[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 3

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

No standings for at least another week (sorry), but the rankings and week's slate are always up on the new Web site (360.yahoo.com/sjtruog). Enjoy!

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 3
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The 2008 football season is off to a GREAT start! It doesn’t happen very often, but this was a perfect week for the family. Northwestern and Penn State both won on Saturday (as did all Big Ten teams), and then the Steelers, Saints, Bills and Bears all managed to open the NFL season with a win on Sunday. The identical 24-20 wins for NU and NO were a bit too close for my taste, but a win is a win! Let’s keep it up! On to week 3!

We’re top-loaded with mega-games in the college ranks this week (who would ever imagine that Michigan-Notre Dame would fall so far down a list of must-see games, even in a down year for both programs!). All eyes will be on Los Angeles, of course, but there are plenty of mega-matchups to go around. Picks due by kickoff of ESPN’s **FRIDAY** night game with the Bulls and Jayhawks.

COLLEGE PICKS
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BIG TEN
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Game  1: Louisiana Lafayette @ Illinois
My pick: ILLINI … it should be another big-yardage, big win for the orange as they prepare for a bye week and two huge road tests after that.

Game  2: Iowa State @ Iowa
My Pick: HAWKEYES … the bumblebees are quietly racking up impressive wins like no other Big Ten school this side of PSU. Are they back? Check back in three weeks.

Game  3: Michigan @ Notre Dame
My Pick: WOLVERINES … they may both be struggling, but Utah is a big step up from San Diego State.

Game  4: Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State
My Pick: SPARTANS … they moped for a half last week, but Ringer is gonna be too much to stop.

Game  5: Montana State @ Minnesota
My Pick: GOPHERS … impressive win at Bowling Green gives Gopher fans hope for an early yield on Coach Brewster’s recruiting crop.

Game  6: Ohio State @ Southern Cal
My Pick: TROJANS … I was all set to pick the Bucks until that colossal egg they laid last week. Should be a heck of a game, but with SC rested and ready for the prime time lights, they should have enough to win.

Game  7: Penn State @ Syracuse
My Pick: NITTANY LIONS … still not sure the Nits have the leadership to survive a tough game, but they sure have a heck of a lot of talent and speed and the Cuse is just baaaaaad.

Game  8: Oregon @ Purdue
My Pick: BOILERMAKERS … this is a toss-up for me and should be a fun game to watch with all the offense, but I’m not a believer in either team yet so I’ll go with the one at home.

Game  9: Wisconsin @ Fresno State
My Pick: BADGERS … this could be the best game of the lot this weekend, and there’s a lot to like about the Bulldogs, but it’s almost like one of those upsets that TOO many people are picking and Bucky will notice, carry a chip out to Cali and win a slugfest.

NATIONAL
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Game 10: Kansas @ South Florida
My Pick: JAYHAWKS … not sure either of these two are legit top 20 yet, but I do know that the Big Least and ACC are really, really down this year.

Game 11: Arkansas @ Texas
My Pick: LONGHORNS … The Horns are highly overrated in the top 10, but have enough to trounce Patrino’s piggies.

Game 12: Georgia @ South Carolina
My Pick: BULLDOGS … it will be close, as SC will be angry after last week’s upset and Uga could be looking ahead to their trip to the desert, but the Dawgs remember how much last year’s loss to Carolina cost them and escape with the win.

Game 13: UCLA @ BYU
My Pick: BRUINS … are these two playing every six months now? The Cougars failed to impress last week at Seattle and the Bruins are riding high.

Game 14: Oklahoma @ Washington
My Pick: SOONERS … speaking of Seattle, that was an awful call against the Huskies, but they’ll need a ton of makeup calls to beat OU this week, even with that porous defense Oklahoma’s been showing lately.

Game 15: Auburn @ Mississippi State
My Pick: TIGERS … Auburn may be the quietest top 10 team in America, and they have a history of slipping up in games they should win in prime time, but they win here.

And off the board …

* NORTHWESTERN 38, Southern Illinois 24 – After a narrow escape at Duke last week and with the better-than-expected Bobcats up next, this could be a doughnut game … but instead the Cats use it to show they’re better than they looked last week in Durham.

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


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