Have no fear, I am still alive. I bought a new computer so my computer problems are officially behind me. This past week was my week of hell in terms of papers for school so that is behind me. Both of those things add up to good things for you the reader as you now have my undivided attention for the next few weeks. Enough about that though, let’s get on with the show.
On a side note, I am still trying to figure out how I am going to handle my college basketball coverage in terms of previewing upcoming games so for this weekend we are going to stick with just picking college football.
Unrelated Chatter:
-The Playstation 3 hit stores today as losers all over the country lined up outside of stores for days to get their hands on it. I on the other hand have a connection and should hopefully be getting mine next week, suckers.
-Raw vs. Smackdown came out for Xbox 360 this past week and all I have to say is, wow! The graphics are insane but each wrestle’s stamina leaves a little to be desired. Due to schoolwork I haven’t been able to mess around with it too much but I should be able to immediately as I am done with this column.
Related Chatter:
-Very sad news coming out of the world of college football as one of the all-time great coaches in the sport, Bo Schemblecher, passed away today at the age of 77. Schembechler originally coached under Woody Hayes at Ohio State before taking the job at Michigan, which only added fuel to the fire. With the importance of the game this week between Michigan and Ohio State, you don’t have to look much further than Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler for the reason this rivalry means as much as it does.
-There were quite a few upsets this week in the world of college basketball as Oral Roberts went into Lawrence and toppled the 3rd ranked Kansas Jayhawks while Butler beat Indiana to advance to the NIT Tip-off Classic semifinals. I had a chance to watch some of the Butler/Indiana game and while it may still be November, it certainly had a March Madness feel to it.
-It’s only been a few games but Kevin Durant continues to play out of his mind for the Texas Longhorns. If for any reason Greg Oden decides to remain in school after this season, Durant should be a shoe-in for the #1 overall pick.
Week 12 Picks (Spreads courtesy of wsex.com)
(Season Record vs. The Spread: 42-38-1, Last Week: 4-3)
#2 Michigan at #1 Ohio State (Push): Before we get to the game, this seems like a total suckers bet. Seven points seem high in a game like this, thus the odds makers want you to take Michigan. When a line is this fishy, always go the other way. As for the game itself, it is certainly the match-up that the college football media and fans alike have been begging for. The ESPN hype machine has been even more turned up than usual, to the point where it will be very hard for this game to match expectations, let alone exceed them. The game features two outstanding defenses but Ohio State has a slight edge over Michigan on the offensive side of the ball. The fact that this one is in Columbus should help the Buckeyes as well. I had the honor of attending the 2003 match-up between these two in Ann Arbor and it was an experience of a lifetime. Will it live up to the hype? We shall see”¦
Ohio State 27 – Michigan 20
#17 California at #4 USC (-5.5)
California really took a lot of the sting out of this game by losing to Arizona last week. USC needed for California to win last week just as badly as California did as beating the #17 team in the nation does not look nearly as impressive as beating a top 10 team. USC’s BCS dreams won’t be crushed as a result but it does hurt a little. USC appears to be in the drive’s seat should Ohio State defeat Michigan and I cannot see them squandering such an opportunity at home.
USC 44 – California 35
Western Carolina at #3 Florida (No Line)
Just before writing this column I was at the mall here in Gainesville. By sheer luck I just so happened to run into the Western Carolina football team. Me being the outstanding journalist that I am, saw my opportunity and struck up a conversation with some Western Carolina players. The team seemed to really be enjoying themselves and looking forward to the opportunity of getting to play in a place like Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. West Carolina is currently riding an 8 game losing streak and if it happens to end tomorrow, then it would mean that the greatest upset in college football history just occurred. Sorry Catamounts, but its going to be ugly.
Florida 70 – Western Carolina 10
#5 Arkansas (-14.5) at Mississippi State
Arkansas is no doubt looking ahead to the SEC title game so they must be careful and avoid a letdown game here. Arkansas does have the sexy appeal that the other top teams have so even a close win could do damage to any hopes they have at playing for the national title. Houston Nutt should have the boys ready to go and I don’t really expect a close one.
Arkansas 31 – Mississippi State 6
#7 Rutgers (-6.5) at Cincinnati
If you had told me before the season started that Rutgers, the school my sister attended, and Cincinnati, the school where I started, would be playing a marquee Saturday night game on ESPN I would have laughed at you. Nonetheless the Scarlet Knights are coming off of a huge win over Louisville and heading into somewhat of a trap game. Cincinnati has made a reputation of playing top teams close for the first half before faltering in the second half. If Cincinnati can stay in this one for the full 4 quarters, anything can happen. I just don’t think it’s going to”¦
Rutgers 34 – Cincinnati 17
That’s all for now and as always, enjoy the weekend!
