Weekend Picks, Week 10

Final big-time game before Dec. 5 this week. Enjoy it, because the rest of November is going to be a slog to the finish, unless Florida or Texas lose somehow.

Last week: 19-3
Overall: 166-47

And now, this week’s picks. As always, AP Top 25 and SEC games.

Tonight
No. 22 Virginia Tech at East Carolina
The Hokies seem to have thrown in the towel, but I think they’ll win here, in spite of their poor performances in the previous two meetings. Virginia Tech 19, East Carolina 10

Friday
No. 5 Boise State at Louisiana Tech
There’s been a lot of hype that Boise could lose this one, and there may be some reason to think so. But the Bulldogs don’t seem to have it this year. Boise State 34, Louisiana Tech 24

Saturday
Vanderbilt at No. 1 Florida
Now that Brandon Spikes has “voluntarily” extended his suspension, the Gators are in trouble! Pssh. Florida 45, Vanderbilt 7

UCF at No. 2 Texas
The Knights will say “Please no more”. Texas 49, UCF 0

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama
Fans of defense will love this one. Alabama 16, LSU 7

Connecticut at No. 4 Cincinnati
The Bearcats contribute to the continued terribleness of UConn’s season. Cincinnati 28, UConn 18

No. 6 TCU at San Diego State
A tune-up before the big date with Utah. TCU 35, San Diego State 16

No. 7 Oregon at Stanford
Some serious letdown potential here. Oregon 24, Stanford 17

Northwestern at No. 8 Iowa
If this were in Evanston I might go with the Wildcats. Since it’s not, and since Iowa has the football gods on its side somehow, I won’t. Iowa 20, Northwestern 13

Wake Forest at No. 10 Georgia Tech
The Deacs seem to be well on their way back to the pack. Georgia Tech 38, Wake Forest 21

No. 15 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State
There is absolutely no reason to pick the Buckeyes here, but for some reason I am. Ohio State 19, Penn State 14

No. 12 USC at Arizona State
Can the Trojans recover from the humiliation last week? At least here they can. USC 30, Arizona State 17

No. 13 Houston at Tulsa
The scoreboard might break. Houston 66, Tulsa 45
Syracuse at No. 14 Pittsburgh
The Stache keeps winning. Pittsburgh 27, Syracuse 10

Virginia at No. 16 Miami
I don’t think we’re in line for a Grohvember this time around. Miami 31, Virginia 13

New Mexico at No. 17 Utah
The Lobos won’t be too much of a problem. Utah 31, New Mexico 14

No. 18 Oklahoma State at Iowa State
Iowa State’s battle for bowl eligibility continues. Probably not happening here. Oklahoma State 37, Iowa State 21

Navy at No. 19 Notre Dame
I’m feeling upset here. Navy 31, Notre Dame 28

No. 20 Oklahoma at Nebraska
The Sooners continue the Huskers’ freefall. Oklahoma 34, Nebraska 14

Washington State at No. 21 Arizona
The Cougs are so bad. Arizona 52, Washington State 14

Oregon State at No. 23 California
Upset city. Oregon State 34, California 31

No. 24 Wisconsin at Indiana
Do the Hoosiers have another near-upset in them? Maybe. Wisconsin 21, Indiana 16

No. 25 BYU at Wyoming
Boring. BYU 38, Wyoming 13

South Carolina at Arkansas
The Hogs roll. Arkansas 34, South Carolina 17

Furman at Auburn
Horrible SEC Game 1. Auburn 63, Furman 14

Tennessee Tech at Georgia
Horrible SEC Game 2 (but with a decent excuse). Georgia 38, Tennessee Tech 16

Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
Horrible SEC Game 3. Kentucky 37, Eastern Kentucky 0

Northern Arizona at Mississippi
Horrible SEC Game 4. Ole Miss 51, Northern Arizona 13

Memphis at Tennessee
Horrible SEC Game 4.5. Though it will probably be close because it seemingly always is with these two. Tennessee 23, Memphis 16

IIHAV, Week 10

This was maybe the first really fun week of football this season. A couple upsets, lots happening, lots of entertaining games.

