MBG 2011 - Week Eight Picks
I accidentally posted my picks column from my sports blog, Fourth And Blog, over here on Naternet. Oh well.
So I skipped last week’s picks and wrapup columns. I’m sure you noticed. I’m sure you cared. Part of my laziness could be attributed to Notre Dame having a bye week, but a bigger part could be attributed to sheer forgetfulness.
Yup, I simply forgot. Must be that dementia setting in early. I really need to get that checked out.
But until then, I’ll keep making picks. When I can remember to do so, that is.
That’s not to imply that I didn’t watch college football last weekend. I certainly did. It was a big, messy Saturday where a bunch of questions were raised and very few of them were resolved. Hopefully this weekend will start to shed a little more light on how this season will shake out.
No. 20 Auburn at No. 1 LSU - LSU will be without one of their best rushers (Spencer Ware) and without their vaunted “Honey Badger,” Tyrann Matheiu for this game and possibly more. But I don’t think those losses of personnel will matter much against new starter Clint Moseley and a very shaky defense.
LSU wins (yawn), 33-14
No. 22 Georgia Tech at Miami (FL) - Miami is starting to get their shit together. Georgia Tech is starting to lose theirs. I smell upset, here.
Hurricanes win, 27-23
USC at Notre Dame - U$C is coming into South Bend for the first night game at Notre Dame Stadium in 21 years. The Trojans sit at 5-1 on the season and have beaten Arizona State and…not much else. Their defense and running game are middling at best and terrible at worst. 105th against the pass, 19th against the rush- but those numbers are skewed when you consider teams playing from behind and the terrible rushing offenses they’ve faced. The best is Minnesota, at 64th. Notre Dame is 30th. (not to mention 29th passing)
The Irish, on the other hand, aren’t stellar against the pass, ranking 67th, but they only allow 6.6 yards per completion to USC’s 8.7. Really, these two teams are pretty evenly matched, with USC having a disadvantage on defense.
If the Irish can continue to play mistake-free football on offense, I don’t see how they lose this game. They beat USC in LA last year while serving up plus-side field position all game long due to untimely turnovers by a jittery Tommy Rees. After a rocky first couple of games this year, Rees has settled in over their win streak, throwing 9TDs to 2INTs and getting the ball to his playmakers.
Irish win, 42-24
No. 6 Wisconsin at No. 16 Michigan State - Our first case of “first real challenge for a highly ranked team” for the mighty Badgers. Sorry Husker fans, but your offense is a hot mess. Wisconsin hasn’t played much of anyone so far this year aside from Nebraska, but they’ve beaten them convincingly nonetheless. Michigan State’s defense is being touted as their biggest asset in this attempt to upset the Badgers in East Lansing, but I just don’t see it. This is the same Spartan defense that was beaten soundly by Notre Dame. Sure, they held the Irish to under 300 yards and forced three turnovers, but they still gave up points.
Wisconsin is not Notre Dame, they’re much better.
Wisconsin wins, 27-13
No. 25 Washington at No. 8 Stanford - You’re going to hear over and over again how Stanford hasn’t played a quality opponent to this point in the season, and it’s true, they haven’t. UCLA gave them their closest game. The same UCLA that got their ass kicked by a 1-5 Arizona team last night. Stanford really hasn’t been challenged. The combined record of their first six opponents? 15-25.
Washington has been playing inspired football, especially on offense, where it appears all that was needed was to get rid of Jake Locker to make this machine run more smoothly. The Huskies haven’t exactly played a murderer’s row themselves, but they at least have played a ranked team (and lost, 51-38, but still…).
I don’t think that Washington has played up to the level of giant-killer, but Stanford hasn’t exactly been a giant, either.
Washington wins, 38-34
Excitement!
