[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 12

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

PICKS DUE BY *** THURSDAY *** THIS WEEK!

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 12
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Kind of a letdown lineup this week after the mega-matchups of the past few weeks and with the big lineup next week. Guess that shows why the people who say that the regular season is a playoff itself are FRIGGIN’ IDIOT MORONS. Yes, college football’s regular season is fantastic, but you don’t get seeded matchups so it’s an uneven bracket. GET A PLAYOFF and you can have the magical regular season AND the madness of March in December. And it will finally get these cushy southern speed teams up north in November and December – something tells me their vaunted spread offenses wouldn’t fare much better than Penn State’s in the whipping wind and cold of Iowa.

But anyway, on to the lineup this week. The Illini-Buckeye game has lost some luster, but at least it still means something, unlike Georgia-Auburn, which looked like a possible SEC title game preview at the start of the year.

We’re picking up the Thursday night game again, so all picks in by THURSDAY KICKOFF.

COLLEGE PICKS
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BIG TEN
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Game  1: Ohio State @ Illinois
My pick: BUCKEYES … OSU remembers last year’s debacle while the Illini are still stunned from last week’s loss in Detroit.

Game  2: Indiana @ Penn State
My Pick: NITTANY LIONS … The Hoosiers get to be the sacrificial lamb for an angry group of Lions. Ouch.

Game  3: Purdue @ Iowa
My Pick: HAWKEYES … soooooooo close to calling an upset here as the Black/Gold battle usually is close and it’d be nice to get Tiller a big win since they can’t go to a bowl, but Iowa smells Florida right now and ekes out an ugly win.

Game  4: Minnesota @ Wisconsin
My Pick: BADGERS … the Gophers are crashing hard while the Badgers finally seemed to figure out how to win again.

NATIONAL
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Game  5: Virginia Tech @ Miami (FL)
My Pick: CANES … It’s the ACC, so flip a coin. I’ll take the Canes at home.

Game  6: South Carolina @ Florida
My Pick: GATORS … Spurrier could be tricky and keep it close at half, but the Gators are smelling another chance to steal a national championship after an embarrassing loss to Ole Miss, so they wake up and win.

Game  7: California @ Oregon State
My Pick: BEAVERS … don’t look now, but if the Beavers win out, THEY get the Rose Bowl bid, not the Trojans. Reser Stadium is rocking for this one and OSU wins.

Game  8: Texas @ Kansas
My Pick: LONGHORNS … the Jayhawks may put up a fight for a half, but will fall. Keep an eye on the Horns, who are done with their gauntlet and in the clubhouse while Texas Tech and Oklahoma still have some games left.

Game  9: Oklahoma State @ Colorado
My Pick: COWBOYS … tempted for the upset here as OSU is emotionally drained after last week and the Buffs are dangerous at home at night. Naaah.

Game 10: Boston College @ Florida State
My Pick: SEMINOLES … Will the Noles FINALLY step up and take control of the ACC? It helps to be at home.

And off the board …

NORTHWESTERN 19, Michigan 13 – I’ll go with the heart this week. The records may say NU 7-3 and UM 3-7 (wow … that’s pretty unbelievable), but the Cats are down to their third string tailback and Michigan’s playing better than they have all year. Plus there’s still something to those maize and blue winged helmets at the Big House. But I think NU’s O-line and D-line gained some confidence last week and grinds out an upset here.

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

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