That said, this week is pretty much going to determine the scope of the rest of the season. (Here’s a hint: It’s that game in Tuscaloosa)

Here are last week’s rankings:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. Iowa
6. USC
7. Georgia Tech
8. TCU
9. Boise State
10. Oregon
11. LSU
12. Penn State
13. Virginia Tech
14. Miami
15. Oklahoma State
16. West Virginia
17. Utah
18. Houston
19. Pittsburgh
20. Oklahoma
21. Ohio State
22. BYU
23. South Carolina
24. Arizona
25. Mississippi

And now, without further ado, this week’s If I Had A Vote Rankings:

1. Florida
Georgia seems to be a nice cure-all for the Gators lately.

2. Alabama
Considered moving Texas up, but didn’t want to punish the Bammers for not playing.

3. Texas
Passed their last big test.

4. Boise State
Their win over Oregon is looking absolutely super now.

5. Cincinnati
If they can get through their last four they deserve to be in the conversation.

6. Iowa
This isn’t a particularly good football team. They just win.

7. Oregon
They might be playing better than anyone now.

8. TCU
Just hoping they can pass Boise.

9. Georgia Tech
Defensive issues for the Yellow Jackets. Who allows 31 points to Vandy?

10. LSU
They have a better shot at Bama than I thought a couple weeks ago. Still doubt they’ll win.

11. Penn State
That game against Ohio State isn’t quite as marquee a matchup as when the season started.

12. USC
Would have liked to drop them more. Not a lot of great options to move in front of them, though.

13. Miami
They just need to keep winning and hope Georgia Tech loses.

14. Utah
Still a couple weeks before they face TCU and the ranking gets to deflate.

15. Pittsburgh
Coming to grips with the fact that the Stache’s three-year plan finally paid dividends in five.

16. Houston
Their games are entertaining. I’ll give them that.

17. Oklahoma
Doing well without Sam Bradford. Not as well as if he’d stayed healthy, of course.

18. Ohio State
A couple of patsies may have gotten the Buckeyes back on track.

19. Arizona
Mike Stoops finally has the Wildcats rolling.

20. California
Back to playing well. For now.

21. Notre Dame
Not a good football team, but from this point forward no one really is.

22. BYU
A week off to stew on that beatdown TCU gave them.

23. Oklahoma State
Guess this wasn’t their year, after all.

24. Oregon State
Will need an upset to stay here by season’s end.

25. Virginia Tech
I hate the ACC.

Dropped out: No. 16 West Virginia, No. 23 South Carolina, No. 25 Mississippi

Just missed the cut: West Virginia, South Florida, Stanford, Auburn, Wisconsin

Weekend Picks, Week 9

Another middling performance last week, but at least this week we finally have at least one compelling top 25 game in every corner of the country. save the decadent liberal Northeast, of course.

And lots of top 25 teams on the road could mean some upsets, though I’m not really going that direction.

Last week: 18-6
Overall: 147-44

And now, this week’s picks. As always, AP Top 25 and SEC games.

Tonight
North Carolina at No. 14 Virginia Tech
This looked like a marquee matchup back in the summer. Not so much now. Virginia Tech 27, North Carolina 7

Friday
No. 20 West Virginia at South Florida
This looked like a marquee matchup just a couple weeks ago. West Virginia 34, South Florida 20

Saturday
Georgia vs. No. 1 Florida (At Jacksonville, Fla.)
I would think upset if Georgia had a pulse. Florida 23, Georgia 7

No. 3 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma State
The Cowboys could pull this off, but I’m not banking on it. Texas 37, Oklahoma State 31

No. 4 Southern Cal at No. 10 Oregon
I’m going to go against my “Don’t pick against USC in a big game” rule here. They just don’t seem to have it this year. Oregon 23, USC 20

No. 5 Cincinnati at Syracuse
Blowout city. Cincinnati 41, Syracuse 17

San Jose State at No. 6 Boise State
Man, Boise State really needs to find a way to go to the Mountain West and bring Fresno State and Hawaii with them. Boise State 42, San Jose State 14

Indiana at No. 7 Iowa
My “Team of Destiny” tag on Iowa may have to be removed if they keep getting people hurt. Iowa 17, Indiana 7

UNLV at No. 8 TCU
Utah is the only big hurdle the Frogs have left to clear. TCU 31, UNLV 3

