The Four To Score: Week 9

We've joined Charlie Weis in Ramsay Bolton's Dungeon

I had a winning record before last week's games kicked off. Then the 0-for happened. Yup, much like Charlie Weis and Chad West, CPA, I've been relegated to the lowest of lows. It was all going so swimmingly a few weeks ago. Now I can't even make fun of Chad's picks…just kidding, I'll still mock Chad's picks religiously. To make things a bit more interesting this week, we're making our picks Twitter Style. Aided by some of the finest Texas craft brew out there, we're going to do our best to break down our selections in 140 characters or less, hashtags and all. It certainly can't be any worse than the last few weeks. Here goes nothing…

First Down: Texas +10 at Kansas State, 12:00 PM EST (Garrett)

Wizard opts for "Don't Lose Football", as is tradition. Keeps things simple. Texas shows up in all 3 phases. #SwoopesThereItIs


Memphis -23.5 at SMU 12:00 PM EST (Chad)

Can you imagine how bad SMU is gonna be in 16 years when an 80 year old Mack Brown is finally forced out? #10years60million.

Second Down: Ole Miss -3.5 at LSU, 7:15 PM EST (Garrett)

Surely a guy who looks like this can't screw up a night game in Death Valley….

Ole Miss D will stack box, force Tigers to throw. Dr. Bo, @BamaAvenger15's Heisman pick, keeps rolling. Les smells the corn dogs. #PhyllisKnows

South Carolina + 19.5 at Auburn 7:30 PM EST (Chad)

Head Ball Coach is finally done trying to make Georgia look bad and it's green aerating season. #MayAsWellCoachSomeBall.

Third Down: Wisconsin -10.5 vs. Maryland, 12:00 PM EST (Garrett)

Homecoming in Madison with Badgers coming off a bye. Terps were run over at home by Buckeyes, Gordon will do the same. #JumpAround

Michigan State -17 vs. Michigan 3:30 PM EST (Chad)

Michigan is so bad that they may be considering another run at Rich Rod… I mean Jim Harbaugh. #LesMiles4Michigan.

Fourth Down: Oklahoma State -1 vs. West Virginia, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

These were the good ol' days….

Gundy is a man, he's 40, and 29-14-1 ATS as home fav. WVU 8-14 ATS in Big 12 games. Holgo gets #DeepBall from Garman all night #NotFireball.

Oregon State +13.5  at Stanford 3:30 PM EST (Chad)

Beavers eat trees, especially trees that are overrated. #NERDS.

Extra Point: TCU vs. Texas Tech OVER 72, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

Fort Worth Shootout, much like 2012 game. Tech can score, but can't stop anything. Boykin and Frogs score #AllThePoints so #GaryDoesntSweat.

Oregon State vs. Stanford OVER 43, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)

Stanford decides that if you can't stop 'em every time, and they stop you enough times, you may as well score some points. #Its2014PlaySomeOffense.

Garrett's Record: 17-20-3

Chad's Record: 11-24-1

Overall Record: 28-44-4

The Four To Score: Week Eight

Lets Forget About "Bloody Saturday"

Bloody Saturday. Black Saturday, if you're into historical stock market references. Whatever you want to call it, last week was not pretty here at Rushing The Field. Chad West, CPA and I took a severe beating. Some would say our wallets caught Ebola, given the hemorrhaging that occurred. Others might say it was as bad as SMU's football team at the beginning of the season. No matter how you slice it or dice it, last week was BAD. Now, the only positive to take from this is that the only place to go from here is up. We're like Washington, before Sarkisian arrived. If we fall any further, we'll be in Dante's Ninth Level of Hell, being forced to watch every play of every noon kickoff game in the Big Ten. No one wants to go there. I'm pretty sure Big Ten fans don't even want to go there. We do want to head back to the glorious Winner's Circle, and hopefully these picks do just that.

Oh, and if you know where Chad West, CPA, is, that information would be greatly appreciated. I can only presume he's face down in a ditch somewhere.

First Down: Oklahoma -7 vs. Kansas State, 12:00 PM EST

This line opened up around -9.5, but has since plummeted down to a touchdown, likely based on Oklahoma's performances the past two weeks. I don't think those two weeks are indicative of where this Oklahoma team is, and especially the type of team it is at home. First, the loss at TCU spoke more about where TCU is as a team, as the Horned Frogs look like a serious contender for the Big 12 Championship after back-to-back phenomenal performances against OU and Baylor. With how bad Trevor Knight's stat line was that game, if he makes a few more completions instead of interceptions, Oklahoma probably gets the W there. Secondly, anyone who knows about the Texas-OU rivalry knew Stoops was going to play that game very close to the chest, a la 2004. Oklahoma knew that if it didn't beat itself, it would win that game, and though their plan was nearly blown up by an incredible performance by Tyrone Swoopes, the Sooners were able to leave the Cotton Bowl with the Golden Hat. You can bet Oklahoma will be looking forward to return to its friendly confines after two very tough contests, and though K-State is a very well-coached ball club, there is still a big talent disparity between these two clubs. Oklahoma has been phenomenal at home under Stoops, and with an HFA around 4-5, there is no way the Sooners are only 2 -3 points better than Kansas State on a neutral field. Big Game Bob gets a statement win at home, as the Sooners win by double digits and look to get back in the playoff race.

Second Down: Washington +21 at Oregon, 8:00 PM EST

I'm going back to the well this week, after the Huskies won outright for me at Cal last weekend. Oregon certainly surprised me with their performance in the Rose Bowl last weekend, and even though King Mariota is the best player in the country, this is just too many points to pass up for a very good defensive team coached by Chris Petersen. All-Galaxy LB Shaq Thompson, who has scored four defensive TDs on the year, and the DL's in front of him will provide a very stiff test for Mariota and the Oregon offensive line. Excluding the debacle against Eastern Washington, Petersen's defensive unit hasn't given up more than twenty points in a game. I don't think Cyler Miles will be able to put up enough points for the Huskies to pull off the upset outright, but this should be a pretty close contest heading into the fourth quarter. 

Third Down: Colorado State -5.5 vs. Utah State, 7:00 PM EST

Utah State has bounced back after a bad loss against Arkansas State, but the winning streak will end in Fort Collins this week. As I stated earlier this year, I love what Nick Saban disciple Jim McElwain has been doing for the Rams. They have only lost one game ATS this year, when they had to travel up to the land of the wacky blue turf up in Idaho. Outside of that, they've done just about everything you could ask for. They won outright as a dog on the road at Boston College, something USC couldn't do. They've covered big numbers at home. They also beat their in-state rival on a neutral field to start the season. While Utah State does have a win over BYU, that win's significance is diminished by the fact that Taysom Hill's season ended in the first half. Outside of that win in Provo, the Aggies don't have a good win to their name. Give me the proven cover machine here, as Colorado State wins by at least a touchdown. 

