College Football - Live Thread - Week Six

ESPN.com Scoreboard ^ | 4 October 2006 to 7 October 2006

[MikefromOhio]

Week Six – College Football

Week Five was a fun week if you were a Buckeye fan. The weekend started out with Auburn getting a severe test at South Carolina in the super tough SEC. Ohio State went to Iowa and dismantled the Hawkeyes. USC was pushed by Washington State and Florida received a good push by Alabama. This week features the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma and another great match up in the SEC when LSU visits Florida in the Swamp.

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.

Saturday, October 7th, 2006 – 3:30 PM on CBS

at

(9) LSU (-2) at (5) Florida

LSU and Florida will meet in the first of what should be a month of absolutely great games in the SEC. This will be the first of 3 top 10 opponents that Florida will see in a 3 week span. For LSU this is all about building momentum and staying in the SEC West race. One loss does not eliminate them from contention for the BCS Championship game. This game is at the Swamp and it will be a very LOUD game. LSU has been there and done that and that will be the difference. Florida cannot start slowly like they did against Alabama to have any shot in this one but they are also possibly having to play this game without DeShawn Winn, their starting Tailback. All of this equals an LSU win I think.

LSU 20 – Florida 14

Saturday, October 7th, 2006 – 3:30 PM on ABC



(7) Texas (-5.5) at (14) Oklahoma

In this game there is a young Quarterback for Texas, and a defense for Oklahoma looking to show that during the bye week, they were able to plug some of the holes. Being that Texas and Oklahoma both already have one loss, a loss here not only knocks one out of the National Title hunt, but also puts the loser a game back of the winner in the Big XII South. Texas has the edge in this game. They are the more experienced team, and they have the better defense. Rivalry games like this are fun to pick, because you can be so often wrong on a game by game basis. Anyway, I think Texas wins this game by a TD.

Texas 27 – Oklahoma 20

Wednesday October 4th, 2006 (ESPN2 Wednesday Night Game)

UCF at Marshall (-3.5)

This game is the battle of the cannon Fodder. UCF was killed by Florida while Marshall was a punching bag for Kansas State, Tennessee and West Virginia. This game should be relatively close with the home team getting the edge.

Marshall 27 – UCF 17

Thursday October 5th, 2006 (ESPN Thursday Night Game)

(17) Florida State (-10.5) at NC State

No way no how does NC State sneak up on Florida State. Right? RIGHT? Actually I think Florida State will make a commitment to running the ball and will win this game by 2 or 3 TDs.

FSU 33 – NC State 14

Thursday October 5th, 2006

TCU at Utah (-3)

TCU is looking to get back on track after being beaten by BYU. Utah was destroyed by Boise St. last week. This is TCU’s game to lose, they are the better team.

TCU 26 – Utah 13

Friday October 6th, 2006 (ESPN2 Friday Night Game)

(8) Louisville (-33) at Middle Tennessee St.

Louisville will annihilate Middle Tennessee. Nothing else needs to be said.

Louisville 56 - Middle TN ST 3

Saturday October 7th 30th 2006 (in ranking order)

Bowling Green at (1) Ohio State (-34.5)

Ohio State 45 – Bowling Green 7

Arkansas at (2) Auburn (-16.5)

Auburn 34 – Arkansas 10

Washington at (3) USC (-20.5)

USC 27 – Washington 13

(4) West Virginia (-26.5) at Mississippi St.

WVU 34 – Miss St. 6

Michigan State at (6) Michigan (-17)

Michigan 44 – Michigan State 20

(13)Tennessee (-2.5) at (10) UGA

Tennessee 18 - UGA 7

(11) Oregon at (16) Cal (-5.5)

Cal 34 – Oregon 24

Stanford at (12) Notre Dame (-31.5)

Notre Dame 53 – Stanford 10

Wake Forest at (15) Clemson (-16.5)

Clemson 45 – Wake Forest 19

Maryland at (18) Georgia Tech (-13.5)

Georgia Tech 35 – Maryland 10

Purdue at (19) Iowa (-11)

Iowa 33 – Purdue 24

LA Tech at (20) Boise St. (-35)

Boise St 55 – La Tech 17

(21) Virginia Tech BYE

(22) Nebraska (-7) at Iowa St.

Nebraska 24 – Iowa St. 10

(23) Missouri at Texas Tech (-4)

Missouri 30 – Texas Tech 27

(24) Rutgers BYE

(25) Boston College BYE

BY REQUEST

Wyoming (-1.5) at New Mexico (Mountain West Conference)

This game has all the makings of both a shootout OR a clunker, I’m not entirely sure. I think it’s a bit ludicrous to favor a BAD Wyoming team over an average New Mexico team when New Mexico is at home.

UNM 24 – Wyoming 20

I did a bit better with my picks this past week. I was 17-2 Straight Up and 13-5-1 Against the Spread.

