Your Weekend Picks 11/6/09

by Staff

A few games of large importance amongst a sea of "meh"s. We barely found four worth our acknowledgment.

(15) Ohio State @ (11) Penn State
Annie:
Nittany Lions over the F...Buckeyes

PSU over OSU

Iroquois:
Ohio State's biggest strength (their running game) may in fact be neutralized this weekend. Penn State (aka Linebacker U) has another good one in Sean Lee, who has been coming on strong of late. Ohio State's below average OL may also be attacked relentlessly by an improving PSU D-Line, led by their DT Odrick. However, the exact same thing might be said of State College, PA. One of your author's favorite recruits/players, Cam Heyward, is an absolute MONSTER for Ohio State. Together with the interior of the field, especially the OSU MLB, running for Evan Royster might be tough sledding this week. I'd go so far as to say the concerns on offense even mirror the strengths on defense for both teams.

Come to think of it, these teams aren't that much different on offense, either. I'd give the nod to Daryll Clark over Terrelle Pryor at this point as far as QBs go, but Pryor is the better runner (reminiscient of Daunte Culpepper circa UCF) and Boom Herron isn't too shabby either. I don't think I need to go into great detail about Evan Royster, but PSU wins an awful lot of games when he goes well.

This has the classic "3 yards and a cloud of dust" written all over it, so the advantage, to me, will go to whoever develops the passing game better. Even with his performance last week against the robust New Mexico State D, I can't give the nod to Pryor just yet.

PSU over OSU

Slate:
Conventional logic says that Penn State should brutally crush the Buckeyes. Penn State's defense is one of the best in the country and Ohio State's offense is nowhere near where an elite team's offense should be. But, Ohio State isn't an elite team. Terrelle Pryor will have to run a mile this game and pass with at least some logic and intelligence to move the Buckeyes down the field.

Yet, I think Ohio State will win. Ohio State, like USC, will always get that ONE win. You know the ONE win. The one where we are about the write them off and then they shock a team they should have lost to. From there media runs with "They Were Never Really Gone" headlines. Ohio State should get beaten badly. 33-3 badly. Yet, I just know somewhere in me that somehow they pull this off. Like that one terrible human being person you know who always manages to completely avoid disaster by doing JUST ENOUGH, Ohio State will somehow survive this and their fans will continue to think that they are the #1 team in the country regardless of any obvious things suggesting the opposite.

Ohio State over Penn State

(9) LSU @ (3) Alabama
Annie:
Tigers quiet the Tide

LSU over the Tide

Iroquois:
Another game with some mirroring, but not quite to the same extent. Jordan Jefferson and Greg McElroy are both being treated like game managers rather than play-making QBs (see: extensive Wildcat use with Russell Sheppard and Mark Ingram, respecitvely). Alabama, though, has looked a lot worse ever since their strong start to the season, and this has a lot to do with McElroy. They s-t-ruggled to that victory over Tennessee. Speaking of ST, you gotta be feeling good if you're Bama, because the majority of your recent offense comes from super-K Leigh Tiffin, who has been as reliable as your favorite pair of jeans.

Alabama has the best players in all 3 of the games aspects (Ingram, McClain, Tiffin), so I like them for the win.

Alabam' over LSU

Slate:
LSU's defense is still a strong force not to be trifled with. Alabama's offense has been terrible save for Mark Ingram's decision to go into beast mode. The Greg McElroy experience at QB for the Tide has been akin to going from Nicholas Cage (Bad) to Keanu Reeves (terribly awful) for the lead in a drama movie. It's not like John Parker Wilson was excellent but he was never this bad and I'll wager a few people in Tuscaloosa wish there were those southern frat boy bangs sitting in that helmet under center.

LSU's offense hasn't been better, and Alabama's defense is a spinning death machine as well. Some are saying a defensive heavyweight championship belt defense fight in the 14-10 range... but I see a welterweight fight in a phone booth. I think with Alabama opening up the passing game and LSU remembering which endzone is the one they get points from in the past few weeks will lead to muchas puntas (points) and a great game. And I have LSU being the last one standing.

Bayou Bengals stop the Tide

(7) Oregon @ Stanford (note: Oregon is only -7)
Annie:
Ducks over "Ivy League"

Oregon over Stanford

Iroquois:

Nobody believes in the Ducks, huh? Or do that many people believe in Stanford? Perhaps the USC-crushing hangover lasts into this week, but I can't imagine the Ducks don't take some ibuprofen and snap out of it fairly quickly. For Stanford to have ANY chance in this game, Luck and Gerhart have to carry the offense, and pray to God that this is one of the weeks that Oregon falters like a used Chevy. For as beautiful and precise the Oregon spread attack (perhaps, if you will, the Flying V) can be, it is surely a temperamental mistress.

