[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 8

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Standings should be out this week with fall break. In the meantime, the polls are up, as are the picks, at 360.yahoo.com/sjtruog.

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 8
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Name: 

COLLEGE PICKS
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BIG TEN
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Game  1: Indiana @ Illinois
My pick: FIGHTING ILLINI … Ill-noise is backed into a corner and can’t suffer another setback at home with a roadtrip to Camp Randall on deck.

Game  2: Wisconsin @ Iowa
My Pick: HAWKEYES … tough call here as it’s really tough to see the Badgers dropping to 0-4 in league play, but Iowa’s been looking good lately, especially on D, and the Hawks are at home.

Game  3: Michigan @ Penn State
My Pick: NITTANY LIONS … if JoePa can’t end the Maize and Blue hex this year, then he may just never beat the Wolverines again. PSU should roll here.

Game  4: Ohio State @ Michigan State
My Pick: BUCKEYES … what a game this should be! The Buckeye D finally seemed to show some heart last week and will need that and more to stop Ringer, and Pryor will need his best game yet in East Lansing – and it should be a Sparty win, but I just think OSU finally wakes up in time to set up one heck of a prime time matchup next week in Columbus.

NATIONAL
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Game  5: Missouri @ Texas
My Pick: LONGHORNS … too bad the Tigers blew the game at home last week to keep this from potentially being 1 vs. 2 in Austin. I don’t think the Horns can run the table in the Big XII, but I do think they’ll have enough to beat Mizzou, who really didn’t show much life last week when tested.

Game  6: Mississippi @ Alabama
My Pick: CRIMSON TIDE … Bama won’t make it through their league unscathed either, and the close call against Kentucky showed some dents in Saban’s armor. Nutt will have the Rebs ready, but they’ll come up just short.

Game  7: Kansas @ Oklahoma
My Pick: SOONERS … we didn’t get this game last year, but the result would have been the same as the Jayhawks just aren’t ready for Stoops troops, especially after they’ve just had their cockiness blown and been embarrassed by losing a game they should have won.

Game 8: Vanderbilt @ Georgia
My Pick: BULLDOGS … were the Dores looking ahead last week? Doesn’t matter as UGA’s at home and won’t lose there again this year.

Game 9: Louisiana State @ South Carolina
My Pick: TIGERS … this could be a trap game for LSU coming off a letdown, but I think they do just enough to squeak by Spurrier.

Game 10: Virginia Tech @ Boston College
My Pick: HOKIES … Beamer’s bunch is quietly building a pretty good record, albeit in a weak league. They should get revenge for last year’s Eagles’ stunner.

And off the board …

NORTHWESTERN 27, Purdue 17 – Tiller’s always given the Cats problems, but the Boilers’ offense has been struggling lately, so as long as the Cats hang on to the ball and play solid special teams, they should be able to get a much-needed homecoming win to shake off that spanking from Sparty.

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

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