Tag Archives: Oregon State Beavers

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas: Oregon State Beavers vs BYU Cougars

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BYU started with one hell of a bang, beating Top 5 Oklahoma when Sam Bradford went down. After that, they were everybody’s small college darling that could get a chance at the National Title – but then the rest of the season came, and despite going for 10 wins and just 2 losses, the now 14th ranked Cougars got smacked around a couple times when they could have proven themselves. Florida State, of all teams, smacked the Cougars for their first loss, 54-28. And after three straight wins to bounce back from that, the TCU Horned Frogs (one of the best teams in the Nation, mind you) embarrassed the Cougars at home, 38-7.

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It’s very possible that the best win BYU put on the board was a week 1 win over a team that lost thier Heisman quarterback, were playing with a brand new offensive line, and were definitely a bit overrated going into the season. After that, their best win likely came at home against Utah, or at home against Air Force. In both games, the Cougars were favored by more than a touchdown.

Oregon State, on the other hand, is one of the Top 10 teams in the Nation – or so I think. Luckily, I could give a piss about rankings, the same rankings that have BYU ranked above Oregon State because they have 10 wins to OSU’s 8. Well, I’ll take OSU’s losses over most of BYU’s wins, and I know a certain couple of Rodgers brothers will be ready to show their twin magic this Tuesday on ESPN. I’ll be watching.

The Beavers should win by a couple scores.

Oregon State Beavers (-2) vs. BYU Cougars:

Oregon State Beavers vs Oregon Ducks Pick & Preview

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The Beavers and the Ducks, Oregon State visiting Oregon, the Cival War, one of the best rivalries in the Pac-10, the two best teams in the conference, a trip to the Rose Bowl against Ohio State at stake, a chance to be the one that took USC’s place atop a conference that has been dominated by Southern California for a long time. Yeah, there’s a lot on the line for Thursday Night’s showdown in the Beaver State – if your state is named after you, shouldn’t you be the popular pick?

Alright, so maybe Oregon was called the Beaver State long before OSU became the Beavers, but I like to kid. What I see from Oregon State is a team that has yet to lose a game by more than 10 points, and that 10-point loss came very early in the season to a very good Cincinnati team that has, consequently, gone undefeated thus far. The Beavers other two losses, a 6-point defeat at the hands of the Trojans and a 5-point loss to Arizona. What makes them so tough to shut down? Well, they pass the ball with great efficiency (more passing yardage than their opponent in 6 of their last 8 games) and are down right dominant on the ground (have been out-rushed only twice this year). They are balanced, and they do both very well.

But Oregon has one of the best offenses in the nation, has one of, if not the best spread/read/running quarterback in the land, and a very talented young running back, plus a bruiser in Mr. Blount if they every decide to use them. Neither team stops their opponent much with defensive prowess, but both can make big plays, and they have.

The road team has won each of the last 2, but the home team won 8 in a row prior to 2007 and 2008. The final score is usually more of a blowout than a close contest, but with these offenses, it might be the last one with the ball – that makes the points the bet for me!

Oregon State Beavers (+10) @ Oregon Ducks

Oregon State Beavers vs Washington State Cougars Pick

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Oregon State Beavers (-30.5) @ Washington State Cougars Pick: The only thing WSU has going for them is the terrible weather Pullman is almost guaranteed to have this time of year. Then again, that only helps them because scoring could be down. But if it’s down any more for them, they probably don’t even put a light up in their section of the scoreboard. A shut out by a mediocre Beavers defense? It’s very possible.

Oregon State, on the other hand, is guaranteed at least 5 touchdowns. They’ve done so in 4 of their last 5 against the Cougars, they’ve put up at least 30 against solid Pacific Ten defenses like Cal, USC, Stanford, and Arizona. They have two of the most dynamic players in the conference, and they just happen to be brothers. They have out-rushed 8 of the 10 opponents they’ve played this year, and they are just freaking good.

