[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 7

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 7
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Another week of dandies -- hopefully the Cats used their bye week to rest up because we have a loaded slate of Saturday games from Big Ten country and beyond to get to this week.

COLLEGE PICKS
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BIG TEN
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Game  1: Minnesota @ Illinois
My pick: FIGHTING ILLINI … the Gophers have spunk, but the Illini have a lot of offense.

Game  2: Iowa @ Indiana
My Pick: HOOSIERS … tough call here as both teams are erratic, but I’ll take the Hoosiers at home as Ferentz’ frustration continues.

Game  3: Toledo @ Michigan
My Pick: WOLVERINES … they better win this one or the Wisconsin win becomes ancient history for RichRod with maize and blue fans.

Game  4: Purdue @ Ohio State
My Pick: BUCKEYES … The rest of the Big Ten should fear Pryor & Company’s growing confidence each week. Purdue continues the post Oregon first half slide.

Game  5: Penn State @ Wisconsin
My Pick: NITTANY LIONS … tough call here as PSU is the better team, but the Badgers are staring at an 0-3 start in the Big Ten and are cornered at home. It’ll be a war, but the Nits survive as they begin their own three-game murderer’s row schedule as Wisconsin ends theirs.

NATIONAL
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Game  6: Oklahoma vs. Texas (@ Dallas)
My Pick: SOONERS … I’m still not sure why people believe in Stoops so much while Tressel gets the heat – both OU and OSU have struggled in the BCS lately. The Sooners aren’t the top team this year, but Texas is even more overrated.

Game  7: LSU @ Florida
My Pick: GATORS … What a game! The Tigers are creeping back up to defend their title, but the Swamp at night with the Gators already having lost at home is too tall an order.

Game 8: Oklahoma State @ Missouri
My Pick: TIGERS … Should be a fun shootout, and while I’m still not a believer in Mizzou’s defense, I was impressed with that offense against Nebraska and they win again at home here.

Game 9: Tennessee @ Georgia
My Pick: BULLDOGS … UGA’s struggling, but Tennessee’s in a full tailspin, barely beating NIU last week.

Game 10: Notre Dame @ North Carolina
My Pick: TAR HEELS … Please, PLEASE save us from a month of NBC hype over the BCS-bound Irish and smack some sense into that little punk Claussen, Butch Davis!

And off the board …

NORTHWESTERN 30, Michigan State 27 – These two have played some entertaining games in recent years and this one should be no different as the winner will become the darkhorse among the PSUs and OSUs in the Rose Bowl race. Ringer will be tough to stop, but hopefully CJ and company are on fire this week and I like our defensive adjustments at the half to help us edge out Sparty. I hope!


Remember, picks in by SATURDAY!!!
GO CATS!!!
GEAUX SAINTS!!!
- SjT

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