Week 9 Preview

Well... for those of you who've been watching closely, my current track record in tight games is not so great. Last time I made picks, I missed all 4 games I picked. However, because of my immense self-confidence, that's not gonna stop me from picking a bunch of close games wrongly yet again.

(6) Oklahoma State AT (1) Texas - Colt McCoy looks strong. OK State has an underrated defense, and a relatively well-rounded team. I don't think an upset here is impossible... but I do think it's highly unlikely. Texas 37, Oklahoma State 24.

(2) Alabama AT Tennessee - This matchup has lost some of its luster simply because Tennessee, well... ummm... sucks. However, the Crimson Tide have been letting teams stay close in recent weeks (Kentucky, Mississippi) that are not as good as Tennessee is. With that said, still no way the Vols upset the Tide. Alabama 31, Tennessee 17.

(3) Penn State AT (9) Ohio State - The Big Ten championship is likely on the line in this one. The winner of this game is unlikely to lose another one the rest of the way, at least until the last game of the year (PSU has Michigan State, OSU has Michigan). Tough one to pick... Terrelle Pryor has started looking like a bonified superstar, Beanie Wells is back and fully healthy, and the Buckeyes will have a substantial home field advantage. On the other hand, Penn State looks like a team on a mission to me... albeit one that really isn't that good. They can be thankful that Ohio State really isn't that good either. Penn State 28, Ohio State 26.

(5) USC AT Arizona - The Wildcats are just an inch away from the top 25, and I think an upset pick is plausible here. Still won't pick it... but watch out for Mike Stoops' squad here. USC 35, Arizona 32, and it comes down to the last 60 seconds.

Kentucky AT (10) Florida - The Gators are rolling again, the defense is playing well, and the offense is back on track. Don't expect a repeat of the Ole Miss game here. Florida wins big. Gators 48, Wildcats 20.

Colorado AT (15) Missouri - Mizzou stumbles into this game having lost its last two games, albeit against fantastic opponents (who happen to be playing each other this week). A loss here could completely cause the Tigers to derail and send the Big 12 North into total chaos (Kansas would have the inside track, but it would be wide open). The Buffs will keep this one competitive, but they fall just short as Mizzou and Chase Daniel right the ship. Missouri 44, Colorado 39.

Virginia Tech AT (25) Florida State - The Seminoles keep creeping back into the lower portion of the Top 25, only to lose in horrible fashion the week following being ranked. The Hokies have played much better football since the beginning of the season, when they started sluggishly... but I see a strengthening 'Noles squad gaining experience and improving with each week. Florida State 27, Virginia Tech 20.

(8) Texas Tech AT (23) Kansas - The Red Raiders of Texas Tech come into the game with the nation's most potent passing attack and a perfect record. Unfortunately, they have played absolutely no one in obtaining both of those statistics. Don't get me wrong, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree are fantastic players. But this team has yet to be tested at all. Todd Reesing remains one of America's most underrated college football players. Watch out for the Jayhawks in this one... Rock Chock Jayhawks.... Kansas 39, Texas Tech 33.

GAME OF THE WEEK

(7) Georgia AT (13) LSU - The Bulldogs and the Tigers, boasting the SEC's (and possibly the nation's) two toughest schedules, clash in what is unfortunately not an SEC night game. All the same, means I'll get to watch this one instead of having to watch yet another UW defeat, this week to Notre Dame. I still believe that Georgia is overrated at this stage. They haven't shown anyone that they can beat anyone worth much of anything, getting slapped around by Alabama on their home field earlier this year. Still, UGA has the conference's best RB in Moreno, and the conference's second best QB in Matt Stafford. Unfortunately, I don't think Georgia's tattered, beat-up offensive line will be able to protect Stafford from the fierce Tiger pass rush. LSU looked ordinary against Florida, but that game was played without all-world DT Ricky Jean-Francois. Watch for RJF's return to have a huge impact on this game. On the other side of the ball, Charles Scott and Keiland Williams should get plenty of carries. Jarrett Lee is still inexperienced, but has played in 2 elite SEC games, both on the road, and won one of them on his own arm. So long as Scott and Williams can be decently effective running the football, I see LSU controlling the clock and harrassing Stafford and Moreno in the backfield all day long. LSU 27, Georgia 21.

Well there you have it college football fans.... my take on Week 9. This is one of the better weeks to date, and the top games are spaced well for TV this week (TTech and Kansas at 9a PDT, UGA-LSU and OKST-Texas at 12:30 PDT, PennSt-OhioSt at 5 PDT, and USC-Arizona at 7:15 PDT). Have a great football-watching weekend.