Fourth Down: Georgia Tech -1 vs. North Carolina, 7:00 PM EST

Yes, Paul Johnson's crew failed to get the job done for me against Duke last week, but there are a lot of good things to take away from that game's box score. If it weren't for three turnovers, the Yellow Jackets probably would still be undefeated, as they out gained the Blue Devils by more than 100 yards. Additionally, even with a bye week to prepare for GT's rushing attack, Duke still gave up 6.1 yards per rush. North Carolina's sup-optimal defense doesn't have that privilege, and they have given up points to everyone this year: 58 to Notre Dame, 50 to Clemson, and 70 to East Carolina. The Tar Heels are ranked 90th in Rush Defense and 113th in Total Defense, which should bode very wall for Georgia Tech. Additionally, the Yellow Jackets have absolutely DOMINATED North Carolina in recent memory. as they have won eight of the last nine in this series. Again, Georgia Tech should run up, down, and all over North Carolina. If the defense can get a few stops against the Tar Heels offense, GT should win this one comfortably. 

Extra Point: Arkansas vs. Georgia UNDER 55.5, 4:00 PM EST

Expect to get a heavy dose of smash-mouth football in Arkansas this weekend. Bielema loves to pound the rock, and with Gurley out for Georgia, you can bank on Richt playing it close to the chest on offense. Both defensive units have also looked pretty good the past two weeks, with Arky holding Bama to fourteen points, and the Bulldogs 17th-ranked unit pitching a shutout at Mizzou. I'll take my chances on the under in what should be a close contest filled with lots of rushing attempts and punts.

Garrett's Record: 17-15-3

Chad's Record: 11-24-1

Overall Record: 28-39-4

The Four To Score: Week Seven

Another Week of Mayhem? 

While last week was one of the best College Football has seen in quite some time, the same can't be said for The Four To Score. Chad West, CPA, and I certainly had our struggles last week, going a horrendous 3-7. There's no denying we Charlie Weis'd it last week, but things wouldn't have been so bad if Stanford hadn't blown coverage on fourth down late in the game. Alas, things like that happen when you're picking games, and you have to balance out the good times with the bad beats. Before this gets as depressing as listening to some of the callers on the Finebaum show, lets delve into this week's card, which presents a slew of fantastic games much like last week. 

First Down: Texas A&M -2 vs. Ole Miss, 9:00 PM EST (Garrett)

One team is looking to bounce back following an embarrassing loss in Starkville, and the other is primed for a letdown after the biggest win in the history of its university….You get where I'm going with this one. It took everything Ole Miss had in the tank to beat Alabama this week, and it's hard to envision getting that type of performance from a team in back-to-back weeks, especially now that is has to go into the hostile environment created by the cult in College Station. While Dr. Bo showed up and played the game of his life last week, Kenny Trill struggled in Starkville. I'm not certain Dr. Bo can go two weeks in a row with a clean sheet in the interception category, but there is no way Kenny Trill and his skill players have a worse performance than they did last week. Sumlin will get his athletes in space to negate the tremendous skill the Rebel defense has up front in players like Nkemdiche, and the Aggies will notch their first big home SEC Win. Sadly, that means you'll have to hear incessant whooping Saturday night.

Baylor -8 vs. TCU, 3:30 PM  EST (Chad)
When this line started at -11, a was a TCU lean. In our season preview column, I picked the Frogs to as my team most likely to improve, and after last week's upset win over Oklahoma it's clear TCU is improved. However, Baylor is a monster at home, and at -8 I can't pass this line up. TCU had to pull out all the stops to beat OU, and Baylor will no doubt be studying the film on that speed option that gave the sooners fits in the first half. I don't see another ace up TCU's sleeve to jump out to an early two score lead. Additionally, Baylor showed last week they are comfortable grinding out a substantial win. Baylor pulls away by double digits in the second half.

Second Down: UCLA +2.5 vs. Oregon, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

Both of these teams suffered upsets at home last week, but there is a lot more reason for concern with the Oregon Ducks right now. The past two weeks have highlighted just how big the problems are with Oregon's makeshift offensive line, as the Ducks gave up ten sacks to Wazzu and Arizona. Neither of those teams are known for the things they do on the defensive side of the ball. Conversely, UCLA's strength is its' front seven, and they will be breathing down Mariota's neck all night long in the Rose Bowl. The wrong team is favored in the Rose Bowl this week, as the Bruins will give the Ducks their second consecutive loss, knocking Oregon out of the playoff and making Mark Helfrich's seat very hot.

Auburn -3 @ Mississippi State, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)
I just can't get on board the Clanga Train. My co-blogger's crush on Dak Prescott is well noted, and well deserved. However, I think the Auburn Defense duels him to a relative draw. Auburn does the Auburn thing, and wears the Bulldogs out up front with their running attack. Duke Williams and Sammie Coates get free an awful lot in the Bulldog secondary of play action during the second half, and Auburn comes away with a comfortable win. 

Third Down: Washington +3.5 vs. California, 6:00 PM EST (Garrett)

I realize the Huskies struggled mightily on offense against Stanford. It also can't be ignored that Keith Price, Bishop Sankey, and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins are no longer on campus. That being said, there is just no way I can explain the line shift from last year's game to this year's. Last year, the Huskies were favored by a whopping 28 points in Seattle. Now, if you're excluding Home Field Advantage, you're telling me Cal has closed a 25 point gap? When Washington returned 16 starters to start the season?!? Cal's offense may be lighting up the scoreboard, but they haven't played a competent defense other than Northwestern, and they beat PAC 12 basement dwellers Colorado and Wazzu by a combined four points!!! Though this play is purely based on principle, the Huskies defense will be the best defense Cal has seen this year, and the offense should have sorted some of its issues out over the bye week. It also doesn't hurt that Washington has dominated this series recently, winning six of the last seven.

