College Football: Week 6

Hello once again readers. Hope you have recovered from the "shocking Saturday" that was last weekend. The calendar has turned to October and for baseball, that means playoffs but for the college football season, that means jumping full force into the conference season, besides a few non-conference matchups that are sprinkled in.

Not sure about you but I am quite excited for the conference season. It's when the upsets really happen. Teams are familiar with each other. Teams that have players that were recruited by both teams and play with an extra edge. Rivalries start coming into play as well. Oh, the humanity!

It was a down picking week for me, going 7-8. I said teams like Ole Miss and Michigan had very good chances to win BUT I didn't have the guts to call the upset. Meanwhile, my APPY did not come through. But life goes on. On to Week 6...

TOP 15 GAMES (Last week 7-8, Season 47-28)

GAME OF THE WEEK
1. #14 Ohio State @ #18 Wisconsin - There are some good games this week but I think this one trumps them because it all about proving the critics wrong. For Ohio State, they're trying to still prove to people that the USC loss was not a symbol of their team. Not to mention also that their new offense with by Terrelle Pryor/Beanie Wells combined is better than what they had. The lack of confidence in the Buckeyes was shown by the pollsters too. Despite a win last week and a slew of upsets, the Bucks stayed at #14 so they need this win bad. Meanwhile, the Badgers have to bounce back from the meltdown at Michigan. Up 19-0 and somehow find a way to give up 27 points down the stretch. They went from a BCS title contender to another Big Ten bomb. Both these teams are talented and if they run the table impressively in the conference, could sneak in to a BCS title game. Playing at Camp Randall is not gonna be an easy task for OSU, as seen by the 27 wins in 28 games by the Badgers at home. Should be a good one. I'm taking OHIO STATE to win it late. Buckeyes 27-24

REST OF THE BEST
2. #23 Oregon @ #9 USC - Welp, USC is lucky to not have fallen further after their pathetic showing against Oregon State. They came out with no fire and were outplayed in every area in Corvallis but yet, find themselves at #9 and still in good shape if they run the table. This game against Oregon will be their first chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the voters. Oregon has not exactly been impressive this season. Yeah, they've put up 60+ points twice this season but against quality comp in Purdue, they won by the skin of their teeth in OT and 2 weeks ago, were beat by Boise State in Eugene. But if they want to earn some respect, they need a big road win like this. USC will be ready for the Ducks but if Oregon can muster up some extra motivation, they may stay in this one. I'll take Mark Sanchez and USC and see if USC finds a way to creep into the Top 5.

3. #13 Auburn @ #19 Vanderbilt - Somehow, Auburn has managed to stay in the Top 15. Their offense has been anemic all season and yet, the voters hold them in pretty high regard. They beat Mississippi State 3-2 and a terrible Tennessee team 14-12 at home. Now, they are back on the road and playing a Vandy team full of confidence. A team that is ranked for the first time since 1984. A chance to go 5-0 for the first time since 1943. ESPN College Gameday visiting Nashville for the first time ever. And with an extra week to rest some bodies and get prepared for the SEC season, you have to like the Commodores chances of keeping this magical start going. Gimme VANDY by 10 or more.

4. #4 Missouri @ Nebraska - This is one of two Big 12 games that I have my eye on. Mizzou comes in with that dynamic offense led by Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin. They played Illinois to begin the year, but since then, it's been smooth sailing versus some bad teams all at home. But now, it's time to hit the road and they're not playing a cupcake. They're heading to Lincoln to face Bo Pelini's Cornhuskers, fresh off a disappointing loss against Virginia Tech. This game reminds me a bit of Wisconsin-Michigan. Highly ranked team coming off a bye week. An underdog with a storied history but not playing like it recently. A chance to knock off the big dog at home and a new coach that would love nothing more than to do it in his first year on the job. The Huskers have won 15 straight vs. Mizzou in Lincoln. But the streak stops here. My pick is MISSOURI just because I don't think Nebraska's defense can slow down the Tigers.

