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.

[MinorityRepublican]

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are on NBC right now! Let's see them pull away with a convincing win over Purdue.

[MikefromOhio]

they have to play defense better....

They will probably end up winning this game, but that defense hasn't improved a bit.

[aft_lizard]

Lets not enable them and not cheer for them! Lets go Purdue!!

[MinorityRepublican]

No kidding. Notre Dame would be 2-2 right now if it wasn't for the Luck of the Irish aganist Michigan State.

However, Purdue has a nonexistent defense as well.

So it should be a shoot-out in South Bend, Indiana today.

[MinorityRepublican]

TOUCHDOWN JESUS!

But Purdue will get right back in it. Their quarterbacks tend to have best game against the Irish.

[MikefromOhio]

Purdue isn't that horrible on defense....it isn't November yet...

THAT'S generally when they start sucking on defense

[MikefromOhio]

UPSET ALERT


Illinois 20

MSU 17

[Diddle E. Squat]

A big thumbs up to ESPN for the bonus coverage concept of switching around to competitive games instead of staying with the boring Wisconsin blowout. But why switch to a 10-point game (Navy) when the game they had previously switched to (Michigan State) had just narrowed to a 3-point contest? And why stick with the awful 41-point Tenessee blowout on ESPN?

So good job, but needs some fine-tuning (as does the studio host's porcupine haircut.)

[jsh3180]

Ahaaaaaaaaa

My Badgers are beating Indiana so bad they switched to a different game on ESPN2

Badgers 52--Indiana 10

[MikefromOhio]

6yeah that one was ugly early

[jsh3180]

You being the Buckeye fan and me being the Badger fan, I gotta say it's been a long two years without heads up play between the two.

Ahhh...but next year

Thae Badgers have always given Ohio State a hard time, at least over the last 15 years or so.

[aft_lizard]

Upset Alert
Illinois 23-MSU-20 6 seconds left

[MikefromOhio]

It's over for John L Smith

Illinois 23

MSU 20

Drew Stanton is hurt too.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Chokigan State just illustrated how overrated Notre Dame is.

[dfwgator]

Hey MSU how does it feel to lose to Ron Zook?

[LisaMalia]

MichSU certainly showed some bad sportsmanship (a concept shown by few these days) in their little fiasco after the game. They represent the Big 10, and we deserve better.

[MikefromOhio]

If they only defended the endzone as fervently as they defended the middle of the field....

[BookmanTheJanitor]

MSU needs to spend less effort on keeping visiting teams from planting flags after the game and more effort on beating them during the game.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

think alike... funny. You beat me.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL