THURSDAY NFL PICK

Indianapolis (6-3) 31 @ Tennessee (4-5) 23: Both teams are coming off crushing losses, with the Colts getting pummeled by the Rams. Tennessee gave the Jaguars their first win of the season. I don't know about the Colts. They've beaten San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, but they've scored only 37 points in losses to Miami, San Diego and St. Louis. Which team will show up tonight? It's hard to say. Tennessee's loss to Jacksonville was devastating for the Titans, not just because the Jags came into the game with a winless record, but because it dropped Tennessee to 4 - 5 as opposed to 5 - 4, putting them into an even  greater must win situation if they lose this game to the Colts. Without starting QB Jake Locker, I think it will be difficult for the Titans to defeat the Colts, even though Indy heads on the road with a short week. I'm going with the notion that Indianapolis is too good of a team to lose two in a row to teams they should beat. 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 12 PICKS

Every conference seems to have at least one big game this weekend, with the Pac -12 and Big 12 having more than their share. Stanford, coming off its big win over Oregon, must travel to Los Angeles to take on a suddenly resurgent USC. Oregon hosts a dangerous Utah team, while Arizona State tries to stay hot in the desert against tough Oregon State. Meanwhile, UCLA tries to stay alive in the Pac-12 South, hosting Washington in the Rose Bowl. In the Big 12, Baylor tries to keep their season on a roll against struggling Texas Tech. Texas hosts Oklahoma State in a game where a Cowboys loss probably eliminates them from consideration for the conference crown. In the ACC, Miami travels to Duke in an attempt to derail the surprising Blue Devils as both teams try to stay even with Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division, assuming Georgia Tech can't upset Clemson.  The Tigers are hoping to win out, keeping a BCS at-large berth alive. In the Big Ten, Nebraska hosts very surprising Michigan State, who with a win would take control of the Legends Division.  A Cornhusker win would keep more than one team alive, including Minnesota. The SEC West appears to be coming down to a showdown between Auburn and Alabama on Nov. 30, as long as the Tigers can hold off Georgia this week. So you better fire up the DVR and fill up the cooler, because it's going to be a long day of football.

Overall: 155 - 47

Georgia Tech (6-3) 24 @ (8) Clemson (8-1) 37: Somehow, after losing three games in a row earlier in the season, then following that up with three wins, the Yellow Jackets head to Clemson still in contention in the ACC Coastal.  The Tigers' only stumble was against Florida State, not exactly embarrassing, considering how the Seminoles have rolled through their schedule.  I'll take Clemson to end Georgia Tech's title hopes.

Washington (6-3) 27 @ (13) UCLA (7-2) 31:  The Bruins control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South, but can't afford a loss Friday night. If they end up looking ahead to next week's game against Arizona State, the Huskies could pull the upset.

(1) Alabama (9-0) 31 @ Mississippi State (4-5) 13: Alabama just keeps winning, and one more on Saturday will set up a winner take all game with Auburn on November 30.  That Crimson Tide defense is absolutely stifling, leading the nation on points against, despite giving up 42 to Texas A&M earlier in the season. The Bulldogs don't have the firepower necessary to challenge them.

Syracuse (5-4)  17 @ (2) Florida State (9-0)  41: There may be some distraction in the Seminole locker room around the sexual assault incident that somehow is involving redshirt freshman QB Jameis Winston. But Florida State should have way too much for Syracuse to contend with, especially in Tallahassee.

(3) Ohio State (9-0) 38 @ Illinois (3-6) 13: The Illini are winless in the Big Ten and that won't change this week. The Buckeyes are currently on the outside looking in as far as the BCS Championship is concerned, but history would illustrate that if they keep winning, there is a very good chance of playing for a national championship.

(4) Stanford (8-1) 27 @ USC (7-3) 28: What a great game! USC has totally turned it around under interim coach Ed Orgeron. I would have to put the Pac-12 ahead of the SEC this season in terms of difficulty, mainly because Florida and Georgia are down a bit and with the Trojans' resurgence. Despite Stanford's win over Oregon, I like USC in this one.