Washington State has scored 7 points or fewer in 4 of their last 7 games. They have allowed at least 40 points in 5 of their last 6. Against a team with similar skills in the run game (Oregon) the Cougars lost 52-6. Now, Oregon State’s defense might not be as good as Oregon’s, but they can really throw the ball, and the consistent accuracy of Sean Canfield does not bode well for the Cougars’ chances of covering Saturday.

The only “good” team WSU has lost by fewer than 30 points too is Stanford, and that was way back in Week 1 when the Cardinal hadn’t figured it all out yet. When you add all these things to the ever-growing injured list the Cougars are sporting, and the fact that their starting QB has a good chance of missing Saturday’s tilt with the Beavers, 30 points just doesn’t seem like too big of a spread. I’ll take the BEAVE!

Washington Huskies vs Oregon State Beavers Prediction

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Washington Huskies @ Oregon State Beavers (-11) Prediction: I got this game at 11, it has moved to 12, but the points shouldn’t matter here. Oregon brought it to the Dogs, smacking them around in fine 43-19 fashion (and it wasn’t that close) and I expect the Beavers to do something similar to that. Teams that fully commit to running the ball against UW just embarrass the Dawgs. I basically think the Beavers, in their home stadium, are the Huskies worst nightmare.

Jake Locker may get all the hype, and he may be the more elite pro prospect, but Sean Canfield has impressed me more this season. Jake is a physical freak, one of the more impressive athletes I’ve seen play the QB position, but Sean is super accurate, completing 70% of this passes on the season. He has a very calm pocket presence and hangs in to make the big throw. He doesn’t make mistakes, mainly because he’s so accurate, and is basically the ideal quarterback to lead a dominating running attack like OSU has. But I don’t even know if Canfield will matter much in this game – I truly think the Beavers could hand the ball off every single play and win by two touchdowns.

The Huskies have lost 5 of their last 6 games after beating USC. The Beavers have won 4 of their last 5 after losing by five to Arizona. The Beavers’ only losses have come against USC, Cincinnati (both in close games), and Arizona. But it’s not about who they’ve played, but how these two match-up. Like Oregon, the Beavers are a nearly impossible match-up for the Huskies.

Oregon State Beavers vs California Golden Bears Pick

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Oregon State Beavers (+7) @ California Golden Bears Pick: 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 pretty good teams like USC, Cincinnati, and Arizona. They are impressive, and the Rodgers brothers are special, while running back Jacquizz gets most of the publicity, both are great college players. I’d say James is very underrated. Quizz had over 200 yards rushing and receiving last week, but James also tallied 120 yards of total offense against UCLA. The two are key players in the Beavers’ success.

Cal’s wins are unimpressive, that’s the bottom line. The best team they’ve beaten is either Arizona State or Minnesota – maybe UCLA? And they’ve been obliterated by good competition as Oregon and USC combined to smoke the Bears 72-6 in back to back weeks.

The Beavers have been playing their best football of the season over the last two weeks, winning 3 of their last 4 including a 10 point W over Stanford. Sean Canfield has been awesome as the team’s quarterback, already throwing for over 2000 yards with 11 touchdowns while completing 69% of his passes. His ability to stretch the field with his arm has opened up a lot for the Beavers rushing attack, the strongest aspect of their offense. The Beavers have beaten Cal 8 of the last 10 games, winning at Cal in each of the last 4 visits to California.

UCLA Bruins vs Oregon State Beavers Free NCAA Pick

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UCLA Bruins (+10.5) @ Oregon State Beavers: 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.

Free College Football Picks: NCAA Week 2

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After a tough week, I look to get back on track with my free college football picks. Everybody has their ups and downs, and while I’m not saying I’m the best capper in the world, I am saying that I consistently win more than I lose. That, at the very least, deserves a little credit. Hopefully I can turn it around and pull at least 7 wins this week. Here’s my set of wagers…

Clemson Tigers (+5.5) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Clemson’s offensive and defensive lines are so very much underrated. The D-line is straight up fitly, and ranked 5th in the nation last season against the run. The offensive line is also tough, probably a top 15 group in the country. They may have a freshman quarterback, but they also have a very talented run game to give him a helping hand. They are a nice dog going into Georgia Tech on Thursday. Tech can really run the ball, and Nesbitt has shown the ability to make the big play through the air, but I like Clemson keeping it close. C.J. Spiller is one of the most dynamic players in college football, and is a real true threat to score the ball every time he touches it. The underdog struggled on Thursday night last season, as home teams dominated the time slot. I think that changes in this one as Clemson gets close to pulling the upset.

