2009 College Football - Week 10

It's the first weekend in November for college football and a pretty good slate of games to start off the biggest month in college football. Only two games involving ranked teams playing each other but a lot of other intriguing games/potential upsets that could shake up conference races and possibly the BCS games as well. That's just the joy of college football.

It was a solid picking week for me, going 10-5 so my season record is up to 85-50. Again, it's respectable but I'm really hoping to go 15-0 one of these weeks. If not that, at least 13-2 or something to really improve that overall record. 15 more tough games to pick this week so let's see what happens.

GAME OF THE WEEK

1. #9 LSU @ #3 Alabama - Another week, another big SEC matchup involving either Florida or Alabama. This time, it's LSU facing Bama. LSU faced Florida back in October and never really gave them a scare. Their offense simply wasn't good enough to score on the Gator defense that isn't great but solid enough to stop an offense like LSU's. But LSU has played a couple games since that one and the offense has scored 73 pts in the last two games so maybe they've hit their stride. Thing is, now they face a defense that has given up just 91 points in 8 games. That's pretty darn good. Oh, and Bama has an offense led by RB Mark Ingram that you can't sleep on because he'll rack up 200 yds on you. I'll go with ALABAMA to stay unbeaten.

BEST OF THE REST

2. #16 Ohio State @ #11 Penn State - The race for the Big Ten title starts here. This week OSU faces Penn State. Next week, they face Iowa. The outcome of those two ballgames will determine who will probably face Oregon in the Rose Bowl. OSU and Terrelle Pryor have played well in the last 2 weeks but neither of those teams are to the caliber of PSU. The Nittany Lions have rebounded nicely since the loss to Iowa at home but again, haven't played a team to the caliber of OSU. Both teams are led by their defenses so expect this to be a low-scoring affair. Penn State's pass rush is one of the best, which is good and bad for Pryor. Could mean more sacks and bad throws but could also mean more throws on the run, which he is pretty good at, and long scrambles. This one will be a battle to the end but with the game being in Beaver Stadium, the edge goes to PENN STATE...and it sickens me to write that. Penn State 17, Ohio State 10.

3. #8 Oregon @ Stanford - Oregon's rise to the top has been impressive. But they could easily fall right back down if they don't come ready to play against Stanford. It's always tough to come off a big win like last week's win over USC and play a quality ballgame. Just ask USC, who lost after playing OSU two years in a row. Oregon's offense right now is just so good now while Stanford's defense is not. The Cardinal gave up 38 to ORST and then 48 to Arizona. Stanford is undefeated at home though, where they've played in the Jim Harbaugh era. Plus, a win makes them bowl-eligible for the first time since 2001 so you know the Cardinal will play their hearts out. I'm going with OREGON in a close one.

4. Navy @ #22 Notre Dame - Most years, this is not a big game but this is definitely one this year. Notre Dame is 4 wins away from probably making it to a BCS game. But one more loss all but ends that shot. The Irish are a pretty good team, especially on offense with QB Jimmy Clausen leading the way. The defense though is suspect, giving up nearly 23 points per game. Navy comes in with one of the better offenses in the nation with their unique triple-option attack. But against the best teams, they have fallen short. It hasn't been by much but they've been losses. Navy's defense though isn't great either so NOTRE DAME is my pick even though it wouldn't surprise me to see the Midshipmen win.

5. Connecticut @ #5 Cincinnati - There's no telling the Jasper Howard tragedy has worn on the UConn football team. They've played hard now twice in memory of him and lost both times in close ones, further deepening the hurt. But here's their chance to redeem themselves and really win for their departed teammate. UConn has the players to win this game. They just need to play a flawless game. Meanwhile, UC has been playing some great football, even with a backup QB. The offense and defense has been a part of this undefeated run and there's no sign of them slowing down. While I think UConn will keep this one competitive until the end, I just don't see CINCINNATI losing this one at home.

6. Wake Forest @ #10 Georgia Tech - On paper, this one shouldn't be close. GT is clearly the better team, especially on offense where their rushing attack remains one of the best in the nation. The thing is, this is the ACC, where amazing things happen. Right when you think you've got the teams figured out, the unimaginable happens. In this case, Wake is a decent team. In fact, they nearly beat Miami (FL) last week in Miami before letting it fall apart in the end. Now, they're losers of their last 3 and desperate to get a win to make sure they finish bowl-eligible. Meanwhile, GT has won 6 in a row but their defense has not been stellar at all. They gave up 28 first-half pts to an awful Vandy team before shutting them down in the second half. So there is hope for Wake. But my pick to win is GEORGIA TECH.

7. Florida State @ Clemson - Staying in the ACC, this is a big one in the ACC Atlantic. Clemson sits at 3-2, tied at the top with BC. Meanwhile, FSU is trying to continue their ascent to the top after an 0-3 start. If FSU loses this game, they're pretty much done. Meanwhile, a loss for Clemson doesn't completely knock them out. As far as the matchup, FSU's offense has been incredibly good the last 3 weeks, much of that thanks to QB Christian Ponder. Clemson though has been playing just as well on offense. CJ Spiller is the piece that makes them go but as long as Kyle Parker avoids turnovers, he becomes a weapon too with his throwing arm. This one will not be a defensive battle. Expect 80+ points to be scored and CLEMSON to come out on top.

