NCAA Week Thirteen Picks

Not one, not two, but three of the five undefeated teams went down yesterday. It was the type of Saturday that makes you love College Football even more. Only two undefeated teams remain now, Iowa and Clemson. Just two weeks left before we determine the four teams in the playoff and this upcoming week promises to be a good one with lots of upset potential. Why so? Because nearly every single team in the playoff discussion has a tough road game against either a good team or in a venue historically difficult to play in. Clemson goes to South Carolina, Alabama to Auburn, Ohio St to Michigan, Iowa to Nebraska, Notre Dame to Stanford, Oklahoma to Oklahoma St, and Baylor to TCU. The only team in the playoff discussion playing at home this week is Florida, and they still play a tough opponent in the Seminoles. Add in that those are all rivalry games and get ready for a wild crazy week. Cant wait. I went 3-3 in picking Big Ten games this week and 2-1 outside it, now standing at 37-12 and 22-14 respectively.

Big Ten
Iowa @ Nebraska: Pick: Iowa
Wisconsin @ Minnesota: Pick: Wisconsin
Ohio St @ Michigan: Pick: Ohio St
Indiana @ Purdue: Pick: Indiana
Maryland @ Rutgers: Pick: Maryland
Penn St @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Northwestern @ Illinois: Pick: Northwestern

Outside the Big Ten
Traditionally I double my outside the Big Ten picks from 3-6 for rivalry weekend
Baylor @ TCU: Pick: Baylor
UCLA @ USC: Pick: USC
Florida St @ Florida: Pick: Florida
Notre Dame @ Stanford: Pick: Stanford
Oklahoma @ Oklahoma St: Pick: Oklahoma
Alabama @ Auburn: Pick: Alabama

Big Ten Standings: Iowa has officially clinched its spot in the Big Ten title game. Michigan St is in a win and in situation. If Michigan St somehow loses, the winner of Ohio St-Michigan is the division champion.

West
1. Iowa: 7-0
2. Northwestern: 5-2
3. Wisconsin: 5-2
4. Nebraska: 3-4
5. Minnesota: 2-5
6. Illinois: 2-5
7. Purdue: 1-6

East
1. Michigan St: 6-1
2. Ohio St: 6-1
3. Michigan: 6-1
4. Penn St: 4-3
5. Rutgers: 1-6
6. Indiana: 1-6
7. Maryland: 0-7

NCAA Week Twelve Picks

Three weeks left. Thats all that stands between us and figuring out who the final four will be. This week didn't shake up the playoff picture as much as last week, but a couple major developments did occur. Another undefeated went down in Baylor, they are a team that needed an undefeated season to get in so they have now bowed out. Stanford and Utah also both lost leaving every single Pac-12 team with at least two losses and virtually putting them out of the playoff picture. The much anticipated Baylor-TCU matchup now will mean very little while the Oklahoma-Oklahoma St rivalry game may mean more than ever. LSU also suffered a second straight loss and are now done as well. One more thing I have to say is that I have been watching College Football religiously for 11 years now and never has the SEC been as unimpressive as this year. With LSU now having back to back losses they will fall out of the top 12 and Mississippi States loss should drop them out of the top 25, leaving the SEC with only 3 teams in the top 25 (The Big Ten has 6.) People whine and moan about how terrible Iowa's offense is (when it really isn't, they just put up 33 points on Minnesota) but somehow Florida gets off the hook for having an equally as bad offense against lesser defenses. Iowa has received a lot of slack for their easy schedule but Iowa has two wins against teams currently ranked in the top 25, Florida has 0. SEC bias at its finest. They scored 9 points against Vanderbilt and nobody batted an eyelash. It seems I was exactly right when I said that College Football switching from the BCS format to a playoff format would hurt the SEC and bring them to the level of the other conferences. The fact is the BCS system was an unfair system that heavily benefited the SEC, but the playoff system benefits no conference over the other and the SEC is starting to reap the consequences of that. Anyyyyyway, I went 6-0 in picking Big Ten games last week and 2-1 outside the Big Ten, putting me 34-9 and 20-13 respectively.

Big Ten
Northwestern @ Wisconsin: Pick: Wisconsin
Indiana @ Maryland: Pick: Maryland
Michigan @ Penn St: Pick: Michigan
Illinois @ Minnesota: Pick: Minnesota
Rutgers @ Army: Pick: Rutgers
Purdue @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa
Michigan St @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St

Outside the Big Ten
Baylor @ Oklahoma St: Pick: Baylor
TCU @ Oklahoma: Pick: Oklahoma
UCLA @ Utah: Pick: Utah

Big Ten Standings
Iowa looks to lock up a division title with a win over Purdue this week. Meanwhile in the other division, this is what we've been waiting for, Michigan St/Ohio St. An Ohio St win paired with a Michigan win over Penn St means the game between Ohio St and Michigan next week is a division title game. An Ohio St win paired with a Michigan loss to Penn St earns Ohio St a division title. A Michigan St win means they would control their destiny with one game left to play. All four teams still have playoff hopes. Buckle Up.

