College Football Week 7 Picks: Power Ranking the Big-Game Locks
You know what I love about college football?
Each week I'm guaranteed a few match-ups where two teams hate each other enough to want to beat the crap out of each other. That's what rivalries are all about.
There are 10 big match-ups this week that I'll give my lock on. Not saying you have to put money on any of them, but it doesn't mean we can't have some fun debating how these will go.
Ready? Good, let's get to it.
No. 10: California at USC
1 of 10
Cal threw a beating on UCLA last week and they're looking to take down another Southern California team in the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
USC is coming off a two-point loss to Stanford at home and is trying to keep from losing their second straight.
What the Trojans don't know now, they will come Saturday.
Cal 34 USC 28
No. 9: Nevada at Hawaii
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Nevada against Hawaii. Bryant Moniz against Colin Kaepernick. A loyalist against a traitor, at least that's the way some in Hawaii see it.
The Hawaii Warriors delivered a loss to Fresno State in the Central Valley a week ago and now they look to do the same against another team that is jumping ship from the WAC.
Nevada 31 Hawaii 24
No. 8: BYU at TCU
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TCU is fourth-ranked in the country and they'll welcome in-conference rival BYU who are having an off year one season before they leave the conference and become independent.
The Horned Frogs know there's a lot riding on staying unbeaten and they know the Cougars are nowhere near as good as they have been in the past.
TCU 41 BYU 17
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 7: Missouri at Texas A&M
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Nine interceptions in the last three games. Not a stat that Aggie quarterback Jerrod Johnson wants to keep in the back of his mind.
Missouri should have lost to San Diego State and their unbeaten streak will come to an end in College Station, Texas.
Texas A&M 25 Missouri 21
No. 6: Mississippi State at Florida
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Mississippi State is riding high after three straight wins including a 24-12 win over Georgia.
As for Florida, they lost a heart breaker to LSU this past Saturday and might have some left over anger over the way it went down.
Mississippi St. 27 Florida 25
No. 5: Oklahoma State at Texas Tech
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Let me leave it at this: the last time Oklahoma State won in Lubbock was back in 1944.
Texas Tech 31 Oklahoma State 21
No. 4: Texas at Nebraska
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Since the Big 12 Championship game last year, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have been looking for payback.
With Taylor Martinez at the helm of the Cornhuskers, they'll get it.
Nebraska 44 Texas 22
No. 3: Iowa at Michigan
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After a loss to in-state rival Michigan State at home last weekend, the Wolverines won't have a break as Iowa comes to town and looks to hand them their second loss of the season.
This is a better defense than Michigan has faced all year and they'll have it proven to them.
Iowa 28 Michigan 13
No. 2: Ohio State at Wisconsin
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There's always talk that this year's Wisconsin squad is different from last year's. While that might hold true to some, it won't hold true to this match-up no matter how different the Badgers think they are.
The game is at their place but the Buckeyes are in the driver's seat for the BCS title game. Losing now would put a major dent in it.
Ohio State 31 Wisconsin 25
No. 1: Arkansas at Auburn
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Auburn is unbeaten and they're looking through the rest of their schedule, knowing what they have to do to be able to get a berth in the BCS title game.
They have their destiny in their own hands and a loss to Arkansas on Saturday would derail those plans completely.
Auburn 27 Arkansas 26
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
