[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 11

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Standings out soon, but first here's the week 11
lineup. It's home finale time in Evanston and sadly
it's not as big of a game as it could have been thanks
to last week's collapse. Still, always good to say
thank you to the seniors on the team, band and cheer
squads for making Saturdays so special. Hope we can
carry that emotion in for an upset and at least throw
our hat into the bowl mix!

As for the rest of the lineup, big game in Columbus
again and a dandy in Madison too, plus some more wild
SEC shootouts are on deck. Picks due by kickoff
Saturday.

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 11
#######################
Name: 

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

Game  2: Minnesota @ Iowa
Winner : 

Game  3: Michigan @ Wisconsin
Winner : 

Game  4: Michigan State @ Purdue
Winner : 

Game  5: Penn State @ Temple
Winner : 

NATIONAL
========
Game  6: Florida @ South Carolina
Winner : 

Game  7: Auburn @ Georgia
Winner : 

Game  8: Florida State @ Virginia Tech
Winner : 

Game  9: Southern Cal @ California
Winner : 

Game 10: Kansas @ Oklahoma State
Winner : 

MY PICKS
========
* OHIO STATE 38, Illinois 21 - Tough to figure out why
the Illini are getting no respect nationally - they
outplayed Mizzou (just turned it over), were close to
Michigan and beat Wisky and PSU ... yet a dozen 6-3
SEC teams seem to be ahead of them. They'll play the
Bucks close for a half like Wisky did, but get bowled
over in the second half in the Shoe by a pretty darn
good team.

* IOWA 30, Minnesota 13 - Sure, the schedule was kind
to the Hawks this year, but you still gotta give
Ferentz his due for keeping them in it after a
truckload of injuries. Win the last two at home and
it's a 7-5 season and a bowl game.

* MICHIGAN 21, Wisconsin 18 - Could be the game of the
day here as the Badgers are a better team in Camp
Randall and will match the spunky Wolverines blow for
blow. But Big Blue edges ahead late to set up the big
showdown next week in Ann Arbor.

* PURDUE 49, Michigan State 17 - The annoying train
whistle and world's largest drum finally put Sparty
out of his misery after another second-half collapse.

* PENN STATE 56, Temple 10 - The Linc will be filled
with Philly Lions fans (kind of an odd mix - they boo
you all game and then are cordial and offer you food
afterwards:) ) and PSU rolls. Never thought I'd say
this, but thank goodness for the BCS computers! While
the pollsters are still enamored with the SEC, the
computers rightfully have the Lions in the top 20.

* FLORIDA 42, South Carolina 31 - I'd love to see
Spurrier win here as the Gators are still getting more
love in the polls than a 3-loss team should have ...
but it's another defenseless SEC shootout and Tebow
excels in those.

* AUBURN 23, Georgia 20 - The Dawgs are looking good
and could give LSU a decent opponent for the title
game, but Auburn's a heck of a road team and the SEC
parity pileup continues with an upset in Athens.

* VIRGINIA TECH 16, Florida State 6 - Are the Noles
for real? No, but they dodge a bullet by playing a day
game in Hokieland. Ugly, but special teams wins it for
VT.

* USC 37, California 31 - Too bad these two teams were
looking forward to this game so much they never saw
the rest of the Pac Ten nipping at their heels. Still
should be a good game and SC still has BCS hopes if
they win out and beat ASU in Tempe on Thanksgiving.

* KANSAS 45, Oklahoma State 35 - Gotta say that I was
cheering for the Jayhawks last week every time they
scored sweet revenge on perennial bully Nebraska. They
are for real ... but if there's a trap game for them,
it's here while they're looking ahead to Mizzou.
Stillwater is tough, but thankfully for them, even
when the Cowpokes jump out to a big lead, they like to
give it back. Right Mack?

And off the board ...

* INDIANA 34, Northwestern 27 - I'd love to be wrong,
but it's tough to see the Cats winning this one. Now
that IU has the 6-win monkey off its back, the
pressure is gone and Hardy's a heck of a receiving
talent. Still, NU gives it a fight being senior day,
only to see the rally fall short.

Remember, picks in by kickoff Saturday.
GO CATS!!!
-SjT

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

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com