2009 College Football - Week 11

The college football season moves on and while some teams have 4 more games to play, others have just 2 games left, so coming up with a top 15 is just gonna get tougher. But it sure wasn't tough this week. There a plentiful amount of good games Friday and Saturday, and that's all you can ask for every week as a fan.

What I thought was gonna be a great week for me picking last week ended up not being one at all. I got just 9 games right, btu that did include my APPY of Nebraska over Oklahoma, giving me my third APPY victory in 10 weeks. Not that bad. My season record moves to 94-56. By the looks of the games this week, a perfect week could happen but I highliy doubt it because I smell a few upsets too.

GAME OF THE WEEK
1. #1 Florida @ South Carolina - You may think I'm crazy for making this my game of the week but if you really think about it, this is not gonna be an easy game for the Gators. In fact, there's a chance they could lose. The Gamecocks seem to play the best teams tough but the average teams awful. The Gators obviously qualify as one of the better teams. South Carolina's defense will be the key. They played well against Ole Miss and Bama, all but shutting down the passing games for both. If they can do the same against UF, they have a chance. Not only that but UF has gotten off to slow starts in just about every game lately and giving a young but talented Gamecocks team hope early and at home is not what the Gators want. I'll be on the field for this one so who knows, maybe I'll see the biggest upset of the year in person. If I do, it's not gonna be one I expected to see. FLORIDA should come away victorious.

BEST OF THE REST

2. #25 West Virginia @ #5 Cincinnati (FRI) - If you're not gonna be watching high school football like I am, here's a pretty good game to watch before you head to the bar or while at the bar. The Mountaineers can still win the Big East but they need wins over UC and Pitt. To do that, they'll need to slow down a Cincy that is 3rd in total yards and 5th in scoring. And it doesn't seem to matter who plays QB either for UC. Zach Collaros will start and is a better runner while Tony Pike will play a bit and is the more accurate passer. WV is led by Jarrett Brown, who has turned up his game as of late but no doubt, if WV doesn't get Noel Devine and the run game, it'll be a long night. Should be a fairly high scoring affair with two teams that don't play amazing defense. And in an offensive shootout, you hafta take CINCINNATI right now.

3. #10 Iowa @ #11 Ohio State - Rose Bowl berth on the line here but this game has really lost a lot of the steam it had a few weeks ago. Iowa is no longer undefeated and now, will be without starting QB Ricky Stanzi for the final two games of the season. In other words, these are not happy days for the Hawkeyes. Meanwhile, Buckeye fans couldn't be happier. The Bucks just beat a good PSU team in Happy Valley and now, just 4 weeks after a terrible loss to Purdue, are playing for a spot in the Rose Bowl. It'll be senior day in Columbus so emotions will already be running high. If Terrelle Pryor can play another turnover-free game like he did against PSU, Iowa doesn't have much of a chance against the OSU defense. Get the roses ready in Columbus because OHIO STATE will win and be off to Pasadena for the first time since 1997. Ohio State 27, Iowa 10

4. Notre Dame @ #12 Pittsburgh - I've been hearing one a few networks that this is a must-win for the Irish, as if Charlie Weis's job rides on this game. I completely disagree with that assessment. Of all things, this is a big game for Dave Wannstedt. This is the best collection of players he has had in Pitt and to stumble down the stretch would really be an embarrassment. It'll be a good battle of QBs too, with ND boasting junior QB Jimmy Clausen and Pitt showcasing the underrated senior QB Bill Stull. ND's offense will put up yards (6th in NCAA) but points don't always come with them (38th in NCAA). In fact, Pitt is 16th in points scored, has a better run game (26th in NCAA) and given up 52 less points in the same amount of games. With all that said, PITTSBURGH wins and stays unbeaten at Heinz Field.

5. #16 Utah @ #4 TCU - If you wondered why TCU has been seen as the one with the better chance to sneak into the BCS title game instead of Boise State, this is why. TCU still has tough opponents on its schedule, with this being one of them. The Utes aren't the same team as last year that beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, but they still know how to win. Utah's only loss came to Oregon in Week 3 and that was by a score of 31-24. Meanwhile, TCU hasn't at all and hasn't shown even a sign that they will. The Horned Frogs have steamrolled just about every opponent in the last month and have one of the best defensive units in the NCAA, giving up just 101 pts in 9 games. But TCU is just 1-5 against the Utes, with the only win in 2005 in OT. So clearly Utah has their number. But this is a new year and a very good Horned Frogs team so I'm picking TCU to win and all but clinch their spot in the BCS.

6. #3 Texas @ Baylor - If Baylor QB Robert Griffin did not get injured at the beginning of the season, this game would have possible upset written all over it. But without Griffin there, I'm not so sure. Texas has really turned it on as of late, pretty much scoring at will. Just look at the 470 pass yds Colt McCoy put up last week. But if the Longhorns overlook the Bears just one bit, who knows what could happen. You have to figure many of the players on Baylor were overlooked by Texas so there'll be plenty of fire in their bellies. While I would love to think the Bears can give the 'Horns a scare, that'll be tough when they're playing their third-string QB. TEXAS wins big.

