[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 5

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Sorry they're late - picks due by kickoff Saturday.

PIGSKIN PICKS - WEEK 5
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I’m getting that “Big Ten tingly” feeling as my friend Jim always says … conference play is here and we have an interesting slate of matchups in Big Ten land and across the country, so let’s get to the games.

COLLEGE PICKS
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BIG TEN
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Game  1: Illinois @ Penn State
My pick: NITTANY LIONS … Prime time in Happy Valley is a great scene and with the Illini defense as porous as it is, I have a feeling the Nits will be lighting up the scoreboard as well.

Game  2: Michigan State @ Indiana
My Pick: SPARTANS … unless Sparty has a leprechaun hangover, they should have no trouble with IU.

Game  3: Wisconsin @ Michigan
My Pick: BADGERS … and let the Maize and Blue payback tour begin with a solid trouncing by the Badgers.

Game  4: Minnesota @ Ohio State
My Pick: BUCKEYES … ding, dong – the bells of Carmen Ohio toll for thee Minny, and it looks like midnight.

Game  5: Purdue @ Notre Dame
My Pick: BOILERMAKERS … I should pick the Irish since the Boilers seem to do the opposite of whatever I pick, but the Irish were exposed by MSU last week and should get thrashed by Purdue.

NATIONAL
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Game  6: Alabama @ Georgia
My Pick: BULLDOGS … how did CBS let this game slip to ESPN? It’s not just the SEC game of the day but the national one as well and it should be a hum dinger, but I like the Dawgs between the hedges.

Game  7: TCU @ Oklahoma
My Pick: SOONERS … I think OU is overrated at #2, but they should get some revenge on the Froggies at home.

Game 8: Tennessee @ Auburn
My Pick: TIGERS … both are coming off disappointing losses, but at least Auburn showed up for their game.

Game 9: Colorado @ Florida State
My Pick: SEMINOLES … an interesting ACC-Big XII game and the Buffs are coming off a big win while the Noles stunk up the joint against Wake – but I’m just not sure CU has the maturity to win on the road yet.

Game 10: Virginia Tech @ Nebraska
My Pick: HOKIES … another interesting game and again I’m picking the lowly ACC over the highly regarded Big XII (then again, Miami won at ATM last week).

And off the board …

* NORTHWESTERN 24, Iowa 13 – The solid Hawkeye D against … the strong NORTHWESTERN defense? What bizarre world are we in? Laugh all you want but the defense and special teams saved NU’s butt last week as the offense sputtered. Hopefully they got it out of their system, because we’ll need CJ and Tyrell to win in Kinnick.

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

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