Central Michigan Chippewas (+14.5) @ Michigan State Spartans: I know, I’m nuts, but I like the Chipps to get awfully close to pulling off this upset. I like a lot of what Central Michigan has. I love their QB, the kid is a winner. Central Michigan has either won, or lost by less than 14 points in 19 of their last 20 games. I know the Spartans are solid, but the only team that beat the Chipps by more than two touchdowns last season was Georgia. State isn’t that kind of good. Thunder Dan and his Chipps took a 19-6 loss on the chin against Arizona in Week 1, they’ll show up to play against their instate competition.

North Carolina (-4) @ Connecticut Huskies: UConn’s new starting QB, Zach Frazer, threw 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions against Ohio last week in UConn’s easy win. Last year he completed just over half his passes while throwing just 2 TDs and 6 interceptions in 83 attempts. That’s 8 interception in about 100 throws. Carolina’s defense is not softy, and they’ll put enough pressure on Zach to up those INT numbers into double digits. And UNC can take advantage of those picks. I know the Tar Heels are heavily favored with the public (72%) but every once in a while the public gets one right. This is one of those times.

Stanford Cardinal @ Wake Forrest Demon Deacons (-3): The Cardinal really struggled on the road last season, tallying their only road win at Washington (and the Huskies didn’t even win one single game). I think that trend continues. I also think the Deacons came out slow last week, and while a late push made that game a game, the couldn’t quite pull it out. One of the sharpest tossers in the game, Riley Skinner, threw three picks last week. He won’t throw one this Saturday, and that should be enough to get Wake Forrest in the win column.

Syracuse Orange @ Penn State Nittany Lions (-28.5): Greg Paulus was re-introduced to football last week, and he played well. But that was Minnesota, this is a whole different beast. The Nittany Lions didn’t lose at home last season. Not only did they not lose, but they absolutely throttled the competition. They have lots of talent on that team, stuff that will make Syracuse coaches cringe in the film room. Despite the poor value at 28.5, I still think this is a pretty good bet. With that extra half point, the books are really trying to get action on Syracuse – can’t trick me….

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-3) @ Michigan Wolverines: I don’t think ND is that good, I just think they are barely better than the Wolverines. I’m sure Michigan has loads of young talent on that team, they have a coach that knows how to recruit and a program that draws big names. However, they also have a group of players that don’t like how much time they are putting in, likely have 10 freshmen starting, and even more getting minutes, and all this against a pretty mature Irish squad. I think this one is close, but 7-10 points in ND’s favor.

East Carolina Pirates (+6.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers: The public is loving the Mountaineers in this one. But I see a lot to like about ECU. Despite the big names and elite speed playing for West Virginia, they didn’t look that impressive to me last week. The Pirates barely got by sub-division opponent Appalachian State, but that is a tough team no matter what division they are in, and in reality the Pirates were up 29-7 going into the 4th quarter of that contest. West Virginia struggled against Liberty. Yep, Liberty. ECU got a lot out of their running game, and I’m willing to bet that continues. It would not surprise me if the Pirates pulled an upset here, thus I’ll be happy to take the 6.5 points.

BYU Cougars (-17.5) @ Tulane Green Wave: I don’t like that over 75% of the bets are taking BYU. I don’t like that BYU pulled a huge upset over #3 Oklahoma last weekend. I don’t like a lot of things about this. But one of the most important don’t likes just happens to be how I feel about the Tulane Green Wave football team. I’m not sure if BYU will have their stud RB Unga back, but they should find running the ball a lot easier this week. They win cover this game by 3 touchdowns or more. That’s a cover.