Texas Tech (7-3) 20 @ (5) Baylor (8-0) 37: Baylor is definitely for real and Texas Tech is reeling. I can't go against the Bears, especially at home. I don't see Florida State and Ohio losing a game down the stretch, but Alabama could be surprised and Stanford has a difficult road to navigate, as does Baylor. But just like Ohio State, there's only one scoreboard they need to be looking at, and that's theirs.

Utah (4-5)  17 @ (6) Oregon (8-1) 37: The Ducks should be able to rebound against the Utes, whose only victory in the conference is against the team that beat Oregon. That won't matter in this one.

(25) Georgia (6-3) 30 @ (7) Auburn (9-1) 34:  I'm not sure how Georgia is ranked in the top 25, but that will surely come to an end this week. Auburn is hitting on all cylinders and get a week off before facing Alabama in a huge Iron Bowl game on November 30. Georgia is physical and can pose some problems for Auburn, but I'm not sure the Bulldogs can score enough to stay with the Tigers.

Florida (4-5) 20 @ (10) South Carolina (7-2) 28: South Carolina doesn't have to leave Columbia for the rest of the season and is still in the hunt for the SEC East title, especially since they hold the tiebreaker over Missouri. This is the Gamecocks' last conference game, while Missouri still has to travel to Ole Miss and host Texas A&M after an open date this week. Florida is having a horrendous season, but their standards. I wouldn't count the Gamecocks out of taking on Alabama or Auburn in the SEC championship game.

(12) Oklahoma State (8-1) 35 @ (24) Texas (7-2) 31: This should be a good game that will either help clarify the Big 12 race or make it more of a dogfight. A loss by Oklahoma State would all but eliminate them from consideration, while a Cowboy win keeps them in the hunt. This is a coin flip for me, but for some reason, I think Texas is ready for a stumble after their six wins in a row.

(16) Michigan State (8-1) 24 @ Nebraska (7-2) 20: Michigan State's defense is about as good as any in the country aside from Alabama. Nebraska has had to win some close ones. Defense usually travels better than offense. I really like the Spartans on the road.

(17) UCF (7-1) 51 @ Temple (1-8) 10: UCF is the class of their conference and should definitely be ranked ahead of Louisville in the human polls. Maybe after Houston beats Louisville this week, that will happen.

Iowa State (1-8) 10 @ (18) Oklahoma (7-2) 38: Not much of a contest here as Oklahoma tries to somehow stay mathematically eligible in the Big 12.

Oregon State (6-3) 30 @ (19) Arizona State (7-2) 38: This should be a very good football game, with both teams being able to put points on the board. However, I'm going to take the Sun Devils at home.

Houston (7-2) 31 @ (20) Louisville (8-1) 27: Both of these teams lost to UCF. I don't think Louisville is anywhere close to being the 20th best team in the country, but I think Houston might be.

Indiana (4-5) 13 @ (22) Wisconsin (7-2) 30: It'll take a miraculous collapse by Ohio State for Wisconsin to have a chance in the Leaders division of the Big Ten. But all the Badgers can do is take care of business and hope that miracle occurs.

(23) Miami, FL (7-2) 30 @ Duke (7-2) 27: So Duke beat Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech beat Miami, therefore...Miami beats Duke. Duke's below standard facilities offer no home field advantage for the Blue Devils. I think the Hurricanes' defense will be somewhat motivated by their dismal performance against the Hokies last week. No real logic here.

Maryland (5-4) 12 @ Virginia Tech (7-3) 27: Maryland has looked great at times this season and Virginia Tech has struggled on offense for much of the year. If those things occur Saturday, the Terrapins can pull the upset in Blacksburg. I don't see it. The Hokie defense should be too much for the Maryland offense. I'll be in Lane Stadium for the first time in fifteen years to witness it.

TCU (4-6) 20 @ Kansas State (5-4) 27: This is a down season for the Horned Frogs and K-State's defense has kept the Wildcats in bowl contention. I like the home team to prevail.

Michigan (6-3) 23 @ Northwestern (4-5) 27: I think Northwestern is too good to lose six in a row, and Michigan is just not consistent on the road. I'll take the Wildcats to hold serve in Evanston.