88-14 Straight UP
61-38-3 Against the Spread

[MikefromOhio]

College Football Ping.

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Note to everyone in the FReeper Yahoo League. This week's Friday game is up to be picked. Just an FYI. I should've notified you all last weekend too. Enjoy!

[laissez- faire]

I agree with most, however, I think Oregon gives Cal a close game, if not winning outright. Also, LaTech will NOT score 17 points v. BSU. Excluding Hawaii's offense, BSU's defense has given up one TD v. Oregon St., one v. Wyoming, and none v. Utah; and the Bulldog's offense is not that great in the first place.

[MikefromOhio]

well I was trying to account for junk time stuff.

I figure that if Boise St. doesn't go into halftime up by 5 or 6 TDs, then something's wrong.

Just so long as they cover :)

As for Oregon Cal, I don't know. Cal is on a roll since getting destroyed by Tennessee and I don't quite think the Oregon Defense is that good.

We'll see of course. Believe me I am often wrong.

[Michael.SF.]

Washington at (3) USC (-20.5)

USC 27 – Washington 13

Washington is not as good as their 4-1 record indicates, having barely gotten by San Jose and Fresno. USC also is much better then they looked last week against the Cougars. Look for Pete Carroll to have them very much ready for their home crowd and for the Huskies. Prediction:

USC 42 Washington 10

[GOP_Raider]

I think it’s a bit ludicrous to favor a BAD Wyoming team over an average New Mexico team when New Mexico is at home.

Wyoming more than holds its own defensively, it's just that their offense is really young. New Mexico is, well, New Mexico. They're a very difficult team to figure out. 24-20 may be a tad high, but I would probably agree with you Mike.

That and both of these teams are my Utes next two opponents after TCU. :)

[MikefromOhio]

Nah they keep losing key players.

Unless they get healthy real quick, Oregon and Cal will both give them a run for their money.

But after last week, being favored by nearly 21 points is a sucker bet.

[MikefromOhio]

yeah the Utah/TCU game will be an interesting game. Utah was beaten badly and TCU lost their winning streak.

[GOP_Raider]

Utah was destroyed by Boise St. last week. This is TCU’s game to lose, they are the better team.

I was at the game--nay, the front row of the North Endzone of Rice Eccles Stadium--on Saturday and to say that we're a bad team right now is the mother of all understatements. As an insult to injury, I live in Boise. This, in a word...sucks.

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

Utah seems to be going through what Bowling Green went through 2 or 3 years after Urban Meyer left there.

They are looking for an identity with the players he recruited.

Now while Bowling Green has absolutely fallen apart, I don't think Utah will do the same.

[scott says]

How come you don't cover the mighty Ivy League? /s

[Bat_Chemist]

< prayer mode > Please, God, let Mike be right about Florida State this week! < / prayer mode >

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

[MikefromOhio]

LOL

[GOP_Raider]

Remember the very mediocre ESPN film "The Junction Boys" about Bear Bryant's traning camp at Texas A&M? Well, one of them had the immortal line "he's gonna bring Aggie football out of the wilderness." For this reason I thought of guys like Alex Smith or Marty Johnson or Morgan Scalley from our '03 and '04 teams saying something like "dudes, like, chill okay, Coach Meyer's the real deal! he's gonna bring Utah football out of the wildneress."

Anyway, Urban brought out a lot of potential in our program that had been wasted for so long--remember, before Urban was hired we had gone almost 50 years without winning so much as an outright conference championship. It would be incredibly disappointing for me at least if we hit rock bottom like BG did, because we're a program that can do better than this.

[MikefromOhio]

I don't think you'll go that low.

First things first, you don't have a BIG school within 800 miles of you in Utah, and if they keep going like they are, Arizona St, Arizona and Colorado won't count. BG has to deal with Ohio State and Michigan and Notre Dame.

[bwteim]

Agree with LSU and Fla, it will be gritty and close but LSU will prevail.

The Dawgs will take Tennessee, considering it's their home turf by a field goal, maybe. The first quarter will tell the "tail".

[scott says]

Great night/time of year for sports-
College Football- UCF/Marshall -espn2 hd
MLB playoffs- Tigers/Yankees -espn hd
First Night of NHL - woo-hoo!
Carolina/Buffalo direcTV HD
Toronto/Ottawa TSN
Dallas/Colorado TSN later

[GOP_Raider]

Excluding Hawaii's offense

I'm surprised Hawaii's offense (I think June Jones is running a variation of the run n shoot at UH) doesn't give more teams trouble. Imagine how well they'd do if they didn't have to fly halfway acrossed the planet for their "road" games.

[MikefromOhio]

I don't think so.

Georgia doesn't have any offense.

Now if their defense can find a way to score once or twice, then yeah, they can probably pull off the win.

But I don't think they can do it.