OU-14.5 vs. Texas (at the Cotton Bowl), 12:00 PM EST (Chad)
It saddens me that for the first time in a reallllly long time, I will not be in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. If you're at the fair Saturday, please drink a plastic-infused beer for me. Now, I hate picking this game, but after talking with Garrett I'm fairly secure in my pick. Last year, Texas took advantage of the absence of OU's best interior defensive lineman (the massive Jordan Phillips) and gouged the Sooners up front for a ton of yards. Case McCoy made the 4 best throw of his career, and UT upset the Sooners. This year, Jordan Phillips is healthy, and the Sooners have proven fairly stingy up front. I don't see many ways for the Longhorns to make yards, much less score, with the inept Shawn Watson calling plays. The rumors out of Norman are Stoops has been in position meetings all week (something he hasn't done since he essentially retired after the 2000 National Championship). The Sooners are going in to Dallas ready, and if they lose it will be because Texas actually beats them. The continued absence of Keith Ford hurts the Sooners some, but they score enough, and keep Texas to few enough, to cover.

Fourth Down: Georgia Tech -3 vs. Duke, 12:00 PM EST (Garrett)

When you look at how Duke has faired against Georgia Tech in previous years, the box scores depict a crime scene. Last year, the Yellow Jackets rushed for 344 yards. The year before that, they rushed for 330. Three years ago, they gained 364 on the ground. Simply put, Georgia Tech has run the option up and down Duke's throat year in and year out. So far this season, Duke has only played one competent team, the Miami Hurricanes. Duke lost to them, giving up over 200 yards on the ground, while the Yellow Jackets took care of Al Golden and Co. last week in Atlanta. Though they have had an extra week to prepare for the option attack, things still probably won't bode well for a unit ranked 79th in the country in Rush Defense, when they've played teams like Kansas, Tulane, and almighty Elon. Georgia Tech will run left, right, up, down, and all over Duke this week. Hell, they should probably run all over everyone after the pep talks they get every week from their team chaplain….

Michigan State -20.5 at Purdue, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)
At this point, Michigan State may be the most underrated team in the country. If not for a baffling half in Eugene a month ago, we would be talking about this team as a borderline playoff shoe-in. Purdue, on the other hand well, sucks. Pat Narduzzi's defense keeps Purdue out of the endzone, and the Spartans methodically pound away at the score board all afternoon. This one smells like a rout, and unfortunately, Michigan State continues to inches their way back into the playoff picture. 

Extra Point: Notre Dame vs. North Carolina UNDER 65 Points (Garrett)

This game definitely reeks of a look ahead situation for Notre Dame, with a trip to Florida State on deck next weekend. That being said, the Notre Dame defense does rank 3rd in the country in points allowed per game, and considering it hasn't given up more than 17 points all season, it should be able to dictate the terms of the affair at home this weekend. It won't be as ugly the game last week against Stanford, but this one has the looks of a game that goes under the total, with Notre Dame not winning as convincingly as it probably should.

Florida vs. LSU UNDER 47 Points (Chad)
These two may not score a single point. Florida is sticking with much maligned starter Jeff Driskel again, almost entirely because of a lack of reasonable alternatives. LSU will put a true freshman under center again, which oh boy, that's gonna be fun. You couldn't pay me to watch this game. Florida wins 2-0.

Garrett's Record: 16-11-3

Chad's Record: 11-19-1

Overall Record: 27-30-4

The Four To Score: Week Six

Win or Lose, This is a Drool-Worthy Saturday

Oh yeah, Charlie….It's THAT good. 

Gals live for Pumpkin Spiced Lattes this time of year. Men, on the other hand, dream about Saturdays like the one we have this week. There are many superlatives you could probably use to discuss this week's card, but it probably wouldn't do it justice. It's so good that the majority of college football fans will probably be in a zombie-like state for extended periods of time on Saturday, becoming cognizant only to change the channel, grab another brewsky, or ingest more artery-clogging gameday treats. Hopefully our picks will do this week justice, as we look to improve on an average Week 5. Chad West, CPA finally got the better of me by the smallest of margins (3-2 to 2-2-1). Is this merely a case of a blind raccoon eventually finding a garbage can, or is the start of a Bill Snyder-esque wizardly comeback tour? Keep reading to find out, as we provide you with our far-less-than-scintillating thoughts on this week's incredible tilts.

First Down: Mississippi State -2 vs. Texas A&M, 12:00 PM EST (Garrett)

The Fightin' Aggies were lucky to escape JerryWorld with a win last week, needing a fourth quarter comeback to force overtime. Despite the win, Sumlin's crew still gave up just under 500 yards of offense to a very simple offense, 285 of which were on the ground. Obviously, the Aggies defense fooled me, and still leaves much to be desired. Now that same defense will have to take on a very dynamic offense featuring the best dual-threat QB in the SEC, Dak Prescott. Think back to two weeks ago, when the DAK ATTACK ran wild in Baton Rouge, racking up all kinds of points and yards. Yes, that offense had its way with the Tigers in Death Valley, at night. That game was merely a sign of things to come, as Dan Mullen's boys will get their second signature win in a three week span this Saturday. Back the DAK ATTACK in Starkville. 

Texas A&M +2 @ Mississippi State, 12:00 PM EST (Chad)

We got some insight this week on where all that Aggyland swag has been coming from the past few years. Kevin Sumlin parties with Rick Ross, and makes others feel the need to get turnt? #YESSIR. After last weeks near miracle comeback against a good Arkansas team, I'm not counting out the Aggies for the rest of the year. Sure, a road test against a much improved and en vogue Mississippi State team is cause for concern. Dak Prescott can flat out play, as evidenced my Garrett's newly acquired man crush. But, let's not go overboard here. This team beat a wobbly LSU team my Louisiana buddies predicted to win 8 games. Given A&M's wins against Sakerlina and Arky, they have the better resume, and wayyyy more swag. This one is probably close, but Aggy wins outright.

Second Down: Stanford -2.5 vs. Notre Dame, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

I must admit, I have loved what I have seen from the Everett Golson Comeback Tour. That being said, Notre Dame hasn't played anyone noteworthy so far, defeating a bunch of sub-optimal opponents including the dumpster-fire started by Brady Hoke. Perhaps the most damning evidence of Notre Dame's inflated value was it's unimpressive 16 point win over Purdue, one of the absolute worst teams in the land. Contrast that with a battle-tested Stanford Cardinal, who last week went into a very tough environment in Washington and left with a conference W. The Huskies are a far better unit than anything that Notre Dame has gone up against, and if not for some red zone hijinks against USC, this Stanford team would be undefeated with arguably the two best wins in the country to date. This game should be the low-scoring slugfest Vegas expects, but the more proven commodity will leave South Bend with a win on Saturday. 