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (-2) @ Washington State Cougars: Fade east of the mountains in Washington State. What can I say, after the passion the Huskies played with last week, I can’t say, fade Washington State teams anymore, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fade THE Washington State team. The Cougars just keep getting wore. After cutting more than a couple starters last season, because they were clowns off the field, a few new players are in trouble already. Hawaii has to come a long way, and from Paradise to Pullman has to be tough on the Rainbow Warriors, but as far as plane rides go, this one isn’t a bad one for Hawaii. They aren’t great, but better than Wazzu is all you have to be to cover here.

Oregon State Beavers (-7) @ UNLV Running Rebels: The Beavers are one of the better teams in the Pac 10. The Rodgers brothers are beasts. Jacquizz is one of the more special talents in all of college football. He runs big. He’s really fast, and he’s sneaky good at this game. He’ll cover this spread. The Rebels have talent, but I think that OSU rushing attack will be too much.
Get them winners! Good luck this weekend!

NCAA Free Picks: Week 6

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I hit a bit of a tough stretch last week, finishing under .500 and bringing my overall record down a bit. But after a tough week that saw me lose four more than I won, I’m back at the bit and ready to give it another try. I see a few (by few I mean a lot of) games I love this weekend, and yes, this week I will attempt to crack the fabled thursday egg. A bold player I will become… Here’s the seventeen big ones to follow.

Oregon State Beavers @ Utah Utes (-11): Free money! That’s right, even against an Oregon State team that maimed the Trojan beast of college football, these Utes will do work. I’m surprised it hasn’t gone to 10 yet, but it seems like it’s staying above a touchdown and a field goal. I think that’s to try and trick Beaver backers into betting on their team. It shouldn’t matter, though I would be happier with 10. The Utes are healthy where OSU is without a couple more defenders from a defensive secondary that would have struggled with Utah anyway. Take the Utes here!

Cincinnati Bearcats (-3) @ Marshall Thundering Herd: It’s tough to go with a college team starting a 3rd string quarterback that has completed 25% of his passes for a total of 2 yards, but that’s what I’m doing. I think the Bearcats are that much better than Marshall. This is no gimme game, and I’m sure it will be a special teams score that makes the difference, but Cinci has a the talent to compensate for their lost quarterbacks.

BYU Cougars (-29) @ Utah State Aggies: Cougars by 38 – that’s my best guess. Did I say guess? I didn’t mean it, I meant that’s my strong opinion based on facts and assumptions that border on the line of reality. Yes, I believe the UW game was flukey for the Cougs, and the rest of their contests have been the real BYU team. They are good and the Aggies are horrible. A 40+ point win would be easily gathered on Friday Night.

Boston College Eagles (-8) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack: The Eagles are three touchdowns better than the Wolfpack. This game seems too easy, so much so that I’m worried a little bit. Sure, the Wolfpack beat a very good East Carolina team, but that’s their fluke – the real NC State team showed up last week in a home loss to South Florida 10-41. Yeah, that’s right. The Eagles are nothing to write home about, but you don’t need to write home about a team that covers at NC State. Take BC to win another ACC match-up.

Akron Zips (-3.5) @ Kent State Golden Flashes: I like what the Zips bring to the table. They have a talented passing attack, just in case things get worrisome. They have a pretty solid group of kids that know how to play tough. There’s a lot I like about the Zips, enough to take them as a road favorite in a conference game.

Florida Gators (-24) @ Arkansas Razorbacks: These teams aren’t on the same level. After losing a huge game at home last week I doubt the Gators come out stiff in this one. They’ll be out to prove a point, and a good way to do that is by slapping the Razorbacks around; just ask the last two teams to play Arkansas – Texas did a 52-10 job while ‘Bama pushed in a mix tape that went something like 49-14. Florida doesn’t win by 40+, but they cover the spread, no doubt in my mind.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Baylor Bears (+27): If only because being #1 is a tough gig these days. Oklahoma hasn’t had a close one yet, but they aren’t super heroic here, they can have bad days, why not in their 5th contest of the year against an underrated Baylor Bear team with a little bit of speed and a freshman quarterback that can’t be scared? I’m not saying an upset is on the horizon, but I am saying a cover is not a stunner here.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (+28) @ Virginia Tech Hokies: This is a real test, but after much deliberation I still can’t even fathom the Hokies as a -28 favorite against anybody in the nation, not even a Hilltopper team that has a 38 point loss to Kentucky and a 34 point loss to Alabama to be credited for. This should be closer than that, maybe 24-0 at the most. Smells like teen cover.

