So we are in week 2 of RBR's College Pick 'Em. Here are my picks from last week. Missed 2 out of 10: SC and Miami.
Here are the 12 games in play for this week. My picks are in bold (for now).
- Central Michigan @ Michigan
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Auburn @ Mississippi State
- Penn State @ Notre Dame
- Colorado @ Colorado State
- Eastern Washington @ West Virginia
- Vanderbilt @ Alabama
- Troy @ Florida State
- UCF @ Florida
- Arizona @ LSU
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Clemson @ Boston College
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Georgia @ South Carolina
- Ohio State @ Texas
Here are my thoughts on the my picks on the close games for this weekend.
PSU at ND: Obviously lot of people are down on ND right now. The Irish look pretty average against Georgia Tech last Saturday. Yeah it's the same Georgia Tech team, which Utah clowned in a bowl game few months ago (but then again that's not fair to Tech because they also beat Miami last season). Quinn did not look like a legit Heisman contender and the Irish offense wasn't in sync. I still think if Tech got any kind of decent QBing from Reggie Ball, they would have pulled out a win.
Now this week PSU will be coming in with a decent QB in Anthony Morrelli. Bruin recruiting junkies who have been following UCLA recruiting over the last few years should know this kid pretty well.
Morrelli Could Have Been a Bruin
Morrelli came out to LA to check out Westwood and was pretty high on UCLA. And for a while it looked there may have been a chance to lure him out of QB hotbed of Western PA. But the kid decided to stay close to home. He has a gun. He is athletic. But he is playing in Joe Pa offense. He got his first full time action last weekend and posted some decent numbers including 3 TDs. He could post a formidable challenged to the ND defense. And on the flipside PSU is going to bring their defense led by Butkus award winner Paul Posluszny. So yeah PSU is a real good pick here. But I think ND is going to have the intangibles working for them. I am sure Weiss is going to be riding his troops pretty hard in practice this weekend. I expect to see a ND offense much sharper even though it will be taking on a stingier defense and a fired up ND defense. ND wins a close game. Of course Black Shoe Diaries, Blue Gray Sky, House Rock Built, Rakes of Mallow are all going nuts over this game.
Clemson at Boston College: I don't have a real feel for this game. BC's offense looked pretty mediocre against Central Michigan. Matt Ryan for the Eagles had a so so game. If BC expects to pull out a win against Clemson at home they will need to pound the ball. I am not sure if they will be able to do that against the Tigers. I think Clemson pulls this out thanks to some steady leadership from QB Will Proctor. Everyone at Chestnut Hill heads to Scary Ann's afterwards to drink down their sorrow.
Texas at OSU: If you want to read all about this game visit here and here. I want to pick Texas because I dig PB and his crew over at BON. And Colt McCoy looked pretty savvy for a true freshman last weekend. But I think Troy Smith, Teddy Ginn and co. will get the upper hand this week. I still think OSU would have won last year had Tressell didn't make the bonehead move of putting Zwaick in to keep going with his 2 QB platoon (kind of like what Whittingham did this past weekend by putting Grady in 2nd quarter). As much as I would love to pick Texas, I think OSU defense will be a little too much for the Horns, and Troy Smith will pull this out. There will be couch burning in Columbus this Saturday night.
As always let me know what you think. If you strongly disagree with the picks fire away.
GO BRUINS.