know. Pittsburgh is either a lot better than I thought, the Bulls are not as good as I thought, the cards didn’t fall the way I expected, or all three of those things were infinitely true in this one. Either way, I lose, the Panthers jumped all over the Bulls early, and my quote haunts me…

Arkansas Razorbacks (+6.5) @ Mississippi Rebels: (LOSS) Arkansas had their chances to keep this game close, and even more chances to get back in it, but they never could make that stop, and Jevan Snead was on his game on Saturday. The Razorbacks couldn’t move the ball at all in the 4th quarter, and found it increasingly difficult to get off the field on defense. This is the Ole Miss team people expected to see through the first 7 weeks… Nice of them to show up here.

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UConn Huskies (+7.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers: (WINNER) “The Connecticut Huskies are as good as any team West Virginia has played thus far, and the Mountaineers haven’t impressed me with their ability to step on the gas.” This was basically it. UConn is a pretty darn good team, and they played hard from start to finish. A lot of things West Virginia did went well, but they just don’t know how to step on it against a good team. Both teams played well, the Huskies came up a little bit short, but covered easily.

Maryland Terrapins @ Duke Blue Devils (-4.5): (LOSS) How about Duke covering easily in the 3rd quarter up 17-6, Maryland doing nothing offensively all day long – perfect. But wait, this is Duke, and I’m Lucky Lester, and Duke and Lucky Lester don’t go hand in hand. So then Dukes gives up a 67 yard touchdown pass on 3rd and 19. Seriously, they don’t write it better than this. So Duke’s up only, what, 4, yes a point not enough. But wait, Duke is driving in the 4th, in sure to score and cover zone at the 9, and what now? Oh, perfect, a Duke turnover, a 4 point win, no cover for me. Perfect freaking day, Duke wins, I bet on Duke, I lose. Ugh. By a point.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane (-7.5) @ UTEP Miners: (LOSS) Tulsa played one quarter in this game, the 3rd, and hell, maybe their single quarter of play leaked into the 4th, at which point they were up 11 and looking like they finally figured it out, and on the path to a big win and easy cover. But they forgot they had one more quarter. In that quarter, they allowed 15 points, they scored none, they not only failed to cover, but lost the game altogether. Serves them right!

NCAA Free Football Picks Review: Week 7

Now, I was 6-6, that ain’t half bad, and it surely isn’t great. I feel like I got the raw end of a couple bad beats, but hey, that’s what I deserve because of some big time misses. It goes how it goes, and that’s both ways. Some right, some close, some wrong – but 6-6 is what it is. Hope some of those picks helped you out – it was a solid start to the week for sure. Here’s Week 7 reviewed:

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Cincinnati Bearcats (-2.5) @ South Florida Bulls: (WINNER) “What has me taking the road favorite in this one is South Florida’s Thursday Night history. It’s tough to come in and pay mid-week, a lot of teams struggle with it, and the Bulls just happen to be one of those teams. They’ve been embarrassed two straight seasons by big Thursday Night upsets, and I think Cincinnati just happens to be the better team this time around.” Hey, the Bearcats see their starter go down early, but the back-up was just what they needed to stay up on South Florida. That running threat from the QB slot was something the Bulls hadn’t prepared for, and just like the last few seasons, the Bulls find defeat on Thursday Night.

Boise State Broncos @ Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+9): (WINNER) A tough game, definitely, but I rode the Hurricane to yet another mid-week victory, giving myself a pretty good run in Wednesday-Thursday games this season. I think I have these things down, expect crazy to happen and never give up on a cover, and you have the opponent right where you want them regardless of score. Yeah, I’m winning the crap shoot! Ha.

Oklahoma Sooners (+3.5) @ Texas Longhorns: (WINNER) “Now I seriously doubt the 3.5 will matter much when all is said and done, but the fact that I can win even if the Sooners lose by a field goal makes me feel just that much better about my selection.” Hey, this is why half points matter. If starting quarterback’s go down, and the defense dominates the game, and you still end up winning, that’s usually because of half points. This was a close game, no doubt, two very even teams – and I think Bradford’s shoulder injury put the Sooners in a tough spot. But they battled, and while they still lost, the proved they were a good team, good enough to be considered great value as a +3.5 any day of the week.

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Ohio State Buckeyes @ Purdue Boilermakers (+14): (WINNER) “The Boilermakers might not be the sexy pick, but I’m a firm believer in football karma evening out, and the Boilermakers have played a lot better than their 1-5 record shows.” Haha – I went looking for a minow and found a marlin… The Boilermakers took their 1-5 record into the Ohio State game and showed why football karma is a scary beast. Things worked out this time around, as the Boilermakers not only covered, they pulled out a huge upset over the Buckeyes. Up 23-7, the Boilermakers fended off a late rally, ending up with a 26-18 win over the Buckeyes. Wins like this make the tough weeks feel good.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Wisconsin Badgers (-2.5): (LOSS) Iowa is resiliant, I’ll give them that. Down 10-0 late in the first half, the Hawkeyes finished on a scoring note, cutting the lead to 10-3 a few minutes before half time. They never stopped. With 20 unanswered points, the Hawkeyes shut out the Badgers in the second half and saw their undefeated season continue.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+7) @ Clemson Tigers: (LOSS) Clemson dominated. The Deacons didn’t stand a chance. C.J. Spiller did work, as did the rest of the Tiger attack, and I swung and not only missed, but the bat flung out of my hand, straight up in the air, and waited just before I looked up to come crashing down on my face. Sorry about this one, folks.