Arizona State Sun Devils (+9.5) @ California Golden Bears: Because this game will be closer. I don’t know a winner, but some late minute trickery will have to happen for either team to win this by more than a touchdown. Here are two teams that make a living playing it close and Cal isn’t good enough to be a runaway favorite like this – not against a well coached Sun Devil team, that’s for sure.

Texas Tech Red Raiders (-7) @ Kansas State Wildcats: Don’t be fooled by K-State’s 3-1 record thus far, North Texas and Montana State don’t count, they lost to Louisville, and beat ULLaffayette by 10. Needless to say I like the Raiders, even though the public is riding this like a used up quarter pony at Walmart. Ride it!

Kentucky Wildcats (+17) @ Alabama Crimson Tide: That’s too high of a spread. I know Kentucky doesn’t have the big names yet, nor do they hold the big ranking, and surely they would be the upset of the week if they were to win at all might Alabama – but it could happen. I think this game is closer than many think – I know 63% of the public is going Yhatzee on the Tide here, that’s too big a spread for Alabama to have any value whatsoever.

Illinois Fighting Illini (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines: You know why? Because one of these weeks the Wolverines are going to get obliterated by all those stupid mistakes and Illinois is too physical and good to allow Michgan back in a game in which the Wolverines are getting handled. Juice will have a huge game, showing the Wolverines what kind of QB they need to be legit.

Nevada Wolfpack (-24) @ Idaho Vandals: Because that’s how bad Idaho is.

UL Lafayette (-2) @ UL Monroe: This line is a joke – Lafayette will kill Monroe.

Washington Huskies @ Arizona Wildcats (-21): The Huskies lost their one man offense when Jake Locker went down for the season. Did coach Tyrone’s job go with Jake? We’ll see. I don’t think Jake would have made much of a mark on this game, as Arizona is the much better team. However, I feel a lot more comfortable taking the Wildcats as a three touchdown favorite at home without Locker to worry me.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-1) @ Wisconsin Badgers: Weird, two overrated Big 10 schools – where did that idea ever come from? Still, the Buckeyes are the lesser of the overrated programs, or the greater – well their less overrated and greater talent wise. What do I mean? Buckeyes by 10 on the road, that’s what I mean.

Washington State Cougars @ UCLA Bruins (-17): Because UCLA is lucky Washington State is in the Pac 10. If you can’t feel good about UCLA against Washington State at any spread under 30, then you just can’t feel good about betting at all.

Free NCAA Football Picks – Week 1

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Here we are! It’s August 25th, 2008 and NCAA football games are just a few short days away. Summer is on the way out, and fall is just about to turn the leaves red. That means school for you young scholarly types and just colder weather for the rest of you – but it also means football! It all starts with a little NCAA action. For Week 1 I went ahead and picked out 10 winners… Enjoy the first edition of my NCAA Free Picks for 2008…

Thursday’s Games


Vanderbilt Commodores @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks (-4): (7:30pm EST, 8-28-2008)

Vanderbilt loses their best player in wide receiver Earl Bennett. He was by far their most effective and productive offensive player. Their leading returning receiver is out with a stress fracture (George Smith). If that weren’t enough, the Commodores also said goodbye to their leading rusher from last year, as well as their entire starting offensive line – that’s the kicker. Miami has a stout defense with very talented linebackers. They may be a smaller college, but they can play football. The Commodores don’t have much cohesion right now, as new starters are still being decided. The starting quarterback for this Thursday’s game wasn’t decided by the weekend, leaving much to be answered in the four days before kickoff. While Vanderbilt has all the questions, Miami of Ohio looks to be full of answers.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-12) @ Baylor Bears: (8:00pm EST, 8-28-2008)