West
1. Iowa: 6-0
2. Wisconsin: 5-1
3. Northwestern: 4-2
4. Nebraska: 3-4
5. Illinois: 2-4
6. Minnesota: 1-5
7. Purdue: 1-5

East
1. Ohio St: 6-0
2. Michigan St: 5-1
3. Michigan: 5-1
4. Penn St: 4-2
5. Rutgers: 1-6
6. Indiana: 0-6
7. Maryland: 0-6

NCAA Week Eleven Picks

Holy cow what a week! The playoff picture really cleared up a bit this week as a lot of undefeated teams went down. TCU, LSU, Memphis, Michigan St, and Toledo all saw their perfect seasons shattered to pieces. Michigan St lost in a complete thriller. All those teams going down has opened the door for a lot of one loss teams to keep hopes alive, particularly Michigan, Oklahoma, Stanford and Utah were all teams who may have thought they were out of it but now all of a sudden have some life. (Other one loss teams such as Notre Dame, Florida, and Alabama were always very much in the race.) The question is can any of the teams who just lost their first game crawl back into the picture? TCU and Michigan St still have a legitimate shot at a conference title but it may be lights out for LSU who now have to hope for a team to upset Bama to have a shot, not likely. Losses by Ole Miss and Florida St have totally eliminated those teams from the conversation. What a week it was. I went 6-1 in Big Ten games and 1-2 outside it. 28-9 now in the Big Ten, 18-12 outside it.

Big Ten Picks
Ohio St @ Illinois: Pick: Ohio St
Maryland @ Michigan St: Pick: Michigan St
Purdue @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Nebraska @ Rutgers: Pick: Nebraska
Michigan @ Indiana: Pick: Michigan
Minnesota @ Iowa: Pick: Iowa

Outside the Big Ten: Unfortunately after a fantastic week, there's only a couple of really appetizing games this week
Oklahoma @ Baylor: Pick: Baylor
Alabama @ Mississippi St: Pick: Alabama
Memphis @ Houston: Pick: Houston

Big Ten Standings
Iowa continues their undefeated march, the Badgers stay alive hoping for Iowa to drop 2 of their last 3. Even with the loss Michigan St still controls their destiny for a division title and remain on a collision course with Ohio St, but this has creaked the door back open for Michigan. Now if Ohio St beats Michigan St the Michigan-Ohio St game becomes a division title game.

East
1. Ohio St: 5-0
2. Michigan St: 4-1
3. Michigan: 4-1
4. Penn St: 4-2
5. Rutgers: 1-5
6. Indiana: 0-5
7. Maryland: 0-5

West
1. Iowa: 5-0
2. Wisconsin: 5-1
3. Northwestern: 3-2
4. Illinois: 2-3
5. Nebraska: 2-4
6. Minnesota: 1-4
7. Purdue: 1-4

NCAA Week Ten Picks

The calendar flips to November, fall breathes its last breath, and the College football season enters its final stretch. Where does the time go? I went 4-1 picking Big Ten games and 2-1 outside it, putting me at 17-10 outside the Big Ten and 22-8 within it

Big Ten
Penn St @ Northwestern: Pick: Northwestern
Illinois @ Purdue: Pick: Illinois
Iowa @ Indiana: Pick: Iowa
Rutgers @ Michigan: Pick: Michigan
Michigan St @ Nebraska: Pick: Michigan St
Minnesota @ Ohio St: Pick: Ohio St
Wisconsin @ Maryland: Pick: Wisconsin

Outside the Big Ten
Florida St @ Clemson: Pick: Clemson
LSU @ Alabama: Pick: LSU
TCU @ Oklahoma St: Pick: TCU

Big Ten standings: Another week, another week of status quo. Iowa beats another weak opponent and their win over Wisconsin continues to give them a huge edge for the division title. Michigan St and Ohio St remain undefeated and on track for a collision course at the end of November.

East
1. Michigan St: 4-0
2. Ohio St: 4-0
3. Penn St: 4-1
4. Michigan: 3-1
5. Rutgers: 1-4
6. Indiana: 0-4
7. Maryland: 0-4

West
1. Iowa: 4-0
2. Wisconsin: 4-1
3. Northwestern: 2-2
4. Minnesota: 1-3
5. Illinois: 1-3
6. Purdue: 1-3
7. Nebraska: 1-4