8. #24 Oklahoma @ Nebraska - The Big 12 South is all but settled with Texas. But the Big 12 North is still well up for grabs. All 6 teams are still in the race but by far, Nebraska is the best team of them all. But a recent slide by the Huskers has put them in a tough spot. They control their own destiny but that means winning this game. With Landry Jones at QB, Oklahoma hasn't been terrible. In fact, their 3 losses have been by a combined 5 points. Nebraska has the players to win this game and at home, you know it'll be crazy. Oklahoma has won the last 4 in the series but NEBRASKA wins this one in my APPY of the week.

9. Kansas @ Kansas State - This is another big one when it comes to the Big 12 North. Kansas looked to be well on its way to a date with Texas in the Big 12 championship until their recent 3-game losing streak that has befuddled me and probably all of their fans. With a QB like Todd Reesing and other upperclassmen, the road looked pretty clear but it's sure foggy now. Now, KU needs to just keep winning and that includes this rivalry game against the upstart Wildcats. Bill Snyder has done a great job with this team so far, having them in the position to even compete for a division title. Thing is, of their 5 wins, none of them have come against real quality competition. The game is in Manhattan but KANSAS isn't losing 4 in a row.

10. #12 USC @ Arizona State - The Trojan faithful are probably still crying over the Oregon loss. I can understand, considering they've been the champs for so long in the Pac-10. But no used crying over spilled milk. The Trojans better rebound if they still want a shot at a BCS game. Normally after losses, Pete Carroll gets his guys ready for battle and many times, they trounce the opponent. Arizona State though should provide a bit of a challenge. ASU's run defense is pretty good, so if they can stifle Joe McKnight, they've got a real chance. Thing is, the Sun Devils aren't real good against the best teams in the land, even at home. They're 0-13 at home against opponents ranked in the top 15 or higher. USC wins by a good margin.

11. Oregon State @ #20 California - It's been a month since Cal has been in the top 25 and for good reason. The two losses they suffered were absolutely awful. But now, they seem to be back to their early form, especially RB Jahvid Best. Meanwhile, ORST is playing well as of late too, having won 3 of their last 4, with the lone loss coming to USC in a tight ballgame. The Beavers have truly picked up their game but I don't think they have enough defense to slow down QB Kevin Riley, Best and the rest of the Bears offense this week. CALIFORNIA comes away with the win.

12. Northwestern @ #4 Iowa - Don't worry Hawkeyes fans. I'm not gonna talk about how I underestimate the Hawkeyes anymore. In fact, they have an uncanny resemblance of the 2002 Ohio State team that went undefeated and won a national title game in the way they win ugly. And since Iowa continues to do that, one has to believe this game will be fun to watch. Northwestern is a gutsy team, led by QB Mike Kafka, a very underrated QB. He was playing a great game against Penn State before getting injured. If he stays healthy, he'll keep the Wildcats in the ballgame. But IOWA wins the game and moves to 10-0. Wow.

13. Virginia @ #17 Miami (FL) - This is probably Al Groh's last season coaching the Cavaliers. His record hasn't been great and this year is no different. But the thing about this UVA team is that they are always capable of pulling off a huge upset. Last year, they beat two ranked teams in a row. This year, they went on a 3-game win streak but they've lost the last 2. Meanwhile, Miami (FL) didn't play a good game against Wake last week but they got the win. I don't expect them to have trouble with UVA but again, this is the ACC, where strange things happen. MIAMI (FL) is my choice.

14. #15 Houston @ Tulsa - If you like a lot of scoring, then this is the matchup for you. Both teams like to score, especially Houston who has already racked up 333 pts in 8 games, 2nd in the nation. The Cougars are also 1st in total yards and pass yds. But don't count out Tulsa. Despite 3 losses in a row, you know the Golden Hurricane are gonna come swinging. The Conference USA West title is on the line and as history tells us, Tulsa is 9-6 against the Cougars at home. Last year, this was a 70-30 win for Houston. I don't think it will be that lopsided this time but HOUSTON outscores Tulsa in another fun one for the offenses.

15. Duke @ North Carolina - Yeah, this is actually a big one on the football field. Duke is on a 3-game win streak, and with one more win, would be bowl-eligible. Yes, still talking about Duke here. Plus, they're second in the division and should they win this game and beat GT next week, could end up in the ACC title game. Yep, still talking about Duke. Meanwhile, UNC bounced back after some shaky games with a very good win over VT in Blacksburg. The Tar Heels are 5-3 like the Blue Devils but just 1-3 in the ACC. They've played the best though, while Duke still has the best yet to come. Home field doesn't mean much in Chapel Hill (in football, that is) so forget that. This one will come down to the fact that North Carolina's defense is too good for a mediocre Duke offense. NORTH CAROLINA takes down their bball rival.

OTHER GAMES

Ohio @ Buffalo - It's a big Tuesday ballgame for the Bobcats and it's on national TV. I'll preview it in my recap on Monday night.