College Football Pick'em Week 11

Here we are at week 11 of the college football season and it is getting close to crunch time for several schools out there. Penn State appears to have a cake walk schedule the rest of the way in, and that means there are a bunch of one lost teams that could end up fighting for that one ticket to glory. While we let the computers and the BCS figure out all that, it’s time for us to get back to what we do best, and that is picking games. So let’s dive into the latest round of Walker-Sports College Football Pick’em.

For the second week in a row, all eyes will be on Lubbock, Texas, when the Texas Tech Red Raiders take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Who would have thought there would be a top ten match up coming out of the Big 12 South and it does not involve Texas or Oklahoma, but the other schools in those states? I guess that does show the times truly are changing.

Last week, Texas Tech put their stamp on the national title hunt, and managed to have a successful coming-out party by knocking off Texas in Lubbock.

The win legitimized Texas Tech as a program, and at the very least it made those of us here at Walker-Sports respect the Red Raiders.

There is no doubt Graham Harrell is an absolute stud at the quarterback position and he deserves to have his name at the top of the Heisman talk right now. The drive he led last week and the throw to Michael Crabtree were simply amazing.

However, the most impressive facet of the Red Raiders is not their explosive offense. It is the dominance of their defensive line.

Texas Tech went out and got themselves one of the best front lines I have seen in college football today. Made up primarily of transfers, this bunch is athletic and they love to get after the quarterback.

They gave Colt McCoy nightmares last weekend in Lubbock and kept the pressure on him all night long. The key to this Red Raiders defense is their ability to generate pressure with the front line.

The front line gets enough of a pass rush that Texas Tech does not have to blitz very often. This means more men are dropping back into coverage and looking to force turnovers.

If the Texas Tech defensive line can play that tough all night this weekend they will keep their team in any football game. Harrell and Crabtree proved all they need is a chance and they will take care of the rest.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have had an amazing season to this point. And in an odd twist of fate, it could all come undone with a lost this weekend.

Losing to Texas Tech would give the Cowboys two losses on the season, knocking them out of the Big 12 title hunt and eliminating any chance at a BCS bid, kind of harsh, but that is life in the BCS and more importantly that is life in the Big 12.

Mike Gundy has the Oklahoma State Cowboys playing far ahead of schedule and well above their expected talent level and that’s a good thing.

Zac Robinson has emerged as a great quarterback who knows how to get the ball to his playmakers and into the end zone. If he played in any other conference the amount of press he gets would be unbelievable.

Sadly for him, he plays in the Big 12 where there are four other Heisman Trophy candidates soaking up all the press.

In addition to Robinson, the Cowboys have what may have been the best kept secret in college football; Dez Bryant is a flat-out stud at wide receiver.

Sixty receptions for over 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns to this point of the season should tell you everything you need to know about this young man. His stats are arguably better than Michael Crabtree’s, and that is saying a lot.

The key for the Cowboys will be getting their defense to knuckle up and trying to keep the Red Raiders in check. Oklahoma State does not want to get into a shoot out with the Red Raiders.

hat will put too much pressure on Zac Robinson, and he will be forced to throw the ball into some tight spaces.

Currently, the spread has Texas Tech as a three-point favorite in what could prove to be a very tight game.

Last week, the Red Raiders earned a lot of respect from me. They are a better team than I thought. That being said, Saturday’s game sets up to be a mini-trap game of sorts.

The big win over Texas last week, an off week next weekend, then Oklahoma. No one is even paying attention to Oklahoma State, and any Oklahoma Sooner fan will tell you that the Cowboys love to step up and upset top-ranked teams.

I’m calling for the upset; Oklahoma State covers the three points and knocks off the Red Raiders.

Now Let’s Take a Look at Some Other Big Games:

Alabama vs. LSU: Nick Saban is taking his Alabama team on the road for their first time as the top-ranked team in the country. Alabama will be traveling down to Cajun country where they will take on a vastly overrated LSU team.

Alabama may not be the best team in the country, but they are the best team in the SEC west. LSU has disappointed in every big game they have played in this season. Georgia and Florida dominated the Tigers.

Don’t expect Alabama to do the same, but they will be able to live up to their three-point favorite status and cover the spread, soundly beating the Bayou Tigers.

TCU vs. Utah: A little bit of Thursday night football action out west for you with this game, and a trip to the BCS is at stake. Utah is trying to make their second trip to a BCS game after being led their by Alex Smith and Co.

Standing in their way are the TCU Horned Frogs, the same TCU team that destroyed BCS hopeful BYU on a Thursday night just over a month ago.

The spread has TCU as a two-point underdog; however, they are a far better team than that. Their only lost on the season was to Oklahoma, where they actually managed to keep the Sooners under 50 points.

Look for TCU to cover the two-point spread and pull the upset win.

Georgia Tech vs. UNC: This would be the ACC’s version of a powerhouse show down. Butch Davis has his Tar Heels playing some impressive football.

Too bad all of Chapel Hill has already moved on to celebrate the Heels No. 1 ranking in college basketball and forgot they even play football.

Georgia Tech presents a problem for any team they play, that is what happens when you run the triple option. No one wants to take the time to prepare for it, especially this late in the season. The option will present a huge problem for the Tar Heels and keep this a close game.

The spread has UNC favored at plus-four. This is a tough one to call, if the lines moves up anymore I will say take Georgia Tech to cover, however I think UNC can cover the four points here and win the game.

Cal vs. USC: This game only makes the list because it is a top 25 match up. USC is at the top of the PAC-10 once again and the other teams are just picking up the scraps.

Cal is a solid team, but they don’t have the anything on offense that can stand up to the pressure USC’s defense is able to generate. They’ve shut out three opponents this season.

I think Cal will get on the board, but I don’t think they will win the game. Right now, this game has been pulled off the board as there must be some new money coming in and the line is adjusting.

Even with that, I say take USC as long as their spread does not jump over...let’s say 14 points.

Cincinnati vs. West Virginia: Somehow, WVU has put its season back on track; I guess that is what happens when you start play in the worst conference in the country.

WVU is 3-0 in conference and sitting atop the Big East. The Cincinnati Bearcats are right behind them and looking to shake up the Big East rankings on Saturday night.

The spread has West Virginia as a seven-point favorite, and while they have played much improved ball over the past few weeks, I do not believe they can cover the spread. Look for WVU to win the game, but Cincy to cover the spread.