Wake Forest is the real deal. Despite winning 8 of their last 10 games and then spanking Connecticut in the 2nd half of their bowl game, the Deacons just can’t seem to get the credit they deserve. THe Deacons return their freshman quarterback sensation, Riley Skinner, and while they lose their top receiver from ’07, Wake is full of young talent at receiver. Head coach Jim Grobe knows what he’s doing. The Deacons are off and on on the road, but they’ve been a darn good football team with Riley Skinner at quarterback. I expect them to start off the season hot, and ride their quarterback to the top of the ACC. Take them over the Bears by a couple touchdowns.

Oregon State Beavers (-3) @ Stanford Cardinal: (9:00pm EST, 8-28-2008)

The Oregon State Beavers seem like the forgotten Pac-10 team heading into the season. Everyone seems to forget that the Beavers won 7 of their last 8 games including an upset victory over Maryland in their bowl game. During the last 8 games of the season, the Beavers’ only loss came against USC in Southern California. Last year, when the Beavers played Stanford, a tough Oregon State defense held the Cardinal out of the end-zone, winning 23-6. The Beavers lost their talented tail-back, Yvenson Bernard, to graduation – but they have a nice offensive line and a couple new running backs that have impressed when given the chance. One player that should have a great bounce back season is Sammie Stroughter, the speed demon that was a 2006 3rd team All-American. With family problems and injury woes, Stroughter struggled in 2007, playing only 3 games. He was awarded a medical red-shirt, and now he has one more chance to prove himself in the Pac-10. Every time he touches the ball, touchdowns can happen. Look for the Beavers to out-talent the Cardinal all over the field, dominating this early-season conference match-up.

Friday’s Game


Temple Owls (-7) @ Army Black Knights: (7:00pm EST, 8-29-2008)

Temple, amazingly, won 4 of their last 7 games, have three Pre-Seasons All Conference players returning, and were voted “Program on the Rise” by the MAC conference. They return their leading passer and an offensive line that found cohesion late last year. Defensively, Temple is better than expected, as Army will find out. Army switched their entire offense around this summer, moving from a no-huddle spread to an option based rushing attack. When that happens originally, teams seem to struggle because of the recruiting differences for offenses like that. I never thought I’d consider taking a Temple team on the road and favored by a touchdown, but that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m confident about it.

Saturday’s Games


Bowling Green Falcons (+13) @ Pittsburgh Panthers: (12:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

The Bowling Green Falcons bring 17 of 22 starters back to a team that is expected to compete for a WAC crown this season. The Falcons won 5 of their last 6 regular season games in 2007 before getting absolutely crushed in their bowl game against Tulsa. I like that last part. The Falcons have waited all summer, 17 returning starters and many other frustrated kids, to get back on the football field and prove that bowl game was a fluke. In comes the Panthers with one of the best running backs in the Nation and a former pro-football head coach. I like the Falcons’ chances – take them and all those points.

Akron Zips @ Wisconsin Badgers (-26): (12:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

As if going into Wisconsin to play the 12th ranked team in the Nation wasn’t a tough enough opener, the Zips have really struggled with injuries during football camp. With a couple junior college transfers and position battles being effected by these injuries, the Zips preparation time for a tough Wisconsin team will be shortened. The Badgers return big names, it seems, when looking at their 2008 starters. P.J. Hill, the ultra talented tailback, and Travis Beckum, one of the most highly touted TEs in college football. Defensively, the Badgers are senior laden with an elite linebacking crew. It may be his first season as a starter, but senior quarterback Allen Evridge has been around for a while. Look for the Badgers to lean heavily on the run and really pound it to the Zips.