5. #5 Texas @ Colorado - There's all this talk about Mizzou, Texas and Oklahoma that again, it is a game like this that gets overlooked. Going to Boulder isn't easy. Just ask West Virginia. And this is a Texas team that has played next to no one in their first 4 games. But starting this week, the Longhorns have it tough. Colorado this week and then #1 OU, #4 Mizzou, #21 OK St, #7 Texas Tech four weeks in a row. Ouch. And with OU and Mizzou ahead, this looks like a trap game. As for Colorado, they are coming off a disappointing loss to Florida State. But having a team like Texas in its home stadium prolly has the team licking their chops again. Texas has not played a team as good as Colorado and Dan Hawkins is a crafty coach. Call me crazy but I don't like Texas at all in this matchup. I'm choosing COLORADO for the second time for my APPY of the week.

6. Pittsburgh @ #10 South Florida (THU) - There's no telling when the real Pitt Panthers will stand up. A one-point win vs. Iowa two weeks ago. A less than exciting 10-point win over Syracuse last week. But they still are 3-1 and their best football is yet to come. It could be this week and if so, then they have a real shot of winning this game. But South Florida is good. Really, really good. You saw how their offense can explode for points against Kansas. but also, how their defense can shut teams down as seen by their performances the past two weeks. The Bulls are for real and the Panthers have not acted like they are there yet. So I'm putting my money on SOUTH FLORIDA to walk away with an easy victory.

7. #6 Penn State vs. Purdue - Well, the real season has begun for the Nittany Lions. They looked impressive against Illinois in Happy Valley but time to get away from home now and jump into the Big Ten road waters. Their first test is in West Lafayette and a Purdue team that is more than capable of pulling off this upset. The Boilers didn't look good against Notre Dame but this is college football. All a team needs is 60 good minutes to pull off this kind of upset. Penn State is in the driver's seat for the Big Ten title right now in my mind. But this week's road test and then road tests against Wisconsin and OSU are not gonna be easy. If the Nittany Lions are looking ahead to Wisconsin, Curtis Painter and Purdue will win. But I don't see that happening. PENN STATE keeps Purdue's offense at bay or just scores so much, it doesn't matter.

8. Oregon State @ #15 Utah - Can Oregon State make it two weeks in a row? Well, if they play like they did last week, they will. OSU played extremely well last week. Yea, a couple of breaks went their way but all in all, the Beavers controlled that game against USC. Plus, how can you now like their RB Jacquizz Rodgers? So small, you can't bring him down cause you can't find him. But Utah is good. They've shown all year that can pretty much score at will and slow down the opposing offense when needed. This game being at home too will help. If OSU plays like they did last week, they will stay in this game in the end. But because of their upset of USC, I think UTAH will be prepared for the Beavers.

9. Illinois @ Michigan - Could Michigan really start the year 2-0? Well, all it will take is one win. Mad props to the Wolverines for their great comeback against the Badgers. It was the first sign of fight in Michigan all season. Meanwhile, Illinois did not play bad against Penn State. They just didn't play as well as Penn State did. And though the Illini are out of the Top 25, you have to remember their two losses are against Mizzou and Penn State. Those are two quality losses for sure for a team that is still darn good, especially on offense. Something tells me Illinois wants this win bad considering their 2-2 record and lack of respect around the nation right now. So I'm taking ILLINOIS to get a big win in the Big House.

10. Florida State @ Miami (FL) - Remember when this game was a primetime game and full of national title game implications? Yea, those were not the good 'ol days. Instead, these are the good 'ol days where we are not subjected to this game nationally. Florida State deserves some credit for their win over Colorado in Jacksonville. It was a good bounce back after scoring just 6 points against Wake Forest the week before. But Miami (FL) is seething after losing to UNC last week at home. And while this game prolly won't mean too much in the ACC in the end, it still is a rivalry and that should give the 'Canes and 'Noles plenty of motivation. My pick is MIAMI (FL) because of the home crowd advantage.