Notre Dame +2.5 @ Stanford, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)

God, I hate this. I'm no fan of the Golden Domers, and I have been a huge fan of what Stanford has done the past six years or so. But, this is a different Stanford team. They struggle to run the ball at times, mostly because they don't have a front line back a la Toby Gerhart, Stephon Taylor, or Tyler Gaffney. Notre Dame, on the other hand is really catching on with Brian Kelly's system, as evidenced by Everett Golson teaching a masters class in dink and dunk last week. This is 2014, and offense is king. The defenses duel to a relative draw, but Notre Dame executes better on offense. Golson is the difference in a close game, in which the public will see Brian Kelly turn purple 3 times.

Third Down: USC -12 vs. Arizona State, 7:30 PM EST (Garrett)

Remember earlier this season, when we said the Sun Devils were the most likely team in the country to take a big step back from last season? Last week validated that thought process, as the ASU defense showed its true colors to the country, giving up 580 yards of offense in an absolute shellacking. Keep in mind that was against a UCLA team that had been very underwhelming in its early season performances. On the other side of the ball, USC bounced back in pretty impressive fashion last Saturday, getting a 25 point win and a cover against Oregon State at home. Don't forget that this is a massive revenge spot of the Trojans, as USC was blown out last year in Tempe in a performance so bad that it saw Lane Kiffin lose his job upon hitting the runway in Los Angeles. For those worried about how USC's rush defense (Trojans were absolutely mauled on the ground in Boston) will fare against the 17th ranked rushing attack in the country, keep in mind that ASU's rushing statistics are a bit inflated after games against Weber State and New Mexico (they came back down to earth against UCLA, rushing for only 138 yards). Finally, the home team has covered the spread in four of the last five in this series, and the home team has also won outright seven of the last ten times. Sark's squad gets their vengeance in Los Angeles, as the Trojans win by more than two touchdowns. 

Those thighs, doe.

Oklahoma -5 @ TCU, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)

This is a trap game, right? TCU has a new shiny offense, complete with track stars on the outside (Colby Listenbee) and former five star recruits (running back Aaron Green), Pair that up with Gary Patterson's infamously stingy defense, and the Sooners aren't gonna escape Fort Worth without suffering a loss. Right? Right? Not happening. Boykin doesn't throw a pretty enough deep ball to get it to the TCU speedsters and take advantage of the relative weakness in the OU secondary. Boykin is mobile enough to cause some teams fits, but Erik Striker and his gang of SEC-sized brutes will make things tough for the Frogs up front.  OU is fairly talented and balanced on offense, especially with the emergence of Freshman Phenom Samaje Perine. That will be enough to tame the Frogs. TCU is about to play their first game of the season, and they're gonna lose it handily. OU in a rout. 

Fourth Down: Nebraska +7 at Michigan State, 8 PM EST (Garrett)

But if you don't cover….

I can't believe it's happening, but I'm putting my faith in Bo Pelini. The man who cursed his own fans is 7-11 ATS as a road dog in his tenure at Nebraska, but I think Nebraska can do just enough to keep this one tight in East Lansing. In their one game against formidable opposition, Michigan State's stout defense yielded 4.3 yards per carry to the Oregon Ducks offense. If there is one thing you can bank on the Cornhuskers doing, it's running the ball. Nebraska has the third best rushing attack in the country, led by the country's #1 RB Ameer Abdullah. Despite losing this contest last year, Nebraska was able to move the ball with some success against the Spartans, putting up 392 yards against arguably the best defense in the country last season. In fact, if it wasn't for the five turnovers, Nebraska probably would've gotten the win. As hard as it may be….BELIEVE IN PELINI! 

East Carolina -41 vs. SMU, 12:00 PM EST (Chad)

45-0
43-6
58-6
56-0

Extra Point: Oklahoma vs. TCU UNDER 57.5, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

Both games between these teams the past two years have come nowhere near going over the total, and I think that trend will continue in Fort Worth on Saturday. Though OU has looked to be one of the best teams in the country, Gary Patterson is one of the best defensive minds in the game, and he finally has some depth this year. Oklahoma also has a phenomenal defense, and you have to think they'll have the edge against TCU QB Trevone Boykin. With both squads being run-first teams, this should probably be a tight affair dominated by the defenses. 

Alabama @ Ole Miss OVER 52.5, 3:30 PM EST  (Chad)

I see this game going an awful lot like the Alabama opener against West Virginia, when the Tide won a close game 33-23. Both these teams can score, and Lord Saban has been seeing a psychologist about his relationship with points ( I would to if I had Amari Cooper). Dr. Bo will score enough for both Ole Miss and Alabama to get this one over 50 total points, plus some change.

Garrett's Record: 14-8-3

Chad's Record: 10-14-1

Overall Record: 24-22-4

The Four To Score: Week Five

Conference Races Are About to Heat Up….HALLELUJAH! 

Rich Rod and Chad on Saturdays. 

Finally, we're getting into the meat and potatoes of the college football season. Forget the dainty amouse-bouches and appetizers, we're ready for steady massive helpings of conference showdowns every week from here on out. This couldn't come soon enough, especially after last week's mediocrity here at The Four To Score. Losing Florida +14 was a loss that felt like it should have been a win during the game, but after stepping back and thinking about the game on Sunday, Will Muschamp's boys had absolutely no business hanging around for so long. Shame on me for following my heart and trusting you, Coach Boom. Long gone are the days of you chest-bumping Brian Orakpo, instead replaced by defensive mishaps leading to lots of offensive yards for opponents. Similarly, Chad took the brunt of it thanks to the least likely of characters….Greg F'n Davis. Somehow, Pitt squandered a ten point halftime lead and lost to the Hawkeyes in a game that saw the Panthers win the box score by a margin of over 100 yards. Curse the Master of Bubble Screens for putting up 17 points in the second half and blowing the cover for Chad (2-3 last week), who just can't seem to get a bounce. Hopefully things start to look up for Chad, and I'll do my best to avoid a regression to the mean (2-2-1 last week) as we break down this week's appetizing card.

First Down: Texas Tech +14 at Oklahoma State, 7:30 PM EST Thursday (Garrett)

Call me crazy for it, but I'm backing Kliff's crew this week as they head to Stillwater. The Red Raiders defense has been an absolute mess to start the season, and the offense hasn't clicked as many have expected. Yet I think this could be the week where things start heading in the positive direction for Texas Tech. They had a bye week last week, and fired their defensive coordinator, which hopefully fixes some of their defensive ills like it did for Texas in 2013. That extra week to prepare for Mike Gundy's squad will not only help the defense get its act in order, but should have also provided Davis Webb more reps to get on the same page with his WRs. As in most games between these two teams, there should be points aplenty, but I think the Red Raiders will do just enough to keep this to a single-digit game in a "rally the troops"moment to start conference play.