Washington State (4-5) 31 @ Arizona (6-3) 34: Okay, so we have three games in a row with a Wildcat team. I might as well make it three for three. I like the Wildcats from Arizona, especially at home.

Kentucky (2-7) 17 @ Vanderbilt (5-4) 26: The Commodores are looking to become bowl eligible. They should get it done against a pretty lousy Kentucky team. Mark Stoops' first year as head coach has been pretty dismal. Is that such a surprise? When was the last time the Wildcats (really, another Wildcat team?) were relevant in football? It won't improve much on Saturday.

WEEK 10 NFL RECAP

I had to rally with four consecutive correct picks to salvage a .500 weekend. But really, who would have thought the 'Niners, Colts and Titans would go down at home? Granted, I was an idiot for picking the Falcons. That won't happen again.

Last week: 7 -7

Overall:  89 - 57

Washington (3 - 5) 27 @ Minnesota (1 - 7) 19: The Redskins offense looked decent, but the Vikings were able to put too much pressure on RGIiI. It looks almost impossible for Washington to make it back to the playoffs, but last year they had the same record and ran the table. Can it happen again? Probably not. No. 27 - 34.

Seattle (8-1) 20 @ Atlanta (2-6) 27: Well, the Falcons, as far as I'm concerned, are done. What a disappointing season. As for Seattle, they get a big road win to stay in front to get home field advantage in the NFC. No. 33 - 10.

Detroit (5-3) 27 @ Chicago (5-3) 28: Oh well! whiffed on the first three picks of the week. However, it was as close as predicted. No. 21 - 19.

Philadelphia (4-5) 27 @ Green Bay (5-3) 24: The Eagles are coming on, setting up a good race with the Cowboys, and possibly even the Giants for the NFC East crown. Correct. 27 - 13.

Jacksonville (0-8) 19 @ Tennessee (4-4) 27: Well, I predicted the Jags would get a win or two, but I didn't think it would be in this game. Oh well, a bad week just got worse. No. 29 - 27.

St. Louis (3-6) 20 @ Indianapolis (6-2) 31: Could it get worse? Of course it can. Are you kidding me? How do the Colts get scorched by the Rams at home? Really? How do you beat the Broncos, 'Niners and Seahawks and lose to St. Louis? No. 38 - 8.

Oakland (3-5) 17 @ New York Giants (2-6) 26: The Giants are suddenly alive and kicking, now within a game of Dallas and Philadelphia in the loss column of the NFC East and tied with Washington. This will be quite a race. Correct. 20 - 24.

Buffalo (3-6) 17 @ Pittsburgh (2-6) 20: Just like the Giants, the Steelers are suddenly back in the race, despite early season difficulties.  Seven games to go and anything could happen. Correct. 10 - 23.

Cincinnati (6-3) 27 @ Baltimore (3-5) 17: I should have stuck with the experts. Now the AFC North is wide open. No. 17 - 20.

Carolina (5-3) 20 @ San Francisco (6-2) 28: The Panthers are suddenly in the mix, and not just for a playoff spot. This team goes into San Francisco and knocks off a hot 'Niners squad.  Just another bad pick in a bad week. No. 10 - 9.

Houston (2-6)  17 @ Arizona (4-4) 27: The Cardinals helped me get back on track with an expected win, but it was still close. Correct. 24 - 27.

Denver (7-1) 37 @ San Diego (4-4) 27: The Chargers made it close in the end, but Peyton Manning's four TD passes were enough for the Broncos to prevail. Correct. 28 - 20.

Dallas (5-4) 27 @ New Orleans (6-2) 35: I thought the Saints would get an easy win, but this was ridiculous. Jerry Jones doesn't have a clue on how to build a team in the salary cap era. Do yourself a favor, Jerry. Fire your GM. Oh, that's you. Well, good luck, then. Correct. 17 - 49.