11. Rutgers @ West Virginia - At the beginning of the year, this prolly looked like a marquee Big East game. But after the 1-3 start by Rutgers and the 2-2 start by WV, this game has lost nearly all of its luster. For Rutgers, the losses have just been flat out ugly. Their offense has looked inept and because of that, their defense has been worn out trying to stop the opponent. Meanwhile, WV is a team that has the talent but has just not performed on the field when it matters. The 24-3 ECU loss was devastating and the 17-14 OT loss to Colorado was just deflating. But the Big East season is what these teams are playing for anyways. Call it a second season if you will. Pat White should be good to go for the Mountaineers according to coach Bill Stewart and for me, that makes all the difference. WEST VIRGINIA wins easily.

12. #1 Oklahoma @ Baylor - On paper, this game should not be close. Heck, on the field, it probably won't be either. But after seeing USC lose to Oregon State on the road, it'd be insane of me to not at least add this game to the list. Oklahoma has been lights out this season. Sam Bradford has put himself in the headlines every week and the team is well on its way to another big disappointment down the road thanks to their strong start. That disappointment could be this week against a Baylor team that just like OSU, has no business being in this game. But consider this. The game is in Waco. Oklahoma's only road game so far has been @ Washington, so it barely counts. Baylor has played the likes of Wake and UConn already so they have played good competition. And their head coach Art Briles is in his first year, so it will be tougher for Bob Stoops to gameplan. And finally, the game begins at 11:30am CT, so it'll be an early affair. I'm still thinking OKLAHOMA will win by a big margin, but at least I have cleared myself of any ignorance if Baylor pulls off the upset. (And I hope they do for my friend TI in Waco).

13. Navy @ Air Force - This is a game that I would normally not even consider for this section but I almost have to because 1) I am patriotic and 2) after the upset Navy pulled last week. Beating a good Wake Forest team in Winston-Salem is a big achievement for this team. Especially since they are trying to start a new era after Paul Johnson left for greener pastures at Georgia Tech. And as for Air Force, they are 3-1 with their only loss coming against the Utes of Utah 30-23. Should be a dandy of a game between the two Armed Forces. AIR FORCE is my pick to win.

14. Ball State @ Toledo - A good MAC matchup here. You have Ball State, who lost 27-25 to Central Michigan but still is maybe the most talented team in the MAC, especially on offense. And on the other side, you have a Toledo team that took Fresno State to the edge before missing on a two-point conversion. Playing in Toledo is never easy but BALL STATE is too good to lose this game.

15. Stanford @ Notre Dame - The Lou Holtz watch continues for me. Lou said they would win 11 games. Well, since ND fell to Michigan State, that means the Irish have to run the table. This week shouldn't be too tough. Stanford is still in the rebuilding stages so they are not expected to win this game. But this is ND we're talking about. They aren't that good either. But their win over Purdue is inspiring me. I'll pick NOTRE DAME.

TEAMS I LOVE (OR ACT LIKE I LOVE)
Ohio @ Western Michigan - It's tough for me to criticize the 'Cats when they are 9 hours away and can only be seen on Gametracker but you know what, they are just not cutting it for me this season. The VMI game was a chance to make a statement. The offense sure did, putting up 51 points. But 31 points given up by the defense? Yikes. That does not make me in Augusta, GA feel good about their chances in the MAC anymore. This week, they get a 4-1 Western Michigan team whose only loss came against Nebraska. As much as I would love to see a Bobcat win, I'm picking WESTERN MICHIGAN to get the W. Broncos 34-17

South Carolina @ Ole Miss - Both teams have something to build on after wins last week. for SC, it's the fact that they may have found a quarterback for the rest of the season in Stephen Garcia. The guy can run and pass, something Beecher or Smelley could not do. He's wasn't amazing last week but solid and that's all you can ask for right now. As for Ole Miss, they are coming off a huge win over the Florida Gators. Houston Nutt has gotten this team to believe and now, they are gonna be playing spoiler all season in the SEC. With the momentum from the Florida game, I will take OLE MISS to win in a good ballgame. OLE MISS 20-14.

Alright, there it is boys and girls. Have a great college football weekend!