College Football, Week 9

It is hard to believe we are at the end of October! Seems like this season just started. Teams like Texas and Florida were still undefeated and Alabama seemed unbeatable. Things have certainly changed, but the college football season is exciting as ever. Auburn hopes it can hang on to the #1 BCS ranking after the past 3 weeks have meant doom for the #1 team. Oregon has a tough matchup with USC, and Boise has already handled its business. Here are the games you should watch this week:

(BCS rankings used)

#5 Michigan State @ #18 Iowa- It seems as though the “wait for Michigan State to lose” band wagon is filling up. With wins over Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin, the Spartans have continued to impress. While the Big 10 has been “down” lately, this year the conference is as tough as ever. Iowa was a pre-season top 10 team, but has 2 losses and needs this win to stay in the Big 10 race. Look for another close game, something both teams are used too. I give the edge to Iowa because of the home crowd, but wouldn’t be surprised if Sparty continues to win.
My Pick: Iowa 30 Michigan State 24

#1 Auburn @ Ole Miss- Could this be the 4th straight weekend the #1 team in the land loses? It would take a great effort from Ole Miss, but the one key is that Auburn’s defense has shown it can allow some big numbers on the field and the scoreboard. Ole Miss has lost 2 in a row in a very tough conference, but things can definitely be tough playing in Oxford. (see Florida 2008) Auburn is lead by the new Heisman front runner Cam Newton. Newton leads the SEC in rushing td’s (he’s a QB) and continues to make spectacular plays when his team needs them. Look for Ole Miss to hang around in the first half, but start to lose ground with Newton making plays with his legs and arm.
My Pick: Auburn 40 Ole Miss 23

#25 Baylor @ Texas- Man oh man. What a difference a few weeks make. Just a month ago, Texas was still considered a Big 12 contender and Baylor was seen as a young team with lots of potential. Fast forward to the present and Baylor is ranked and Texas looks like a team on the decline. Robert Griffin is a dark horse Heisman contender and leads the Bears into Austin with their first ever BCS ranking. Texas is coming off a loss to lowly Iowa State and continues to struggle on the offensive side of the ball. Texas IS playing at home, but that has proven to be not a factor this season with 2 losses coming in Austin. Look for the Baylor offense to struggle early, with the Texas offense doing the same. This one will be a “who cracks first” kind of game.
My Pick: Baylor 24 Texas 23

#2 Oregon @ USC- Oregon is #1 in some polls with good reason. The Ducks continue to put up staggering numbers and the defense continues to make plays. USC has a couple of losses to Washington and Stanford, but is coming off an impressive win over Cal. This game is tricky. While I think Oregon has a better team overall, they are playing in L.A. against a talented Trojan team. I think this game is close throughout, with Oregon staying undefeated.
My Pick: Oregon 38 USC 31

Upset Pick of the Week: Air Force 35 Utah 32- The Utes have been DESTROYING teams this season. This would definitely be a huge upset.

Game Nobody Cares About: Robert Morris 27 Duquesne 17