Utah Utes (+3.5) @ Michigan Wolverines: (3:30pm EST, 8-30-2008)

The Utes are very good and should win their conference this season. Michigan lost too many good players and are in the midst of a complete turn-around with their new head coach, Rich Rodriguez. I don’t know what else to say besides this, Utah is the better team with a better mentality and they also have nothing to lose in this one. Sign me up for that every single week.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (-6) @ Washington State Cougars: (3:30pm EST, 8-30-2008)

The Cougars weren’t very good a year ago, usually open the season soft, don’t have much of a home-field advantage during the first few weeks of the college football season, lost their star quarterback to graduation, and don’t have much confidence either. Hmm… I don’t like Pac-10 teams that open their seasons against tougher conferences, and that’s what I think this is. The Cowboys might not finish above .500 and they’ll probably look really bad in some games – but not this one. This is a team that, last year showed they can play tight with Kansas and Texas, beat Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Indiana – so I surely like them against the Cougars.

Michigan State Spartans (+5) @ California Golden Bears (8:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

This isn’t me loving the Spartans as much as me down on the Bears. Cal has a super talented and amazingly fast sophomore running back in Jahvid Best, but besides that I’m not too impressed. They are supposed to have one of the top rated offenses in the Pac-10, but without a quarterback to deliver the bread, I’m not sure that will be the case. Michigan State’s defense isn’t dynamic, but I think they’ll stack the box and make Cal’s quarterbacks beat them. That’s what will be the undoing of the Bears in Week 1, I just don’t think they can beat the Spartans through the air.

Idaho Vandals @ Arizona Wildcats (-27): (10:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

It seems like a lot of points, and it is, but I just have a feeling the Wildcats are going to go off for about 45 points in this one. They always run the ball hard and Idaho consistently can’t stop anybody else’s ground game. The Wildcats finished the season well, beating Washington, UCLA, and Oregon before losing to ASU by 3 points. The Wildcats really played well all season last year, losing to Stanford by 1, USC by 7, Oregon State by 2 scores. I like the Wildcats to get a little luck to sway their way this season – but that shouldn’t matter against the Vandals. Idaho was 1-11 in the WAC last season, and I expect much of the same this time around. This game wouldn’t surprise me if it was a 45-7 WIldcat blowout.

Week 7 College Football Picks Review: 2007

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Week 7 proved to be another stinger, and nobody likes their arm feeling like it’s on fire after a hit to the neck. Stingers suck. Anyway, here’s how my terrible Week 7 panned out.

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (-18) @ San Jose State: loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

Colt Brennan looked confused at times, and his receivers dropped plenty of balls. The kids still tossed 5 touchdowns, but those 5 interceptions made this game closer than I needed it to be. The Warrior pulled it out in overtime, but I lost my spread easily. One game in, one loss.

Oregon State Beavers @ California Bears (-14): loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

“I know this is a conference game, and you’d think I would have learned my lesson betting against a big spread and the Stanford Cardinals last week, but that just isn’t’ the case.” As it turns out, if you’re ranked in the Top 5, and in the Pac 10 – you’re about to be upset. I guess I need to learn my lesson, but in this one, the injury to Nate Longshore didn’t help my cause all that much. I was killed by injured quarterbacks all week long, in both the NCAAs and the NFL.

Auburn Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks (-3): loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

Auburn pulled out this victory in one hell of an ugly contest. Arkansas pulled ahead with 2 and change to go, but Auburn kicked a game winning field goal for a 9-7 win. I just didn’t expect the Tigers to shut down McFadden and Jones the way that they did.

San Diego State Aztecs @ Utah Utes (-14): win
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

Thank God for the Utes!!! They dominated the Aztecs by just enough to make me a winner… in one game. Well, what can you do? Bet ’em big and go home with a loss. Believe you me, this has been a painful last couple weeks for Ole Lucky’s pocketbook.

Washington State Cougars (+19) @ Oregon Ducks: loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Bodog)

“Everything points to the Ducks in this game, except when you look at the small print.” And let me tell you this, sometimes the small print misguides you into believing that the past matters and the Cougars are actually decent enough to hang with Dennis Dixon and the Ducks… Well, forget the small print because it straight broke my balls in this one.

Luckily for me, I was once again a winner with my Elite picks – only 3-2, but I’ll take it…