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Central Michigan Chippewas (-6.5) @ Western Michigan Broncos: (WINNER) “The Chipps are a big public favorite in this one, and it’s because they have a highly rated college quarterback, they are 4-1, they have an upset win over the Spartans to their credit, and they’ve won five straight, and four straight by a touchdown or more. But I like teh Chipps for one reason, and one reason only – in his 3 year career, one filled with success and impressive leadership, Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour has never lost to his in-Michigan rival. There’s something to be said for that. If you can walk into a game saying I’ve always beaten these guys, always, tell your teammates, just follow me, I’ve been here before and I’ve never lost – I’ll take that every time. Rivalry? Sure, but pretty one-sided since Dan started tossing touchdowns.” The game was decent, Dan and company went up big in the first half, the Broncos battled tough in the second, but the Chipps were too much, they had that confidence, and their gun slinging QB finishes his career with 4 wins in this rivalry.

Virginia Tech Hokies (-3) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: (LOSS) “The only chance you have is to beat them in a tough contest. A high scoring game will only end one way, with the Hokies on top. Three points? I don’t care that 70% of the public agrees with me, I’m not even worried.” Well, like a lot of people this Saturday, the Yellow Jackets got the best of me. I really liked what the Hokies were doing coming in, and I was not impressed with the Jackets defense. That being said, Georgia Tech came in and started smacking Va Tech in the mouth from the get go, beat them at their own game, made this a tough contest that I didn’t expect, and got the better of the visiting 4th ranked Hokies.

Arkansas Razorbacks @ Florida Gators (-24): (LOSS) And just barely, the Gators walk out of this home tilt with the Razorbacks undefeated, and still on top of the Nations. The game was close, definitely closer than need be for the Gators. They had some huge turnovers early, keeping the Razorbacks on top, and building their confidence with every mishap. In the end, the talent of the Gators was just too much, and they kept their championship run alive. They didn’t get me a win though, of course not.

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Wyoming Cowboys (+10.5) @ Air Force Falcons: (WINNER) What can I say, I had some tough luck on a couple losses during the week, but this 10-0 game was a win nonetheless. I had that extra half point that got me the W just by the course hair on my chin. Like I said, it goes both ways. I’ll take the half point win, as just like any win, it counts the same.

Pittsburgh Panthers @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+5.5): (LOSS) “I guess Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh and that’s somehow the reason they are favored by 5.5 points playing at Rutgers on a Friday Night? Otherwise I can’t really explain it. Both teams have one loss, and neither looked pretty in the process.” I don’t think either team looked very good on Friday Night, but I do think this line was more accurate than I originally thought. Rutgers had a final drive going to tie it, but couldn’t do enough to get the job done. It was a close one, a 4th quarter Rutgers touchdown got the game with-in a score, but Pittsburgh outplayed the Knights.

USC Trojans (-10) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish: (LOSS)  “You can’t get lucky every week, even if you are Irish. Notre Dame has had a lot of help, “officially”, and I doubt that continues against one of the more talented teams in the country. USC took a loss to Washington earlier this year, but they are still 4-1, and still showing dominance against lesser foes. Don’t get it twisted, the Irish are a lesser foe. 35-14, maybe 20, seems right to me. I’ll take the Trojans!” Now now, let’s start with one fact, I lost this cover. And now I’d like to explain: if you missed this game, you probably just see a close score and consider me foolish for that bet, that prediction. After 3 quarters, I was just about right smack dab on my final score prediction. But the Irish put up some big scores late. ND tried to be lucky, while the ref’s always seemed to see the USC players flexing after a big play, rewarding them with 15 yard penalties, Golden Tate and company were allowed to flex all they wanted – interesting dynamic Notre Dame has with officials, it’s as if the Irish have a major in college officiating. USC was fine with running out the clock in the 4th quarter, and that allowed the Irish to get just close enough to cover the spread. One thing is for real, Golden Tate is won of the best college football players in the Nation. I take the loss here.

Wyoming Cowboys vs Air Force Falcons Free College Pick

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Wyoming Cowboys (+10.5) @ Air Force Falcons: This is the year Wyoming gets back at Air Force for taking them out in each of the last three seasons. Both teams run the ball really well, and while Air Force is a little more disciplined and a little more efficient on the ground, Wyoming throws the ball a little better and does a good job with the little things. Plus, I just think these teams are too even for a 10.5 point spread. Wyoming comes in playing their best football of the season and fixed some tough of the issues they had earlier in the season. Basically, Austyn Carts-Samuels has taken over the starting quarterback job for good, and in the last three games he’s really given the Cowboys an air threat. I think his play keeps this game close.

