[NU Sports] PIGSKIN PICKS - Week 6

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

Now the real fun begins! After playing cupcakes and refusing to leave their comfy southern confines (save for Georgia), the SEC heavyweights finally run into each other this week in two colossal clashes.

Overshadowed a bit by those two games (and that OT in East Lansing last week), the Big Ten serves up to megamatchups of its own between four of the top five teams in Iowa City and Columbus. And after seemingly giving every team a week off last Saturday, the Big XII returns to action with an interesting Thursday night game in Columbia.

Standings will be out by tonight (hooray for fall break!), but for now, the lineup ...

Picks due by kickoff at Mizzou on Thursday!

PIGSKIN PICKS – WEEK 6
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Name: 

BIG TEN
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GAME 1: Michigan State @ Illinois
WINNER: 

GAME 2: Michigan @ Iowa
WINNER: 

GAME 3: Purdue @ Minnesota
WINNER: 

GAME 4: Wisconsin @ Ohio State
WINNER: 

GAME 5: Indiana @ Virginia
WINNER: 

GAME 6: Eastern Illinois @ Penn State
WINNER: 

NATIONAL
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GAME 7: Nebraska @ Missouri
WINNER: 

GAME 8: Florida @ Louisiana State
WINNER: 

GAME 9: Alabama @ Mississippi
WINNER: 

GAME 10: Georgia Tech @ Florida State
WINNER: 

MY PICKS
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* ILLINOIS 34, Michigan State 30 – Save for an interception in overtime, this could be the “in the tank” bowl in Champaign between the league’s most disappointing teams. Sparty stopped their bleeding temporarily, but I have a feeling that they slip up on the road here. Not quit sure why I believe the Illini have it in 'em after showing absolutely nothing in the first month, but they gotta win one, right? In either case, both fans are counting the days until Midnight Madness.

* MICHIGAN 27, Iowa 17 – I like the upset here as well under the lights in Kinnick. It’s a classic battle of offense vs. defense and Michigan may have been caught looking ahead last week, but I like their backfield talent’s will to score over the Hawkeye defense.

* MINNESOTA 38, Purdue 14 – After weeks of heartbreaking defeats, the Boilers are spent and perfect road fodder for an angry Gopher team who blew another big game at their new palace against rival Wisconsin.

* OHIO STATE 13, Wisconsin 9 – This could be the game of the day in the Big Ten as the suprising Badgers are one of the few teams who have no fear of Tressel or the Shoe … but OSU’s defense is on a mission and the Buckeyes earn a hard-fought Big Ten victory that would make Woody Hayes and Barry Alvarez both proud.

* VIRGINIA 24, Indiana 21 – Tough call here as the Cavs looked awful at the start of the year but have improved and are at home. Still, they’d probably get more fans if it were a soccer game between the two.

* PENN STATE 41, Eastern Illinois 14 – Yawn. 

* NEBRASKA 24, Missouri 16 – Should be a dandy Thursday with the early lead in the Big XII North on the line. Mizzou is ranked despite beating nobody (Illinois doesn’t count), whereas the Huskers faced a tough road test at VaTech and nearly won. I like Nebraska’s road-tested players to break through this time.

* FLORIDA 28, Louisiana State 23 – Tough call here in the game of the day as I really, reeeeeeeeally want to pick the Tigers - especially under the lights in Baton Rouge! And I sincerely hope that The Hat wipes the sanctimonious, smug smile right off Urban’s face and trounces the trash-talking Gators … but with a week to prepare, Florida will have some tricks up their sleeve ... and the Tigers have been living on the edge lately.

* ALABAMA 35, Mississippi 21 – Put up or shut up time for the Rebels. I’m not convinced Bama is a legit title threat yet, but I am still convinced, as I was in the preseason, that Ole Miss is the most overrated team in the country.

* FLORIDA STATE 45, Georgia Tech 21 – Tough call between this game and UCLA/Oregon out west, but the Bobby storyline makes this one worth picking. I’m certain this game won’t be close – either FSU will tank it and quit on their coach, or they will come out blazing to rally around Bowden. I’m betting on the latter.

And off the board …

* NORTHWESTERN 37, Miami (Ohio) 24 – The Cats can’t let any more wins slip through their fingers and I think they come out more focused and score the six instead of settling for three this week to get the win. We need it with the heart of the Big Ten schedule coming up.

Standings coming in a bit – get those picks in by kickoff THURSDAY!

GO CATS!!!
GEAUX SAINTS!!!
-SjT

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