The Zack-Attack's Top 20 College Football Picks For the Weekend

Is it just me or does Tate Forcier seem to have a little bit of Joe Montana in him ... or is it John Elway. Whoever he's channeling, it seems like Forcier always gets the job done within the last two minutes of a game, using his arm, feet, or whatever else he can to will the Wolverines to victory.

Forcier was at it again this past weekend, but couldn't close the deal, tossing the interception that sealed Michigan's first loss of the season in overtime to Michigan State.

Michigan doesn't get any time to regroup from the loss, and has to travel to Iowa, to take on the 12th ranked Hawkeyes. I say don't discount Forcier's chances against a team that most likely isn't as good as its ranking. I'm taking the Wolverines in this one 27-21.

Is it just me or does this season seem like 2004 all over again for the Tigers. Undefeated ... check. Explosive offense ... check. Sound defense ... check. Not much respect from anyone anywhere ... check. Yep, sounds the same to me.

Auburn continued its hot roll with a four-point win over Lane Kiffin's Tennessee Vols, although the game wasn't really that close. Auburn dominated the game, stifling Tennessee's explosive ground game.

Their reward for the victory ... the Tigers get to travel to Arkansas to take on a very talented Razorback team that is itching for an upset. Regardless, I'll take Auburn in this one, but in a squeaker. Tigers 34, Razorbacks 32.

So I wasn't really impressed with Ole Miss' win over Vanderbilt until I actually sat down to watch the game. What I saw was a team that thoroughly manhandled another. And yes, Ole Miss was the one doing the handling.

Jevan Snead looked as if he was getting back into the groove that he found last year, although he still somehow managed to throw three interceptions. The Rebels' ground game also showed some signs of life behind the running of Brandon Bolden.

Mississippi faces a really tough matchup this weekend with Alabama. Yikes! I would normally like Ole Miss heading into a game after a win like last week's, but it's tough for me to find something to like about Snead tossing three picks the week before facing the No. 3 ranked team in the nation.

Hmm ... I'll save my pick for later on ...

Just when it seemed like the Big 12 South was going to be the class of the conference, we've seen quite the reversal. Aside from Texas, the most talented teams in the conference actually reside in the North, with Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska all acting the part of conference title contender.

Kansas has arguably looked the most impressive, even after taking this past weekend off. They get to face an Iowa State team that has some momentum, and a winning record, for the first time in a long time. Scoring an upset AT Kansas would be huge for the program ... but I just don't see it.

Kansas 42, Iowa State 21.

So losing the best player on your team before a really big game isn't necessarily how I would want to go, but we'll see how losing Dez Bryant affects Oklahoma State's chances in the Big 12, when the travel to take on Texas A&M. The Aggies have not lost at home this season.

Bryant has been suspended for the rest of the season for lying to NCAA investigators about a meet and greet he had with Deion Sanders (haven't you done enough?). Bryant claimed he wasn't sure if it was a violation or not, so he chose to take the liars route. Hmmm ... not a good move. Yeah, the NCAA might have suspended you anyways, Dez, but the truth will always set you free.

Now he's looking at the prospect of zero playing time leading up to the 2010 NFL draft, in which he could have been a top 10 prospect. I'm hoping this doesn't affect his status, or at least just little enough to allow him to fall to the Washington Redskins.

Like I said, OK State gets to face A&M on the road this weekend. All the momentum in the world seems to be A&M's to take, and I think they'll run with it, knocking OK State from national relevance.

Texas A&M 37, Oklahoma State 28.

South Florida handed it to Syracuse last weekend, setting up a big time conference clash with Cincinnati next weekend after both teams use this weekend's bye to game plan for each other.

The Bulls have been the surprise of the Big East, and maybe the country, taking it to Florida State on the road. But their opponent, Cincinnati, has tons of momentum after dismantling just about every team on its schedule so far.

It should be quite the game. Can't wait.

If there's any team that needs Oklahoma to pick its game up, it's Miami, who tarred and feathered the Sooners last weekend down in South Florida. The game was a big turning point for the program, which was down in the dumps after having its you know whats handed to them at Virginia Tech.

It's a shame we won't get to see Miami and Va Tech meet up for a rematch in the ACC Championship game. I'd rather watch that than whoever comes out of the Atlantic division. Miami gets their first cupcake game of the season, much later than anyone else in the country, and they finally have time to appreciate what they accomplished in the last month. Wins over ranked Florida State, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma.

Pretty good indeed.

I'm taking the Canes this weekend over Florida A&M, 48-13.

All of a sudden Boise State's win over Oregon is looking a whole lot more impressive than BYU's victory over Oklahoma, or Houston's win over Oklahoma State.

I'll tell you, Oregon has come back with the vengeance of a tornado. They've absolutely taken it to California and Washington State and boy oh boy, I wouldn't want to be UCLA this weekend. The only way this game won't get ugly early is if Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli is forced to sit on the sideline for the duration.

I think he'll get some snaps, and Oregon will continue to climb up the charts. Ducks 37, Bruins 18.

Penn State got back to the old Penn State ways, dismantling another Big 10 opponent in impressive fashion. This time the poor schmuck of a team was Illinois, which at least kept the game close until the Lions pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Penn State will easily move to 5-1 this weekend with an easy victory over Eastern Illinois, which is actually an impressive 4-1, albeit in the Ohio Valley conference.

Nittany Lions 53, Eastern Illinois 6.

TCU gets its first league test this weekend, when it faces league-leading Air Force. This doesn't appear to be a tough game for the Frogs, but it is at Colorado Springs, and the Falcons are playing as well as they have been in years. This could be quite a dogfight.