Tulane at No. 9 LSU
It’s hard to believe this was a rivalry once. LSU 42, Tulane 10

No. 11 Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt
The Jackets continue to make mince meat of the softer side of the SEC. Georgia Tech 35, Vanderbilt 7

No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern
This would be a prime candidate for a loss in the 2006-07 versions of the Nittany Lions. Don’t think it will be this time, but you never know. Penn State 28, Northwestern 13

Southern Miss at No. 15 Houston
A tribulation-free Golden Eagles squad might have a chance here. Not the version they’ll be bringing, though. Houston 42, Southern Miss 33

New Mexico State at No. 17 Ohio State
One last chance to right the ship before murderer’s row. Ohio State 37, New Mexico State 3

No. 18 Miami at Wake Forest
Some upset potential here. Miami 30, Wake Forest 24

Wyoming at No. 19 Utah
The Cowboys are frisky. Utah 30, Wyoming 27

No. 21 South Carolina at Tennessee.
This is actually a fairly big game, believe it or not. Tennessee 20, South Carolina 14

Kansas State at No. 22 Oklahoma
I have a feeling the Wildcats will more closely resemble the team that lost to Louisiana-Lafayette than the team that drilled Texas A&M here. Oklahoma 41, Kansas State 10

No. 24 Mississippi at Auburn
Things aren’t looking good on the Plains right now. Mississippi 31, Auburn 14

Washington State vs. No. 25 Notre Dame (At San Antonio)
If this one comes down to the final seconds the Irish have some serious problems. Notre Dame 38, Washington State 13

Eastern Michigan at Arkansas
The Hogs finally can get on a roll now that the schedule softens somewhat (and that’s still having South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU remaining). Arkansas 62, Eastern Michigan 14

Mississippi State at Kentucky
Fairly even matchup, but State can actually score (I know, I’m surprised, too). Mississippi State 24, Kentucky 21

IIHAV, Week 9

Not quite as many upsets materialized as I was thinking might, but whatev.

Really not even all that much movement other than Miami’s loss to Clemson.

In fact, so little movement I’m going the dreaded slotboard route for most of the rankings tonight.

Basically the rest of the regular season more or less boils down to Texas’ trip to Oklahoma State this week and LSU’s trip to Alabama next.

Here are last week’s rankings:

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. USC
6. Iowa
7. Miami
8. TCU
9. Boise State
10. Georgia Tech
11. Oregon
12. LSU
13. Penn State
14. Virginia Tech
15. BYU
16. Oklahoma State
17. Utah
18. Houston
19. West Virginia
20. Pittsburgh
21. Ohio State
22. Oklahoma
23. Oregon State
24. South Florida
25. Texas Tech

And now, without further ado, this week’s If I Had A Vote Rankings.

1. Florida
They weren’t exactly spell-binding at Mississippi State, but at this point they have more going for them than Bama does by virtue of having the capability of an explosive offense.

2. Alabama
Offense is going to get them against either LSU or Florida if they don’t at least get to mediocre levels.

3. Texas
Finally seem to be hitting their stride. This week at Oklahoma State will be scary, and not just because it’ll be Halloween and the Cowboys already wear orange and black.

4. Cincinnati
They keep on winning.

5. Iowa
Maybe a team of destiny.

6. USC
They’re going to lose at Oregon in a few weeks. Book it.

7. Georgia Tech
Liking this team more and more, even if the Miami loss doesn’t look as good.

8. TCU
Nice, nice win at BYU.

9. Boise State
No style points to be found.

10. Oregon
Turnaround city.

11. LSU
Even if they did finally look good, I’m still not a believer.

12. Penn State
Seem to be finding themselves just in time.

13. Virginia Tech
ACC race will be interesting to watch.

14. Miami
I hate when Clemson plays anyone. You just never know.

15. Oklahoma State
Can they beat Texas? Maybe.

16. West Virginia
An epic fourth-quarter meltdown away from being on the cusp of the title picture.

17. Utah
I’m not sure why I have the Utes this high.

18. Houston
Ditto.

19. Pittsburgh
I don’t care if they’re 7-1. It’s still the Stache and they still lost to N.C. State.

20. Oklahoma
Best 4-3 team ever.

21. Ohio State
Maybe the worst 6-2 team ever.

22. BYU
Keeping them ranked for now. Maybe not much longer.

23. South Carolina
We’ll finally get to find out a little about them down the stretch here.

24. Arizona
Yeah, I’m surprised, too.

25. Mississippi
Didn’t want to rank them, but really didn’t want to rank Notre Dame.

Dropped out: No. 23 Oregon State, No. 24 South Florida, No. 25 Texas Tech

On the radar, Oregon State, South Florida, Notre Dame

Weekend Picks, Week 8

No Top 25 or SEC games until today, and still I barely make it in time.