7. #2 Alabama @ Mississippi State - On paper, shouldn't be close. But neither was the Florida-MSST game and it was a lot closer than expected. That's because these Bulldogs don't give up. They showed that against UF and showed it against LSU. Now, they get Bama and you can bet, they'll give them their best shot. Bama is coming off a hard-fought win over LSU, so bodies may be a bit banged up and heads a little big, knowing they have the SEC West won and are just 4 games away from a shot at the national title. But if they overlook MSST just one bit, look out. Expect this one to be within 10 but ALABAMA to come away the victor.

8. #7 Georgia Tech @ Duke - There's no way anyone could have predicted this game would be so important for both teams. For GT, a win means finishing 7-1 in the ACC, a Coastal division title, and a spot in the ACC Championship. Meanwhile, if Duke can pull off the uspet, they still have a chance to win the Coastal title and with another win could be bowl-eligible. Duke has lost the last 5 against the Yellow Jackets but that's when they weren't good. They're no pushover anymore but I don't think they have the defense to slow down the Jackets rush attack. Johnathan Dwyer has really been running well lately and though the GT defense hasn't been great, it's done enough to keep teams from scoring with their offense. GEORGIA TECH wins and can plan their trip to Tampa.

9. Stanford @ #9 USC - This one won't impact the top of the Pac-10 but the winner of this game stays in the running for a conference title. Stanford is coming off a big win against Oregon, in a game where the Cardinal offense looked unstoppable. But now, they take on a USC defense that probably will get a stop or two. Last time these two teams played in So. Cal, it was Stanford who won 24-23. But something tells me USC knows they have to play their best game against the Cardinal. Pete Carroll will have his team ready to go and as long as Matt Barkley plays a solid game, the Trojans should be alright. USC wins in a good one.

10. #17 Arizona @ California - Yes, that is Arizona ranked and Cal unranked. And yeah, Arizona is the one tied for first in the Pac-10 and Cal is not. Give some credit to Mike Stoops for getting the most out of this Arizona team. The Wildcats still have tough games on the schedule so winning a game like this is crucial. They got a huge break with Cal RB Jahvid Best ruled out after that crazy fall last week. That means the not-so-great Wildcat defense now can concentrate on stopping Kevin Riley and the passing game. The Wildcats haven't won in their last 3 trips to Berkeley but this time, ARIZONA wins.

11. Nebraska @ Kansas - This game was supposed to be a battle of the two ranked teams fighting for the Big 12 North title. Instead, neither team is ranked and only one team is in the hunt for the division title. Nebraska is that team and that's thanks to their big 10-3 win against Oklahoma last week. Now, they are tied with Kansas State in the losses category. But if they lose this one to Kansas, things get a lot tougher. Meanwhile, Kansas has been terrible lately. They're now at 5-4 and in danger of not even making a bowl game. Sad considering they were undefeated and supposedly going to be a threat to Texas in the Big 12 championship. Should be an even game but I'll go with NEBRASKA because they really have something to play for.

12. Missouri @ Kansas State - This game is just like the Nebraska-Kansas matchup. Mizzou has been underachieving this season like Kansas and now, is also in trouble of missing out on a bowl game. Meanwhile, Bill Snyder has been a miracle worker at Kansas State, putting them in position to make a bowl game and win the Big 12 North. This from a team many picked to be last in the division. They beat Kansas last week in a game they really dominated on defense. With this one at home and with the confidence they are playing with, I have to choose KANSAS STATE

13. Michigan @ #20 Wisconsin - What happened to Michigan? Doesn't seem to long ago that they were gonna be the surprise of the Big Ten, Tate Forcier was the toast of the town and Rich Rodriguez was being praised for his work in year number 2. But now, they're at the bottom of the Big Ten with Indiana and at 5-5, may not make a bowl game. Thing is, they're not a bad team talent-wise. They're just playing bad. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has been the quietest 7-2 team in the nation. There's nothing flashy about them at all but they've played solid football all season. At home, they're 5-1 with the only loss coming to Iowa. Look for WISCONSIN to go 6-1 with a close victory.

14. Clemson @ NC State - Clemson is the real deal. If you don't believe it, just look at the second half of their game against FSU. The Tigers offense drove up and down the field and shut down a Seminole offense that was in rhythm in the first half. This is a Tiger team full of confidence, as it should be, having won 4 in a row. Now, Clemson is just two wins away from the ACC title game. This week, they face the Wolfpack, who aren't exactly the toughest competition. They're 4-5 and lost 4 of their last 5. But they are capable of pulling off the upset, as seen by their win over Pitt back in September. Thing is, the Tigers have too many big-play players to lose this one. CLEMSON rolls.

15. #14 Miami (FL) @ North Carolina - For Miami (FL), this is a game they must win if they want to consider this season a real success. The win over Oklahoma is losing power and while the win over GT is good, the loss to Clemson at home was not. Now, they get to face a UNC defense that shut down VT in Blacksburg. QB Jacory Harris will be pressured an awful lot and be forced to make snap decisions. If he does that well, the 'Canes should be alright. But here's the thing. Miami (FL) has lost the last three in Chapel Hill and hasn't played that well since that Clemson loss. One team fights for a BCS at-large spot. The other to be bowl-eligible. I'll take in my APPY pick, the NORTH CAROLINA Tar Heels.