On another note, can Jeremiah Masoli keep up a dark-horse H---man candidacy? Time will tell.

Oregon over Stanford.

P.S. - Who does Tiger Woods root for in this game? He did go to Stanford, but I can't imagine Phil Knight would be too happy if Oregon lost. Nike, as we all know, sponsors TW's line of apparel and clubs.

Slate:
Jim Harbaugh has built up a nice team in Palo Alto. They have a good offense, a defense that would at least classify as "present" and a rejuventated fanbase. Props and kudos are certainly deserved for that, sir, but I would like to know why you are only 7 point underdogs to Oregon. Someone must know something that I don't. Oregon should pummel Stanford into submission and then run 50 on the scoreboard. Stanford's only prayer is keep the ball out of the hands of Jeremiah Masoli and the Oregon offense for... I dont know... 60 minutes. They are smart at Stanford, I'm sure they will cook something up. Even then, the Ducks will put up at least 40.

By halftime.

Quacks over Trees

Vandy @ (1) Florida
Annie:
Gators top Vandy

UF over Vandy

Iroquois:
No pass protection from Vandy is bad news bears for them. Jermaine Cunningham, Carlos Dunlap (a future top 5 pick), and Justin Trattou will cause QB Larry Smith to have nightmares. Florida's D won't miss a step without Brandon Spikes, being quite noble in choosing to sit out the entire game (still doesn't excuse his action against Ealey, though I would submit nothing actually happened that doesn't normally happen). Tim Tebow could use this game to pad some H---man stats, because he surely needs the help in getting the numbers back to a respectable position. Watch for Tebow, if he's going to make a charge, to do it in these last four weeks. Each D he faces is suspectible to the pass.

Florida over Vandy

(post pick soapbox for Iroquois:)
In addition, I want to continue to mention the Josh Nesbitt for H---man Dark House Candidacy Express. No, he isn't the best player on his team. He does, however, play the most important position and is putting up stellar numbers for a contending team.

Compare his numbers to those of Eric Crouch. (Full disclosure: Rex Grossman should have won that year. No doubt in my mind.) I know he's not a great example, but he did win the Heisman.

Crouch: 1,500 yards passing with 7 TD's and a 134 rating while rushing for 1,100 yards with 18 TD's.
Nesbitt (current): 1,172 yards passing with 6 TD's and a 158 rating while rushing for 763 yards with 13 TD's.
Nesbitt (projected): 1,563 yards passing with 8 TDs and a 158 rating while rushing for 1,018 yards with 18 TD's.

In a year with no runaway candidate, why not Nesbitt, especially if Ga Tech wins the ACC?

Slate:
If Florida actually did get the vertical element of the passing game back on track, then Vanderbilt better pray for a tornado. We have stated several times on this site that we were happy for the Commodores last year. The bowl game was nice. Gameday showing up in Nashville was nice. Memories are nice, aren't they Vanderbilt? Yes, they are. No get back to dropping your pants and underpants and get back in your regular position bent over a barrel. Much appreciated.

Gators sink the Commodores

(post pick soapbox for Slate):
There is a game this weekenmd that is off everyone's radar. Western Michigan @ Michigan State. Judging by recent events of absolutely terrible misforutne for the Spartans for the length of this year, I am picking the Broncos to beat the Spartys in East Lansing. It's not that I want MSU to lose (they would result in me sleeping on a couch), it's that Western has a potent MF'ing offense and they stole 3 recruits from the jaws of Randy Shannon at Miami 2 years ago and as a result have a strong defense. Sadly for MSU, they have played down to their competition all year and got burned 3 times (Central Michigan/Notre Dame/Minnesota). This is in addition to the capricious ways of losing they developed in 4 of their 5 losses (fluke onside kick/missing wide open WRs in the endzone/miserable play call on the last play of the game from their own 7/referees not knowing the rules of the game which they are officiating). I think they are a shell shocked team and will contend for the BigTen championship next year will a powerful offense and a vastly improved defense, but Western has a future first round QB (Tim Hiller) and a future first round WR (Ansel Ponder). Greg Jennings... the killer WR for the Packers?... he went to Western Michigan. So yes, Western Michigan (famous alumni: Tim Allen and Dave Dombrowski) will upset MSU this weekend.