Miami (4-4) 23 @ Tampa Bay (0-8) 24: As ugly as this game was, it was also pretty exciting down the stretch. The Bucs found a way to finally get their first win and the Dolphins couldn't hold a late lead to give me four correct picks in a row to end the weekend. Correct. 19 - 22.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 11 RECAP

Oregon just can't seem to find a way to compete with the more physical teams, so their national championship hopes have once again, barring a miracle, been dashed.  With the way Florida State and Alabama are playing, it would be very improbable for the Ducks to play their way back into the picture, unless, of course, USC stuns Stanford, putting Oregon in position to get into the Pac-12 championship game.  And then we find Auburn on a collision course with Alabama in the Iron Bowl, with the winner most likely advancing to the SEC championship game. With Virginia Tech's impressive win over Miami Saturday night, that defense might stand a chance of slowing down Florida State should they meet in the ACC championship game. Regarding my picks, this was one of the worst weeks of the season, but I still called a couple of upsets.

Last Week: 14 - 7

Overall:  155 - 47

(3) Oregon (8-0)  30 @ (5) Stanford (7-1) 24:  I guess history repeats itself.  No. 20 - 26.

 (10) Oklahoma (7-1) 28 @  (6) Baylor (7-0)  31: Baylor's for real and needs to get some serious consideration in the BCS. Correct. 12 - 41.

(13) LSU (7-2) 30 @ (1) Alabama (8-0) 27: Too many critical turnovers doomed the Tigers. Then the Tide just wore them down. No.  17 - 38.

(2) Florida State (8-0) 34 @ Wake Forest (4-5) 16: Florida State scores at will. This one was over before the Seminoles' bus engine cooled off and they could have put up 80 if they'd wanted. The dream game of the season, now that Oregon has lost? How about Florida State - Alabama.  Correct. 59 - 3.

(8) Missouri (8-1) 37 @ Kentucky (2-6) 17:  The good news is you're a head football coach in the SEC. The bad news is you're the coach of Kentucky. I don't care how good a coach you are, without players, forget about it. Correct.  48 - 17.

(9) Auburn (8-1) 20 @ Tennessee (4-5) 21: I totally whiffed on this one. Auburn's for real and I'm convinced now that they can give number one Alabama a run for their money in a couple of weeks.  No. 55 - 23.

Virginia Tech (6-3) 19 @ (11) Miami (7-1) 17: This was the best offensive performance by the Hokies in recent memory.  And take away a couple of big plays by the Hurricanes and this one is even a greater blowout. If Miami regroups and beats Duke, the Hokies will be taking on FSU in the ACC championship game, given they take care of business against Maryland and Virginia. Correct. 42 - 24.

Kansas (2-6) 13 @ (14) Oklahoma State (7-1) 40: No surprise with this one. Correct. 6 - 42.

Mississippi State (4-5) 27 @ (15) Texas A&M (7-2) 38: Despite being a one-dimensional team, the Aggies prevailed.  Correct. 41 - 51.

(16) Fresno State (8-0) 37 @ Wyoming (4-4) 30: This may have been the most impressive win of the season for Fresno State, a team I think is obscenely overrated. Correct. 48 - 10.

(19) UCLA (6-2) 31 @ Arizona (6-2) 27: The Bruins won just as predicted. There are plenty of big games left in the Pac-12, so UCLA isn't out of the hunt.  Correct. 31 - 26.

Houston (7-1)  30 @ (21) UCF (6-1) 32: UCF plays more like an ACC or SEC team and now has a big leg up on the American Athletic Conference's BCS bid. Correct. 14 - 19.

(22) Arizona State  38 (6-2) @ Utah (4-4) 24: The Sun Devils escaped Salt Lake City with a win, but not before scoring the game's last 13 points in the fourth quarter. Correct. 20 -19.

(23) Notre Dame (7-2) 27 @ Pittsburgh (4-4) 17: I wish I'd predicted this one, but I didn't. That should put an end to the Irish's BCS bowl game chances. No. 21 - 28.

BYU (6-2) 27 @ (24) Wisconsin (6-2) 31: This one wasn't as close as I thought, but BYU still gave the Badgers a game. Correct. 17 - 27.

Kansas State (4-4) 24 @ (25) Texas Tech (7-2) 28: I was wrong. The Red Raiders aren't really all that good, at not as good as their record would indicate. No. 49 - 26.

Syracuse (4-4) 20 @ Maryland (5-3) 28: I just picked Jeckyll instead of Hyde, I guess.  No.  20 - 3.