NCAA Football Picks Review: Week 6

Just like the NFL, .500 rears it’s ugly head! A bounce off the foot for a last minute pick 6 did me good in a game that shouldn’t have been close to begin with. I didn’t get a lot of luck going my way, that’s for sure, but such is the way it goes, and at least a couple times the scores landed in the right slot. Here’s my Week 6 review…

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Nebraska Cornhuskers (-3) @ Missouri Tigers: (WINNER) Speaking of a little luck actually going my way, how about this one? A tough beat for Tiger-backers, that’s for sure. Up 12 nil going into the 4th quarter, the Tigers get the brunt of four 4th quarter Cornhusker touchdowns while not scoring once. Nebraska finally pulled their collective heads out and easily covered despite going scoreless for 3 quarters and being down 12 with just 15 minutes to play on the road. Thursday’s are crazy!

Auburn Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks (+3): (WINNER) “There’s a certain time where hype hits down week and down week hits reality. That might be this time around for the Tigers. After finally smashing into the Top 25 after a 5-0 start to the season, a solid Razorbacks team hosts Auburn in an early Saturday Morning showdown. Now the road team has won 6 of the last 7 between these two programs, but I’m taking the home dog here. I think Arkansas puts up enough points, and sooner or later the luck runs out on the Tigers.” The luck ran way out on the Tigers, Arkansas walked over Auburn from the beginning, got three 3rd quarter touchdowns to get to within 11, only to see Arkansas fight back to open up the margin yet again. Got this one right on the button.

Michigan State Spartans (-4) @ Illinois Illini: (WINNER) “I don’t think the Spartans are good, or even worthy of being favored on the road, this line doesn’t have great value or anything, but the Illini are bad. Even after a big win over their “in state big brother” program, I still think the Spartans have enough in the tank to get a double digit win in Illinois.” You know it’s bad when you really don’t like a team, don’t think they are worth much, and still take them as a favorite on the road in a Big 10 match-up. I was onto something, the Spartans easily took this one.

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Oregon Ducks @ UCLA Bruins (+6.5): (LOSS) The Ducks were down 3-0 at the half, but needed just 13 seconds to get a lead after the 3rd quarter started. That 100 yard TD return set the table for a second half that would go all Oregon’s way. Injuries and question marks led me to believe Oregon wouldn’t produce much offense. They didn’t need to, a couple non-offensive touchdowns made it 14-3 and Oregon never looked back.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Mississippi Rebels (+6.5): (LOSS) I expected Jevan Snead to come out and play good football after laying an egg last time he saw a decent defense come to play. I mean, this guy has been rated as a Top 3 QB in the upcoming NFL draft by some scouts that I respect. But after watching this game all the way through, he makes bad reads, doesn’t use his feet well, lacks accuracy, has no big-game push, and basically looks like an MLB closer not named Mariano Rivera, scared for his life when it matters most. My fault on this one.

Indiana Hoosiers (+7) @ Virginia Cavaliers: (LOSS)  I couldn’t have been more wrong about a game. Took a huge loss here.

Duke Blue Devils (+15) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack: (WINNER) “I think Duke has one of their best teams ever, now that being said, they are still not all that good. That being said, neither is NC State. Duke’s coming off a pretty good game against Va Tech last week, and I think they’re a nice value getting more than two touchdowns. The last three games in this match-up have been very close contests, and 6 of the last 7 have been NC State wins, but by a touchdown or less. I think that trend continues, if Duke doesn’t upset outright.” Yeehaw! It’s rare that you call a Duke football upset could be brewing, and it actually happens. Craziness! Gotta love it!

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Arizona State Sun Devils (-20) @ Washington State Cougars: (LOSS) This game was a bad beat. The Sun Devils score 3 touchdowns but miss one PAT and get another blocked to be up only 19 in the third quarter, and I knew that would come back to haunt me. The Cougars get a lucky 99 yard touchdown late in the 4th after the Sun Devils go for 2 to at least get the push. I get a loss here. Tough one. The Cougars had -54 yards rushing in this one. WSU is still a joke, I’ll get them soon enough!

Florida Gators (-9) @ Louisiana State Tigers: (WINNER) This one was just by the hair on my chin. The Gators dominated defensively, allowing nothing more than an LSU field goal. LSU did fine work on the defensive end as well, but Florida’s TD and two field goals were just enough. That late 4th quarter field goal to ice it was huge!

Arizona Wildcats (-3) @ Washington Huskies: (LOSS) Screwed. The Huskies played well against the Wildcats running game, but gave up tons of passing yardage, and really got outplayed all night long. But they just hung around, then a ball gets kicked into the air, lands right in the husky’s paws and they return it for a game winning touchdown. Ridiculousness. But hey, the Huskies deserved some good ju-ju after getting Irished last week at Notre Dame. Now I need some good ju-ju, for goodness sakes!