Oklahoma State -14 vs. Texas Tech, 7:30 PM EST Thursday (Chad)
This one will probably bite me in the ass. This is wayyy to many points, and there's little chance Tech is actually as bad as they looked against Arkansas a few weeks ago. Nonetheless, I'm laying the points with the bright orange headed step children of Oklahoma State. The loss of J.W. Walsh doesn't sting as much as some seem to think. Inside the Cowboys program, their has been effusive praise for newly minted starting QB Daxx Garman since he got on campus, and his throw first-style is tailor made for what Gundy likes to do on offense. Garman's arm will let Gundy pound the rock when he needs to, and play action teams to death. Tonight, the Pokes won't stray to far from that model. Gundy is no idiot, and he's seen that Arky tape. Scheme can't fix how small the Red Raiders are up front. Childs, Roland and Tyreek Hill will set the pace for a competent OSU rushing attack, and Garman will deliver some daggers over the top on the DB's who come up to help on the run. Given the amount of points they're giving this one will be close, but Gundy and the step-children cover.

Second Down: Washington +8 vs. Stanford, 4:15 PM EST (Garrett)

Situationally, there are a lot of reasons to like Washington in this spot. First and foremost, this game reeks of a look-ahead spot for Stanford, as the Cardinal surely have been peeking at that date with #8 Notre Dame next weekend. Additionally, Husky Stadium is a very tough place to play, as Stanford learned two years ago when Washington pulled a 17-13 upset over the Cardinals. The Huskies will also be looking to avenge last year's heartbreaker in Palo Alto, a game that included a fantastic performance from the now departed Keith Price. On the stat sheet, you have to love seeing Washington +8 in Turnover Margin, and I think QB Cyler Miles can cause some problems for the stout Stanford defense with his feet. Ultimately we should see both teams pound the ball on the ground (Washington 4th in country with 51 rush attempts per game; Stanford averaging 34), leading to another very close contest (last two games decided by a combined 7 points) up in Seattle. Take Washington and the points in this one.

It's the simple things in life...

TCU -32 @ SMU, 12:00 PM EST (Chad)
Much to the disappointment of Eric Dickerson, the Ponies may very well be the worst team in college football. SMU's best performance of the season came in a 37 point loss to North Texas, who lost the following week to Louisiana Tech by 21 points. Ouch. Next up is a seemingly improved TCU team, where Gary Patterson is attempting to reconcile his defense-first ways with the need to score points in modern college football. TCU has gone to a spread-esque system helmed by Leach and Holgorsen proteges. The early returns are promising (despite the much maligned Treyvone Boykin still being the Horned Frogs signal caller) and TCU is certainly capable of hanging some points on SMU. TCU's defense looks dominant, and Boykin stays out of his own way enough to put 45 or so on the board. TCU big. 

Third Down: Texas A&M -9.5 vs. Arkansas, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

Last year's game in JerryWorld closed with Arkansas being a 13.5 point underdog. Looking at this line, I can't justify Arkansas being four points better in this contest. Yes, they got a big win against Texas Tech in Lubbock, but the Tech offense isn't operating at a high level yet, and this same Arkansas defense got torched by Auburn for 595 yards in Week 1. The Aggies' offense is far more explosive than Auburn's in my book, and I think Texas A&M's defense has improved markedly from last season (held South Carolina under 100 yards in Week 1 when everyone thought Spurrier would run it down Sumlin's throat). Bielema's best bet to keep this one close is to shorten the game by running the ball and the clock, but that will go out the window should A&M jump out to an early lead. Kenny Trill, Ricky Seals-Jones, and Speedy Noil will just be too much for Woo Pig in Dallas, as the best offense in the land (averaging 613 ypg) will light up the scoreboard and win this one by double digits.

Yell Leaders…..The Absolute WORST. 

Texas -12 @ Kansas, 4:00 PM EST (Chad)
Seriously, Texas is not bad enough to have earned this line. BYU and UCLA are both decent. Kansas, on the other hand, is still really, really bad. The highest single game QBR for a Kansas QB in the Weis era? Just north of 60. Hoagie the Hut's still relatively extant reputation as an offensive guru is mind boggling. The aggregate of his teams offensive statistics at talent rich Notre Dame and Florida were exactly average. At Kansas?! Bahaha. "Decided strategic advantage," my ass. Texas has looked sort of meh on offense with Swoopes under center, but we saw marked improvement from BYU through the 4th quarter of the UCLA game. The Longhorn aren't great (as we are all too aware,) but they're not beat "Kansas by less than 10" bad (although Texas was THAT bad under uncle Mack in 2012). If Texas doesn't cover this...

Please no. Please.

Fourth Down: Baylor -21 vs. Iowa State, 8:20 PM EST (Garrett)

To describe last year's game as a "blowout" would be an understatement. The Bears had their way with the Cyclones, covering the spread as 33 point favorites in a 71-7 victory. Art Briles and Bryce Petty have shown no signs of slowing up this season, as they have dominated their inferior opponents by at least 42 points in all three games. Don't be fooled by that rivalry victory, as the Cyclones fit the description of "inferior opponent. Iowa State was absolutely dominated on the stat sheet by both Kansas State (-152 in yards) and North Dakota State (-253 in yards). Furthermore, there offense has only topped put up more than 17 points on one occasion (21 against Kansas State). This spread should be much closer to -28 given last year's spread, and how Iowa State has looked this season. Lay the points with Art Briles' offensive juggernaut.

Tennessee +17 @ Georgia, 11:00 PM EST (Chad)
Butch Jones' track record speaks for itself at this point. Successful stops at Central Michigan and Cincinnati preceded his current gig in Knoxville, where he's recruited well and his efforts are starting to show. A 24 point loss to OU two weeks ago wasn't as bad as it looked, and if not for the "Florida Menace" (Erik Striker) that game would've been much closer. Don't look now SEC East foes, but Tennessee is rising. They won't beat anyone they shouldn't this year, but they are sure gonna scare some folks. Georgia still has Todd Gurley, probably the country's best player. Tennessee will struggle to stop Gurley, as anyone would. Georgia should run the ball with relative ease all day. However, Georgia won't be concerned with style points during this conference game, and Mark Richt will be perfectly satisifed with an ugly win, which they get by less than 17.