Air Force's option attack combined with TCU's great defense will keep the game a low-scoring affair, a situation in which TCU has excelled at winning this season. I'm pretty sure they'll win this one too.

TCU 14, Air Force 10.

I keep waiting for Iowa to show me something, and the something I'm looking for isn't a three point win over Arkansas State. Maybe that something will come in this weekend's tilt with Michigan.

The Hawkeyes will be hosting the Wolverines, giving them a little advantage, but I'm pretty sure Tate Forcier will still be smarting from giving last week's game away to the Spartans. I think he'll come into this one determined to knock the Hawkeyes down a peg.

And he will.

Michigan 23, Iowa 16.

I saw something last weekend I never thought I would see. Tyrod Taylor tossing for over 300 yards. Sweet Jesus! My eyes did not deceive me, and Taylor's passing led the way to an eight point victory over Duke on a day when the running game wasn't anywhere near as successful as usual.

This weekend, Virginia Tech hosts from out of nowhere Boston College. The Eagles have had more quarterbacks play for them this year than Al Davis has had head coaches. And yet somehow they're 4-1 and leading the Atlantic Division.

I think BC will keep it closer than Miami did, but they will still fall at the hands of Beamer's boys.

Va Tech 34, BC 30.

Terrelle Pryor is looking more and more each week like a legitimate QB. He made that quite clear last week against Indiana, when he completed just as many passes as he had carries. The big thing, three passing touchdowns and a completion percentage near 60.

Pryor will need all the accuracy he can command when the Buckeyes play host to undefeated Wisconsin, who is still unranked and missing a key victory this season. Ohio State would definitely qualify.

The Badgers won't get it, but they will come close.

Buckeyes 17, Wisconsin 13.

The biggest game two weeks from now will no doubt be Cincinnati and South Florida. And Cincy did its part, with a 37-13 smackdown of Miami-Ohio. Ensuring that both teams would enter the game with spotless records.

This game will be about more than just Big East supremacy. If Cincy can keep on winning and end the season on an undefeated note, that just spells more controversy for the BCS, which would no doubt send a one-loss Florida or Texas team to the title game ahead of Cincinnati.

It's amazing that USC even needs a QB to pilot this team. It seems like they could direct snap run every single time and still lose only one game a season. The real heart of USC is, and always has been, its stifling defense.

It showed how suffocating it can be this past weekend against Cal, a team that is not-so-quietly imploding before our eyes.

USC gets the weekend off before traveling to South Bend for a rivalry tilt with Notre Dame.

Yes, Boise State only beat UC Davis by 18 points. Yet, how are the Broncos getting more flak for that win than Iowa's three point win over Arkansas State?

Guess that's what you have to deal with as a non-AQ school in the top ten. The Broncos are learning the new BCS criteria for non-BCS teams; an ugly win is just as bad as a loss.

Quietly, though, Kellen Moore is developing into a superstar. He's on pace for 34 TD passes to only 5 interceptions, and he's currently second in the nation in passing efficiency. He's also on pace to rewrite just about every record in the BSU books. And go figure, he's just a sophomore. I wonder how many QB's have led their teams to undefeated regular seasons four years in a row.

I get the feeling we might just find that out with Moore.

BSU gets the week off to get ready for its trip to Tulsa to take on the Hurricane.

LSU could easily vault up this list with a big "W" against Florida tomorrow night. And I'm starting to get the feeling that the Tigers could pull this one out facing Brantley or Tebow. It seems like the confidence level for LSU is through the roof right now and playing the Gators at home, at night, is looking very ominous for the No. 1 team in the country.

And let's not forget last week's classic win over Georgia. Quite an entertaining one.

I'll save my pick on this one for the Gators slide.

Yes, Texas dropped a spot in these rankings.

Nothing against Colt McCoy, I'm just starting to feel as if Alabama is the better team of the two.

Texas, like Florida, had the last week off. But unlike Florida, the Longhorns don't have to tango with a top four team this weekend. They get to host Colorado, which might be one of the worst big conference teams. Poor Dan Hawkins.

They should steamroll the Buffaloes in this one.

Texas 54, Colorado 24.

Count me in. I'm drinking the Crimson Koolaid.

Alabama has finally made a believer out of me, and I'm not sure I could even tell you how and when it happened. But it did, and just in time for a make-or-break game against Mississippi.

If the Tide can come away with this one, and they've done nothing to show me that they won't, they could easily vault ahead of Texas to the top ranking, should the Gators fall at LSU. And I would be all for the leapfrog.

Like I said, they get to take on Ole Miss this Saturday, and the game should be a good one. Jevan Snead always seems to play to the level of his competition and Bama is the best he's faced all year, so I expect a big game.

I'm still taking the Tide though. Their defense is just too much to handle right now.

Alabama 28, Ole Miss 27.

Will he or won't he? Will he or won't he?

I'll tell you, as a resident of the state of Florida, I've heard more about concussions these past two weeks than in 23 years of following the NFL. As such, I am SOOOO ready for this game.

I think UF has a pretty good chance to win this game, with or without Tebow. The Gators have the athletes, and their defense doesn't need Tim Tebow to shut down the Tigers. I think it will be a defensive game, decided by one or two big plays, possibly on special teams, where the teams are so close to each other.

Just thinking of the NFL talent on this field; Saturday night is ridiculous.

After taking everything under consideration, I'm going to take the Gators in this one, and I do think Tebow will play, at least for a while.

Gators 27, LSU 21.