Not a good week for the Huddle Blog last week. But I promise a big-time rebound this go-round. Although this strikes me as a week with the potential for several big upsets (I just don’t know which ones), so it might be an even worse week for me.

Last week: 14-8
Overall: 129-38

As always, AP Top 25 and SEC games.

Today
Tennessee at No. 1 Alabama
I fear for Jonathan Crompton’s sanity and safety in this one. Alabama 24, Tennessee 7

No. 2 Florida at Mississippi State
There are reasons to think upset here, and I wouldn’t be completely blown away to see it happen (I can’t believe I’m typing those words). But Florida is just way too good for that to happen, aren’t they? Florida 34, Mississippi State 24

No. 3 Texas at Missouri
Ugly homecoming for the Tigers. Texas 42, Missouri 20

Oregon State at No. 4 USC
With most USC teams you’d think this would be a nasty blowout, and it may. But this USC team is not most. USC 27, Oregon State 17

Louisville at No. 5 Cincinnati
The Steve Kragthorpe Farewell Tour stops in Cincy. Cincinnati 38, Louisville 17

No. 6 Boise State at Hawaii
This one doesn’t have quite the drama of Boise’s last trip to the Aloha State. Boise State 41, Hawaii 7

No. 7 Iowa at Michigan State
Sparty seems like the perfect candidate to end the Hawkeyes’ run. Michigan State 19, Iowa 16

Clemson at No. 8 Miami
It’s always scary to pick Clemson games. But I’m believing in the Canes right now. Miami 34, Clemson 21

Auburn at No. 9 LSU
If this were on the Plains, Auburn would have a chance. No way in Death Valley. LSU 28, Auburn 14

No. 10 TCU at No. 16 BYU
The Horned Frogs are just better. TCU 24, BYU 20

No. 11 Georgia Tech at Virginia
Groh-tober has to end here, doesn’t it? Georgia Tech 34, Virginia 13

No. 12 Oregon at Washington
Huskies are dangerous at home, but the Ducks seem to have figured things out. Oregon 28, Washington 20

No. 13 Penn State at Michigan
I’m not crazy about the Nittany Lions, but the talent gap is just way too big in this game for them to lose. At least you’d think so. Penn State 34, Michigan 27

No. 14 Oklahoma State at Baylor
Cowboys could be in trouble here. Maybe. But probably not. Oklahoma State 38, Baylor 31

SMU at No. 17 Houston
Old-school SWC rivalry. Houston 48, SMU 37

Minnesota at No. 18 Ohio State
The Buckeyes had better start getting things figured out if they want to not tank this season. Ohio State 20, Minnesota 9

Air Force at No. 19 Utah
I’m feeling upset here. Air Force 30, Utah 27

South Florida at No. 20 Pittsburgh
Never bet on Wannstache in even a semi-big game. South Florida 23, Pittsburgh 17

Texas A&M at No. 21 Texas Tech
Aggie fans get to be even more angry at Mike Sherman. Texas Tech 49, Texas A&M 14

Connecticut at No. 22 West Virginia
An inspiring win could be possible here for the Huskies, but West Virginia is a much better team. West Virginia 31, Connecticut 13

Vanderbilt at No. 23 South Carolina
No way Spurrier loses to Vandy three times in a row. South Carolina 21, Vanderbilt 3

No. 25 Oklahoma at No. 24 Kansas
Stoops and company will unleash mighty fury on the Jayhawks. Oklahoma 45, Kansas 24

Arkansas at Mississippi
This will be a fun game. I really don’t know how it’ll go, but I’m leaning the Hogs’ way. Arkansas 31, Mississippi 24

Louisiana-Monroe at Kentucky
I could not be less interested in this game. Kentucky 35, Louisiana-Monroe 10