Extra Point: Wisconsin OVER 42.5 points, 12:00 PM EST (Garrett)

Melvin Gordon will run for all the yards on Saturday.

Take a look at the box score from when South Florida played North Carolina State, and you'll see that the Wolfpack rushed for 315 yards against the Bulls. Now translate that to this matchup, where the Bulls will be taking on the best rushing attack in the country, who just happened to put up 644 yards on the ground against Bowling Green last weekend, and is averaging 7.8 yards per carry on the season. The Badgers should be able to gash South Florida (93rd in the country in points allowed) left and right, leading to a ton of points for the Badgers this weekend in Madison.

Wyoming vs. Michigan State UNDER 47.5 points, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)
I really hate to do this to you guys. Two college football teams who are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for coaches should be able to muster 50 points between them. However, Dantonio and his minion Pat Narduzzi hate points and they don't really like to let people score them. Wyoming and Craig Bohl have been the absolute ugliest team in the country this year, win or lose. It will be a sad afternoon for points in East Lansing. 

Garrett's Record: 12-6-2 (66.7%)

Chad's Record: 7-12-1 (36.8%) 

Overall Record: 19-18-3 (51.3%) 

The Realm of Football: Part Two

And the Lord Jameis hath said: "Thou shall plow thine's woman right in her nether reigons." 

Ah, yes...Who would have thought a mere string of words could bring down the playoff hopes and dreams of an entire university? Unbelievably so, the sentence so aptly translated by David Tenenbaum (Twitter: @DTenenbaum) nearly did just that. If it wasn't for the heroics of trusty Squire Maguire and Clemson being Clemson, the mighty Seminoles would find themselves eliminated from playoff contention before the arrival of October. Instead, we will now more than likely be forced to see the realm's least liked player playing for it all in January, leaving us to forever curse the name "Dabo" for not doing the deed. Beyond the shenanigans of Lord Jameis (probably more apt to call him Jameis the Jester), there were plenty of other intriguing happenings in the realm, leaving us with a quite a bit to decipher and discuss. Here are just a few of the things on our feeble minds after four weeks of football.

1. The tide is rising in Mississippi, not Alabama.

Dak The Destroyer eviscerated The Mad Hatter's defense.

Before Paul Finebaum callers start harassing us, Alabama did some really impressive things this week against Florida. We all knew that Amari Cooper isn't from this planet, instead hailing from the some other land in our galaxy that gave birth to Julio Jones. Additionally, Blake Sims looked like a damn good quarterback, making us eat our words for ever doubting a Nick Saban QB (Greg McElroy excluded). That being said, this is what the realm is supposed to expect of Alabama: they have the best recruiting haul year in and year out, have phenomenal facilities, and the Dark Lord of Defense running their ship. Contrast that with the Ole Miss Rebels and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. No one expects anything from these units. Since the earliest days of the realm, these programs have been seen as the Hodors of college football…and now the Hodors just might be contenders for the championship. Though there are still a ton of conference tilts left to be played, both have shown themselves to be capable of going toe to toe with Alabama and Auburn. Nkemdiche's unit in Oxford looked nasty against Boise, laying hard hit after hard hit against the Broncos in the season opener. Combine that with a Bo Wallace that merely distributes and avoids the big mistakes (pray to the CFB Gods for this), and Rebels fans have many reasons to believe they could be playing for it all in Atlanta in December. However, the more impressive team from The Magnolia State is unquestionably Mississippi State. Dan Mullen's group, led by the fearsome DAK THE DESTROYER went into Death Valley, at night, and whipped the Mad Hatter and his crew into submission. Most ardent followers of the game have known about Dak for some time, making the defense's performance the most unbelievable of the night. The Bulldogs went into Baton Rouge, and didn't concede a touchdown to LSU's offense (which has two very good RBs in Hilliard and Fournette) until the fourth quarter. These Mississippi teams are for real, citizens of the realm. Do we dare say that the Egg Bowl will decide the winner of the SEC West? Hard as that may be to fathom, this could be the year that winter indeed comes. 

2. The PAC 12 has challenged the SEC to a trial by combat to decide the best conference race of the season.

Making the winning catch while apparently taking a shot to the jewels? LEGENDARY.

We're not backtracking from what we said about the SEC West a few weeks ago in the first edition of The Realm of Football. Furthermore, the SEC East looks to be wide open given the unpredictability of Spurrier's squad, and the fact that Mark Richt and Gary Pinkel are still in control of Georgia and Mizzou. Yet despite how great these races should be, if this past weekend was any indication, the PAC 12 race will give the SEC all it can handle. The final hours of Saturday night were full of west coast mayhem, as there were two fantastic contests finishing within minutes of each other. First, Pullman began to look like Lubbock, as the Ducks were able to hold off Mike Leach's pesky offense despite giving up seven sacks. Only minutes later, the Cardiac Cats from Tucson completed an unbelievable comeback that included 36 fourth quarter points, and the Hill Mary. Much like the SEC, this conference has shown us that even the bottom feeders can give the top dogs a run, which should lead to an incredible race. Just think about it: USC looked promising after beating Stanford, then fell to lowly BC; UCLA was a popular playoff pick, but has looked unimpressive, and Hundley's status is up in the air; ASU has lost Taylor Kelly for a few weeks, so who knows what the Sun Devils will look like; Utah just went to Ann Arbor and beat the snot out of Michigan in the Big House; Stanford is still a pretty good squad that should get close to 10 wins. There are a ton of unknowns right now in the PAC 12 outside of a certain dude up in Eugene, and it will be fun to watch those questions get answered over the coming weeks.

3. Speaking of that dude in Eugene…

ALL HAIL THE ONE TRUE KING, KING MARIOTA. We can't hide our Marcus Mariota bromance here at Rushing The Field. Even if Lord Jameis wasn't engaging in hijinks, he'd still be second best to the man at the helm of the dystopian duck cyborg blood machine. Despite his offensive line not showing up last week in Pullman, Mariota still went 21-25 for 329 yards and 5 TDs, which also included a key 28 yard scamper on 4th and 10 late in the third quarter when the game was tied. And his yearly stats, you ask? A mere 71 of 96 for 1135 yards and 13 TDs, plus three more scores and 214 yards on the ground. If he can continue at this pace over the next 8 games, he'll finish with over 3,000 yards passing, close to 1,000 on the ground, and roughly 48 combined TDs. Let's hope the Ducks' O-Line can shape up and keep the king upright, as we might be witnessing one of the greatest individual seasons ever. 

4. Marcus is The King, but Optimus Perine may be the baddest man in the land.

CFB's Greg Oden…Someone check this guy's birth certificate!

