College Football Pick'em Week 10

After last week’s disaster, I am saddling back up on the horse that bucked me and getting ready to do the unthinkable. That’s right I am ready to make some rock solid picks in this weeks College Football Pick’em.

I know some of you are out there thinking that you got the best of me last week; however, much like the success of the Philadelphia Phillies, it will only be short lived. I am back and I am ready to go this week, so let’s jump right into it.

There are a couple big games this weekend to pick from, but for me, none are bigger than the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party in Jacksonville. The Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs will do battle once again, and you can believe that after the celebration Georgia put on last year, the Gators are looking for revenge.

The Georgia Bulldogs looked amazing last week in their dismantling of LSU. It was a game that, while I thought Georgia has a good chance to win, no way did I predict them running away with it.

Because of their success last week, the Bulldogs have put me in a difficult place while picking this week's game. It seems the Bulldogs have gotten over their sluggish starts and they have discovered their offense once again. This could be very crucial in a game that could very easily turn into a shootout.

The Georgia Bulldogs came into the 2008 season with the mission of wining a national title. Winning on Saturday is the only way they can continue to chase that dream. Two loses while knock them out of the national title hunt for sure, and most likely it will knock them out of the SEC title hunt as well. Because of that, you can be sure the Bulldogs will be ready to attack when they take the field Saturday.

The key to a Georgia Bulldogs victory will be the play of Knowshon Moreno. Granted, we already know he is the best back in the country. He knifed his way through the Florida defense last year and racked up 188 yards and three scores. More importantly, Moreno may be Georgia’s best weapon to keep the track team Florida calls their receivers off the field. As long as he is pounding away on the ground, Tim Tebow and company cannot work their magic.

The Florida Gators have been one of the most interesting teams to watch this season. They came out with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, and they are an all-around good team.

However, they were a little sluggish coming out of the games. It took an early-season loss to jump start this program, and now they are awake, so watch out.

The first team to catch Florida’s attention was LSU, who put a hit out on Tim Tebow. The Gators responded by dropping 51 points on the Tigers. What did we learned from that? Let sleeping Gators lie. When teams have caught Florida’s attention, the Gators have become a team posed to prove a point.

Saturday, in Jacksonville, you can bet the Florida Gators will be determined to leave their mark on the Georgia Bulldogs. Last year, Georgia held a team celebration against Florida after scoring a touchdown. Every member of the Florida Gators remembers that, including Head Coach Urban Myer.

This year, they will be out for revenge, and they want to handle it on the field by scoring points. Last week, the Gators flexed their muscles and dropped 63 points against lowly Kentucky. Look for them to exploit their speed advantage early and often.

Tim Tebow will have a full bag of tricks and he will use everyone against Georgia. If the game begins to look tight, expect Myer’s to put the game into Tebow’s hands and have him go out there and win it. Tebow has been fairly quiet all year, compared to his numbers of last season. Do not be surprised if he comes out with a special performance on Saturday.

Right now, the spread is sitting with Florida a six-point favorite. Georgia has been a difficult team for me to predict all year, as they have burnt me several times to this point. What the Georgia Bulldogs did last season against Florida has not been forgotten by anyone in Gainesville. This is already a rivalry game, but the Bulldogs have made it personal. Look for the Gators to come out win the game and cover the six-point spread.

Now a look at some other big games on the week

Texas vs. Texas Tech: The fact that a No. 1 vs. No. 6 matchup is not even the game of the week should tell you a lot about what I really think about this game. The Red Raiders are the biggest scam in college football today. The sad part is they really have improved from last year, but they are not the sixth-best team in the country.

Texas already had one shocker last week against Oklahoma State. Now they are on the road playing in their fourth difficult game in a row. The spread favors Texas by four. I think that Mack Brown's bunch has a little left in the tank. Look for their defense to be the key in this one, putting pressure on the Texas Tech offense. Texas wins and covers.

Oregon vs. Cal: Two teams that are scared of the Top 25. Both have made appearances, and they have promptly lost the following week. This game is also extremely important for both teams depending on what USC does the rest of the way.

Oregon is tied for first place in the Pac-10, while Cal is sitting in third place. If USC can weasel their way into the BCS Title picture, then the Pac-10’s spot is the Rose Bowl is once again up for grabs.

Oregon has had inconsistency at the quarterback position all season, as they have gone through seemingly 20 different players to fill the position. Cal boasts a solid running game. The spread favors Cal by three, and I think the Golden Bears are finally on the upturn of their season. Expect Cal to win and cover.

Wisconsin vs. Michigan State: It’s amazing how things change in just a short amount of time. About a month ago, this looked like an amazing top-10 matchup. However, Wisconsin lost at the Big House, and nothing has been right in Badger country since then.

Wisconsin went on a four-game losing streak that was finally broken last week when they got the win over Illinois. Michigan State has been a surprise in the Big 10 this season. They have a chance to win at least a share of the conference title.

However, before they can do that, Michigan State has to take care of business against Wisconsin. The spread has Michigan State favored by four points, and for some reason, I don’t like those odds. Wisconsin is not a good team, but they will make a bowl game and the quest to do that begins with an upset over Michigan State. Wisconsin wins.

Virginia vs. Miami: This is a game that one month ago should not have been on the board, but due to a sudden resurgence in Charlottesville, it is now a very relevant game. The Cavaliers hold a two-game wining streak over Miami, and that includes a dominating performance by UVA last season, closing down the Orange Bowl with a 48-0 win.

However, despite last year's performance, Miami head coach Randy Johnson said he will not use last year's loss as motivation for this year’s team. For Virginia coach Al Groh, he is in the middle of one of the great turnarounds in college football. The Cavaliers are on a four-game winning streak and things seem up heading into homecoming.

Going into the weekend, Virginia is a 2.5 point favorite. I like those odds and say bet the Cavaliers to win and cover (hope I didn’t just jinx them).

Tennessee vs. South Carolina: This game has little to no affect on anything in the SEC and national title, but I am throwing it on the board just because it could be the last time we have either of these coaches featured in the College Football Pick’em.

Steve Spurier has hinted at his retirement since summer, and with his son now calling plays, one has to think the timing is just about right for the Old Ball Coach to give up the headset and hit the links.

Philip Fulmer does not want to admit his head is on the chopping block, but Tennessee is horrible, and his team gave up on him a long time ago. South Carolina is a six-point favorite for Saturday’s game. I like them to win the game, but I think Fulmer may have just enough in the tank to get his boys to cover the six points. Make it a moderate play for Tennessee to cover.