College Football - Live Thread - Week Five

ESPN.com Scoreboard ^ | 28 September to 30 September 2006

[MikefromOhio]

Week Five – College Football

wasn’t supposed to be a weekend that gave us great games, yet it gave as many as “Separation Saturday” did. Between the instant classic that was Notre Dame vs. Michigan State(or an epic choke job if you listen to this clip, to the shocking upset of Boston College by NC State, to the near heart attack that Georgia gave it’s fans against Colorado, the weekend was absolutely spectacular. This week features one real marquee matchup. #1 Ohio State visits Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City to play #13 Iowa. This should be an excellent game. Other notable games are #24 Georgia Tech at #11 Virginia Tech and Alabama at #5 Florida.

As always, all rankings are from the ESPN.com Scoreboard page. The betting lines (used sorely for the basis of predictions) are from Yahoo.com. I will list any games of interest (FReepmail me if you want your team included and I will include them from here on out) and any other games listed in my Yahoo league. I have a new feature this week. In each game that I do not have any confidence, or any game that I think a team could have an unexpected struggle, I will post a picture of a landmine for illustration.

GAME of the WEEK

Saturday, September 30th, 2006 – 8:00 PM on ABC

(1) Ohio State (-6.5) at (13) Iowa

Ohio State faces easily it’s biggest in conference challenge until the Michigan game in November. This is a tough game with an Iowa team that dominated Ohio State the last time they played (33-7 in 2004) in Iowa City. That was then and these are both very different teams. Iowa, having escaped Syracuse and played two consecutive uninspired games against Iowa State and Illinois, have a chance to make a lot of noise in the Big Ten and nationally. Ohio State has a chance to keep the dream season going. The key of this game comes down to the battle of the Quarterbacks. If Troy Smith throws 2 interceptions like he did against Penn State, Ohio State will struggle to win this game. Same goes for Iowa and QB Drew Tate. If he struggles or gets rattled like what happened last year against Ohio State, then Iowa will struggle to win this game. In the end I think Ohio State’s defense will continue to play well enough to put this team in position to win the game. Iowa will keep it close, but this Ohio State team went into Austin and won. Iowa can win this game, but I think Ohio State will win this game.

Ohio State 29 – Iowa 17

Thursday September 28th, 2006 (ESPN Thursday Night Game)

(2) Auburn (-14) at South Carolina

Carolina as a 2TD underdog at home on a Thursday night ESPN game (when crazy things tend to happen)? No way. Auburn wins, but it will be closer than expected.

Auburn 23 – South Carolina 16

Saturday September 30th 2006 (in ranking order)

(3) USC (-17) at Washington State

USC 28 – Washington St. 17

(4) West Virginia BYE

Alabama at (5) Florida (-16)

Florida 32 – Alabama 10

(6) Michigan (-9.5) at Minnesota

Michigan 35 – Minnesota 18

Sam Houston St. at (7) Texas (NL)

Texas 56 – Sam Houston St 6

(8) Louisville (-14) BYE

Mississippi St. at (9) LSU (-33)

LSU 48 – Tulane 7

(10) UGA (-18) at Mississippi

UGA 20 – Mississippi 10

(24) Georgia Tech at (11) Virginia Tech (-10.5)

Virginia Tech 26 – GT 18

Purdue at (12) Notre Dame (-14)

Purdue 43 – Notre Dame 33

(14) Oregon at Arizona St (-1.5)

Oregon 33 – Arizona St. 24

(15) Tennessee (-13) at Memphis

Tennessee 35 – Memphis 21

(16) Oklahoma BYE

BYU at (17) TCU (-6.5)

No pick – The game started before I got to this point. Judging from the score so far, I don’t think TCU has gotten to the game yet either.

LA Tech at (18) Clemson (-33.5)

Clemson 52 – LA Tech 13

(19) Florida State BYE

(20) Cal (-9.5) at Oregon St

Cal 42 – Oregon St. 16

Kansas at (21) Nebraska (-23)

Nebraska 38 – Kansas 12

(22) Boise State at Utah (-5.5)

Boise St. 28 – Utah 17

(23) Rutgers (-4) at South Florida

Rutgers 24 – South Florida 19

Colorado at (25) Missouri (-16)

Mizzou 32 – Colorado 15

BY REQUEST

New Mexico at Air Force (-13.5)

Air Force is a good enough team to take Tennessee to the limit. Although New Mexico surprised me last week and kicked UTEP off of the field, I don’t think they will do that to this Air Force team.

Air Force 32 - UNM 17

71-12 Straight UP
48-33-2 Against the Spread

My straight up picks are doing ok, but I got annihilated by the spread last week.

[bwteim]

Lou and Mark are selling Rutgers at the half. Easy to do, since they're down at the half;)

Lou is selling Purdue

Mark is selling Purdue, too.

[MikefromOhio]

Even though I picked PurDon't, I'd sell them too.

They have a chance at winning this weekend (they play offense very well), but they won't make it through the Big Ten...

[bwteim]

Rutgers with a pick, first USF turnover.

[MikefromOhio]

yep

this one is going to go back and forth all night

[bwteim]

Hold that thought. Pick is under review.

Waiting.... waiting.... waiting....

Nope, it is a pick.

[MikefromOhio]

uh oh....

this kid Rice is pretty good.

[LisaMalia]

Hey Mike,
Was switching channels during halftime of this game, and heard at the end the one pundit (not Holtz) saying that Mark May is still mad at him about what he said about the Buckeye/Iowa game. Did you or anyone else catch what was said earlier during the halftime report about this?
Thanks!

[bwteim]

And that athletic Leonard with his WD-40 suit. Drat.

[MikefromOhio]

yeah he is torn on who to pick and Rece Davis put him on the spot...

he didn't say anything too bad

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

[bwteim]

That Rice is good. Knocking near the 16 yard line of the Bulls.

Hey, a break for the Bulls. Penalty. Holding.

[bwteim]

FG for the Knights.

[MikefromOhio]

imagine that, a penalty in this game...


USF 14

Rutgers 13

[Flightdeck]

Go Longhorns. Not that they'll need much help this week.

Go Irish.

[CFC__VRWC]

Florida has the offense going well and Alabama hasn't shown much spark recently.

The Gator defense may be playing just as well as their offense. Florida got off to a slow start against Kentucky last week, but when they came out in the second half the defense stepped up and just stuffed the Wildcats.

I still wonder if Alabama might not have a surprise or two on Saturday. They played such a conservative game against Arkansas that I wonder if they weren't looking past that game to Florida and were trying not to show too much. Of course, they forgot they had to win the game they were in ...

One thing for sure, both Bama and Florida have equally inept kicking games.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

the kicking game problems is NCAA wide this year....

if they aren't missing PATs, they are stabbing each other

[MikefromOhio]

Notre Dame can't spot Purdue 31 points like they did to Michigan St.....That's why I couldn't pick them again.

However, they will be favored in every game after this up until the USC game.

[bwteim]

As I much as I'd like to see an Alabama surprise, I don't think it would happen at the Swamp this year.

[MikefromOhio]

ok so I was just doing some things and not really listening to anything and then ESPN played that NFL commercial, so I immediately looked at my car :)

LOL

[MikefromOhio]

No I think that after last year's debacle, Florida is going to have something for 'Bama....