As West Virginia learned this past week, Samaje Perine is not to be messed with, and is not easy to bring down. College football's version of Greg Oden had his coming out party this weekend, and what a scene it was. 34 carries, 242 yards, 4 TDs. I can't even begin to tell you how many of those yards were after first contact, as the 5'11" true freshman made countless WVU defenders regret taking the field Saturday night. He may not be as dynamic as a certain former Sooner currently in trouble with the law, but he's a bowling ball of a bruiser that is going to wear down Big XII teams left and right in the weeks to come. Either way, the RB by committee experiment at Oklahoma has ended, as Optimus Perine has taken the reigns.

5. Charlie Strong inherited a sacked and smoldering House Longhorn. 

At least they gave Charlie a sweet cowboy hat. 

You know it's bad when you see Twitter debates among respected sports writers and CFB analysts about whether Mack left the program in better shape than Mackovic. Yes, John Freaking Mackovic. Mackovic certainly didn't win a national championship, and the program certainly wasn't the behemoth in terms of national attention it is now thanks to Grandaddy Mack, but when you look at the talent on this squad, you start to wonder what in the world Mack was doing in his last four years on The Forty. If you check NFL DraftScout, you'll find that only six Longhorns are projected to be drafted this season, and while it's still early and much better than last year's donut in the draft, none are projected higher than the 3rd round. It must be said that this website somehow has not included DT Malcom Brown in its rankings, and the one shining star of the Longhorns could be a first or second round pick after this season should he come out. Still, when you're the University of Texas, and you have only one guy who MIGHT be a first round draft pick, someone wasn't doing their job in both recruiting and developing talent. Keep in mind, Mackovic won three conference championships in his last four seasons on The Forty, and left Mack Brown some serious talent in Ricky Williams, Casey Hampton, Shaun Rogers, Leonard Davis, Mike Williams, and Quentin Jammer. There is nothing anywhere close to that on this year's roster. Barring the NCAA allowing Vince Young to suit up again for the Horns, it's going to take a few years for Charlie to get this program back to where it was from 2004-2009 in terms of talent. Let's just hope the burnt orange fanatics can keep that in mind while Charlie rebuilds the house.

Anyone see some Mack and DeLoss in here?

That's all for this week in The Realm of Football! We hope you are enjoying our sub-optimal blogging, and please feel free to share it with other citizens of the realm.

The Four To Score: Week Four

A Tale of Two Bloggers 

"This is how I kick some Richt……"

We're roughly a fifth of the way through the season, and already the cream is rising to the top. Last week proved to be very rough for Chad West, CPA, as he dug himself a hole that he may not be able to get out of. Granted, that's what he deserves for taking Mark Richt against our beloved Steve Spurrier. Once again, the Head Ball Coach proved he completely owns Richt's poor soul, and has buried it somewhere so deep in SEC land that Captain Jack Sparrow wouldn't be able to find it. Thankfully there  is another blogger on this site, who has able to carry Chad's dead weight up a hill in two feet of snow. Hackenberg and Co. could have made it a 5-0 week for the site's blogger above .500, but something tells me he'll settle for a 4-0-1 mark any day of the week. Beyond the triumphs and tragedies of last week, we can't tell you how excited we are that Week Four has finally arrived. Conference races are set to begin, bringing smaller lines and better matchups into play. That also means SEC teams will begin playing each other on a weekly basis, meaning Paul Finebaum's callers will only get more animated and make his show can't-miss radio/television. Before Chad kicks the stool out from beneath his feet, lets get into this week's picks. 

First Down: Florida +14.5 @ Alabama, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

"I'm telling you Nick, college football NEEDS us."

Florida can't hide from its record ATS in recent years…It's been horrible. Since Muschamp arrived in Gainesville, the Gators are a very underwhelming 15-22-1 against the number. That being said, I think there's a lot to like about Florida in this spot. Many will look at least week's game and see it as an embarrassing close win over Kentucky, but I think the Wildcats are a lot better than people give them credit for, and surviving that close of a battle should help a team who struggled to win games last season. Matchup wise, you have to like this Florida defense that returns 7 starters against Alabama's duo of unproven QBs. Coker and Sims have yet to play a real defense, and you can bank on Muschamp getting his defensive unit in the best positions possible. Muschamp probably won't be able to pull off the upset in Tuscaloosa, but this game should be a low-scoring, ugly affair leading to a Florida cover. Give me Coach Boom, two touchdowns, and the hook.

Nebraska - 7.5 vs. Miami, 8:00 PM EST (Chad)
From any point from the mid 80's to when these teams met for the 2001 National Championship, the public would be drooling over this matchup. Boy, awful coaches sure can wreck a program (Hi Bill Callahan! And you too, Al Golden). Nebraska looked BAD against McNeese State a few weeks ago, and if not for some late game heroics from Ameer Abdullah they would've suffered a humiliating loss. But, they survived to beat the doors off of Fresno State last week, the same Fresno State team USC beat less soundly to somehow become a playoff front runner (Bahahaha). Arkansas State ran the ball on Miami last week, after Louisville did the same in Week 1. Bo Pelini won't over think this one. He'll let Miami true freshman QB Brad Kaaya make mistakes, and absolutely pound Ameer Abdullah and Imani Cross all day. Only an awful choke job by Nebraska could screw this one up. No way that happens with this man at the helm, right?

Pictured provided without commentary.

Second Down: Mississippi State +9.5 @ LSU, 7:00 PM EST (Garrett)

Dak The Destroyer

As tough as it is to play a night game in Death Valley, I'm not sold on the LSU Tigers this year. They struggled mightily against Wisconsin, as the Badgers were able to pound the rock against the Tigers (39 attempts for 268 yards, 6.9 ypc). Much like Alabama, I'm also not sold on LSU at the QB position, as Anthony Jennings has been unimpressive (9-21 against Wisconsin, only a 52% completion rate on the season). Conversely, I'm a big fan of Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, and think that Dan Mullen's offense should be able to put up some points against the Tigers. The Bulldogs defense did look shaky against UAB, but if they can get some stops here and there, Mullen will have a shot at a signature upset win. Expect the Bulldogs to stack the box and force Jennings to beat them with his arm, which should lead to a very close game. (Wait as long as you can if you're playing this game, and hopefully some +10's will show up on the board).

Ask Texas about facing Taysom--the bionic knee'd Alpha Mormon.

