[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 10

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Standings will hopefully be out tomorrow - but in the
meantime, we have a big game in the Big East this week
on Thursday night, so I wanted to get the lineup out
ASAP.

Interesting week - not as big as that showdown
Saturday earlier this year, but we still had some big
games that didn't make the list -- Nebraska vs.
Missouri's game to see who backs into the Big XII
title game and a prime-time UCLA-Cal game for example
-- so it should be a fine Saturday of pigskin
watchin'. And while the Big Ten slate may not be as
marquee as Nov. 18 will be, the PSU-Wisky game could
be for a trip to Orlando while MSU-Purdue could be a
for a bowl trip period, so there's a lot still at
stake.

Remember, picks due by THURSDAY kickoff!

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 10
#######################
Name: 

BIG TEN
=======
Game  1: Ohio State @ Illinois
Winner: 

Game  2: Indiana @ Minnesota
Winner: 

Game  3: Ball State @ Michigan
Winner: 

Game  4: Purdue @ Michigan State
Winner: 

Game  5: Penn State @ Wisconsin
Winner: 

NATIONAL
========
Game  6: West Virginia @ Louisville
Winner: 

Game  7: LSU @ Tennessee
Winner: 

Game  8: Oklahoma @ Texas A&M
Winner: 

Game  9: Boston College @ Wake Forest
Winner: 

Game 10: Virginia Tech @ Miami (FL)
Winner: 

MY PICKS
========
* OHIO STATE 42, Illinois 10
C: The Illini might be in it for a quarter, but these
Bucks seem to keep focus on one game at a time and
Tressel has them ready each week. No overlooking here.

* MINNESOTA 24, Indiana 23
C: The Gophers have had some hard-luck losses and are
due for a win ... the Hoosiers are on a good-vibe roll
and due for a crash.

* MICHIGAN 35, Ball State 0
C: The Wolverines may have looked sloppy last week,
but they'll get that focus back with more nasty D and
a boost in O from the return of Manningham.

* MICHIGAN STATE 39, Purdue 37
C: So tough to call this game - will Sparty collapse
after the IU debacle and what's sure to be an
unfriendly welcome home? Probably, but the only more
certain bet is that Purdue's kicker will miss a
clutch-time kick to win it.

* WISCONSIN 20, Penn State 17
C: This could be the game of the day in the league
with a trip to Orlando likely on the line. The Badgers
were exposed a bit last week and PSU's D is solid with
their O improving ... but it's tough to pick against
Bucky in Camp Randall.

* LOUISVILLE 27, West Virginia 24
C: Free pizza all around! And the BCS nightmare gets
more real as a 1-loss team probably wouldn't have
leapfrogged the Mountaineers, but the Cardinals ...
well, down with the BCS!!! Louisville wants revenge
after blowing last year's game and at home under the
lights, a frenzied redbird crowd gets to go wild.

* TENNESSEE 14, LSU 10
C: Should be a heck of a game in Rocky Top with the
Tigers a very dangerous spoiler to Tennessee's BCS
hopes, but the Vols hanging on for a thrillah late.

* TEXAS A&M 35, Oklahoma 31
C: Sooner or later, the Sooners gotta slip up without
AP, right? The Aggies still control their fate with
three whopper games to close the Big XII slate. They
get a big win at home here and start to get illusions
that they can beat the Horns.

* BOSTON COLLEGE 30, Wake Forest 20
C: The Eagles slipped up earlier on Tobacco Row and
won't drop the ball again.

* VIRGINIA TECH 22, Miami 12
C: The only more uncomfortable seat than John L.'s in
East Lansing may be Larry Coker's in Miami -- the
gobblers aren't afraid of the thugs and Miami mystique
and roll over the self-destructing Canes now.

BTW, watching Miami and FSU implode this year after
years of questionable character in building
thug-driven programs? Priceless.

And off the board ...

* IOWA 26, Northwestern 14
C: It could be a close one again with the Hawkeyes
banged up and NU playing much, much better with
Bacher, but Ferentz has had our number and wants
revenge after letting that one slip away in Evanston
last year.

Remember ... picks in THURSDAY!
GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!


 
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