Texas (6-2) 34 @ West Virginia (4-5) 23: It took overtime, but the Longhorns kept their winning streak alive, as well as a shot at the league title. The Big 12 race will probably go down to the final games. Correct. 47 - 40 OT.

Nebraska (6-2) 24 @ Michigan (6-2) 27: It's hard to figure these two teams, but Nebraska stayed alive for a big showdown with Michigan State this week. No. 17 - 13.

Colorado (3-5) 20 @ Washington (5-3) 31: The Huskies continued their rebound in a big way against another overmatched foe. Correct. 7 - 59.

Arkansas (3-6) 20 @ Ole Miss (5-3) 28: This game was actually winnable by the Razorbacks, but they're  having difficulty getting over the hump. Ole Miss is just a little too good to make mistakes against and still pull out a victory. Correct.  24 - 34.

WEEK 10 NFL PICKS

The Lions at the Bears, the Panthers at the Niners and the Cowboys at the Saints headline today's action. There are some other compelling games as well. Here are my picks.

Overall:  82 - 50

Seattle (8-1) 20 @ Atlanta (2-6) 27: At some point, as Atlanta gets a little healthier, you have to figure they'll be able to put up some more wins. The Seahawks haven't been very impressive on the road, but have somehow found a way to maintain the top record in the NFC. It's time for the Falcons to wake up.

Detroit (5-3) 27 @ Chicago (5-3) 28: The Lions scorched the Bears' defense for 40 points in their first meeting. Injured QB Jay Cutler returns for the Bears, but should he struggle physically, they can rely on their backup, Josh McNown, who engineered a win over the Packers last week. The Bears need to contain Reggie Bush and Calvin Johnson to be able to win.

Philadelphia (4-5) 27 @ Green Bay (5-3) 24: I still think the Packers are one of the elite teams in the NFC, but not with Seneca Wallace at QB, replacing the injured Aaron Rodgers. What baffles me is why the Packers don't have a more capable backup. We'll have to see which Eagles team shows up in Green Bay. I'm thinking it will be the "good" Eagles.

Jacksonville (0-8) 19 @ Tennessee (4-4) 27: The Jaguars are just awful and the Titans are still fighting for a chance at a playoff spot. I think Jacksonville will find a way to get a win or two, but it won't be this week.

St. Louis (3-6) 20 @ Indianapolis (6-2) 31: The Rams looked like they were improving a few weeks ago, but they're not up to the level of the Colts.

Oakland (3-5) 17 @ New York Giants (2-6) 26: Something woke up the Giants a few weeks ago and now have some life in the NFC Least. They don't control their own destiny, but with the Redskins losing and the Eagles and Cowboys facing tough tests on the road, the Giants could pick up another game on the entire division with a win today.

Buffalo (3-6) 17 @ Pittsburgh (2-6) 20: The Bills have lost four of their last five, the Steelers their last two. Someone has to win, right? I'll take the home team.

Cincinnati (6-3) 27 @ Baltimore (3-5) 17: A lot of experts have a lot of numbers that support a Ravens' win. I'm looking at this season and these two teams. I'm taking the Bengals.

Carolina (5-3) 20 @ San Francisco (6-2) 28: The Panthers have finally found a way to finish games with wins behind QB Cam Newton. But they're facing a 'Niners squad that is getting healthy and rounding into form.

Houston (2-6)  17 @ Arizona (4-4) 27: The Texans' season has just been a nightmare, and going to Arizona won't help things much.

Denver (7-1) 37 @ San Diego (4-4) 27: The Broncos will be without coach Jon Fox, but it won't matter, since they have a coach on the field in Peyton Manning. The Chargers are coming off a crushing OT loss at Washington. This should be a good one, but I'll take Denver following their bye week.

Dallas (5-4) 27 @ New Orleans (6-2) 35: I just don't see how the Cowboys can get out of the Superdome with a win today. But it is Dallas, and they can be surprising at times. Nah, not this time.