BYU -14 vs. Virginia, 3:30 PM EST (Chad)

Despite what the scoreboard said two weeks ago, UVA's win against Richmond left something to be desired. The Spiders gained nearly 100 more yards than the Cavaliers, and if not for 3 costly Richmond turnovers it would have been a very different game (obviously). All told, Virginia has been abysmal on offense all season, barely eclipsing 300 yards a game. BYU got into a dog fight with a pretty bad Houston squad last Friday, but pulled off a win thanks to a 16 point first quarter lead and Taysom Hill's ability to move the chains. Honestly, the Cougars got bored and a last second Houston Hail Mary to end the half made for a deceivingly close margin at half time. BYU's defense has been stout all year. Though the Cougars haven't played anything that resembles a competent offense, the hapless Cavialers are more akin to UConn than they are Oregon, and won't be able to move the ball in any meaningful way. UVA settles for a couple field goals and maybe a score, while BYU and Mormon Tebow move the chains all day in a comfortable win.

Third Down: Oklahoma -7.5 @ West Virginia, 7:30 PM EST (Garrett)

I loved watching the Mountaineers get a cover (and outright win) for me last week, and it seems everyone in the country is in love with Holgo's boys now too. The line for this one opened up around -12.5, but has plummeted over the week down to Oklahoma -7.5. While West Virginia is much better than we expected them to be at the beginning of the season, I just can't see this game being decided by less than double digits. Clint Trickett has looked impressive, and crazy things can happen in Morgantown, but it appears that Good Old Bobby Stoops has his early 2000's swagger back. The Sooners defense has been as good as advertised, and Trevor Knight looked like he was playing Alabama all over again last weekend (20-33, 308 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT). You also can't overlook how WVU performed against Bama's rushing attack (288 yds), as the Sooners bring a damn good running game to the table. Oklahoma experienced a scare in Morgantown two years ago, eliminating the chance of Bobby's crew overlooking this game on the schedule. Though I will be praying for this to get down to a flat -7, the Sooners should win comfortably, as the defense finds a way to slow down Holgo Magic. (There's no slowing down Switzer drinking Sooner Magic, though.)

Here at Rushing the Field, we are completely shocked Iowa sucks...

Pitt -6 vs. Iowa 11:00 PM EST (Chad)
The public perception of these teams couldn't get further apart. Iowa is a part of the floundering B1G, and has had a massive part of the whole country souring on the conference.  Unconvincing victories against Northern Iowa and Ball State were followed up by a loss to in-state rival Iowa State. The perception is right--Iowa sucks, and Kirk Ferentz has been stealing money for the better part of a decade. Pitt is only two weeks off of beating Boston College, who downed the mighty Men of Troy last week. Pitt is running the ball at will and if James Conner stays healthy he'll probably lead the ACC in rushing. As I noted a few weeks ago, the Panthers are becoming a team that matches the personality of their coach, famed ground and pound guru Paul Chryst. Pitt continues their march towards eventually becoming overrated and covers.

Fourth Down: New Mexico -3 @ New Mexico State, 8:00 PM EST (Garrett)

Ah yes, the Rio Grande Rivalry. Much like green chile and methamphetamine, this rivalry is held dearly in the hearts of New Mexicans. The games are often closely contested, with animosity abound throughout the stadiums, as members of the state cheer on their respective storied programs. Sadly, I'm speaking about the basketball version of this rivalry. Yes, it's football season, which means we have to endure another one of these meaningless affairs, as the two programs of New Mexico wander aimlessly through the land of college football's favelas. Yes, my friends….Games like these are the reason point spreads were invented. For some reason, the Lobos of Walter White-ville are only favored by a field goal. If you remember earlier this season, UNM was favored by 8 against UTEP at home, meaning the Lobos would be roughly 4-5 points better than the Miners on a neutral field in Vegas' eyes. New Mexico State was a 10.5 point underdog in El Paso last week, making the Aggies about 5.5 to 7 points worse than the Miners on a neutral field. From a line-making perspective, this line doesn't make much sense to me, as the Lobos should be a minimum of a 9 point favorite on a neutral field based on the previous games involving the three border area teams (even with some adjustment from preseason ratings). New Mexico State hasn't beaten anyone noteworthy. They also couldn't stop the run against UTEP last week (Aggies gave up 334 yards), and that's just what the Lobos will do with their option attack. New Mexico gets the W and the cover in The City of Crosses this weekend.

Georgia Tech +8 @ Virginia Tech, 12:00 PM EST (Chad)
The triple option is an absolute pain in the ass to prepare for. If you don't have a bye week to prepare for this attack, you just might be in for a long day. Georgia Tech is infamously helmed by triple option virtuoso Paul Johnson, and his Yellow Jackets have lost 6 of the last 7 they've played against Virginia Tech. However, none of those loses have been by double digits, and four of those loses have been by 7 points or less. Some of the shine has come off of Frank Beamer's squad after an upset loss to East Carolina last week, and I think it's become clear the Hokies aren't exactly world beaters. Virginia Tech has been great against the run thus far, but this isn't just any running team. This is 60 runs right at you,with your defensive lineman and linebackers getting cut, trapped and countered for 4 quarters. It's no fun to defend, especially without a comfortable lead.  Virginia Tech isn't good enough to get out to a big lead, and will have to defend this cloud of dust all game. Virginia Tech probably wins, but it's not by more than a score. 

Extra Point: Florida vs. Alabama UNDER 51.5, 3:30 PM EST (Garrett)

If these guys could win games by scoring zero points, they would. 

As I stated earlier, this game should be UGLY. The Dark Lords of Defense shall square off, with the Apprentice looking to get a signature win over the Master. There will be hard hits, plenty of Verne Lundquist "OH MY GOODNESS" calls, and a pretty good chance of seeing Angry Muschamp on camera multiple times. Just be thankful you aren't playing in this game, as the players on Sunday will probably look something like Chad did last Sunday. This one should stay well under the total, with the first team to 20 winning the contest.

Washington State vs. Oregon OVER 75, 10:30 PM EST (Chad)

ALL the points. Okay, some real analysis, I guess. 75 is a ton of points, but these two teams are no stranger to pushing games over this point total. Over the past two seasons, Washington State has been involved in 7 games that went over 75 points (including last year's tilt with Oregon). Oregon has only played in two, partly because they speak a language foreign to Mike Leach--Defense. Oregon is gonna score plenty in this one, and while Wazzu may struggle, neither one of these teams are gonna pull of the gas.

Garrett's Record: 10-4-1 (71.4%)

Chad's Record: 5-9-1 (35.7%)

Overall Record: 15-13-1 (53.6%)