Miami (4-4) 23 @ Tampa Bay (0-8) 24: You couldn't ask for a better scenario to get your first win if you're the Bucs. The Dolphins have been mired in controversy all week and Tampa is not as bad as their record would indicate. 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 11 PICKS

The really big games were played Thursday night, but at this time of the season, upsets can happen.  Alabama has lost a game at home the last two years, one of them to LSU two years ago. Florida State has stubbed its toe against seemingly overmatched opponents in the past. Tennessee is capable of pulling a stunner. Virginia Tech can still win the ACC Coastal with a win at Miami. The fireworks are far from over this week.

Overall: 141 - 40

(13) LSU (7-2) 30 @ (1) Alabama (8-0) 27: LSU's signature win is against Auburn, but it doesn't appear, on paper anyway, that the Tigers have enough to stay with Alabama. But this is the SEC West, and eventually the grind of the season is just too much to sustain. Both teams are coming off byes, and in the case of LSU, their game against Furman two weeks ago was a virtual off week to prepare for the Tide. I don't know why, but I'm picking LSU.

(2) Florida State (8-0) 34 @ Wake Forest (4-5) 16: The 'Noles have lost to Wake Forest in the past, but I don't think it will happen this week. But I wouldn't be surprised to see a letdown from FSU. This one might be closer than everyone thinks.

(8) Missouri (8-1) 37 @ Kentucky (2-6) 17:  The Wildcats will be happy know that basketball season starts next week.

(9) Auburn (8-1) 20 @ Tennessee (4-5) 21: This could be a trap week for Auburn with big rivalry games upcoming against Georgia and Alabama to end the season.  The Vols haven't performed well the last two weeks since knocking off South Carolina. There's no way anyone will be picking Tennessee to pull the upset. Except me.

Virginia Tech (6-3) 19 @ (11) Miami (7-1) 17:  Hokies QB Logan Thomas has been, in Colin Cowherd's words, a "turnover machine". No disagreement here. Two weeks ago this looked like a relevant game in the BCS. It's not, but the winner will have a shot at the Coastal Division crown in the ACC. For Virginia Tech, a loss all but eliminates them from contention. For Miami, a win puts them in clear control. Here's another one from the heart.

Kansas (2-6) 13 @ (14) Oklahoma State (7-1) 40: Kansas is barely even competitive in the Big 12. Oklahoma State is competing for the title. Enough said.

Mississippi State (4-5) 27 @ (15) Texas A&M (7-2) 38: The Bulldogs are a decent team but not nearly good enough to take down the Aggies in College Station.

(16) Fresno State (8-0) 37 @ Wyoming (4-4) 30: Wyoming gave Nebraska a scare in week 1, but have given up a lot of points since. Fresno State is still waiting for a game against a competitive team. The Cowboys can give them some trouble, but probably won't be able to stay with the Bulldogs. I'll have to wait until next week before Fresno State has to play some real football to win a game.

(19) UCLA (6-2) 31 @ Arizona (6-2) 27: UCLA's losses are to Stanford and Oregon. Arizona's are against Washington and USC. I'll take the Bruins in a close one on the road.

Houston (7-1)  30 @ (21) UCF (6-1) 32: UCF has had a great season so far, coming within a few points of defeating South Carolina and being undefeated. Houston's two points from being undefeated themselves. The Cougars will provide a stern test at UCF. I'll flip a coin and take the home team in this one.

(22) Arizona State  38 (6-2) @ Utah (4-4) 24: The Sun Devils go into a tough environment at Salt Lake City, where the Utes have already beaten Stanford. But Arizona State is on fire, with way too much offense for Utah to contain.

(23) Notre Dame (7-2) 27 @ Pittsburgh (4-4) 17: With the exception of an offensive explosion against Duke, Pittsburgh has had a difficult time scoring points. Notre Dame's defense has been pretty stout for much of the season. As much as I'd like the Panthers to pull the upset, I don't see it happening.

BYU (6-2) 27 @ (24) Wisconsin (6-2) 31: BYU is really playing some good football, and may have a big surprise for the Badgers. This could be a great game. I have to stay with Wisconsin's size to wear down the Cougars.

Kansas State (4-4) 24 @ (25) Texas Tech (7-2) 28: The Red Raiders had their season derailed the last couple of weeks, but they're still good enough to defeat the Wildcats in Lubbock.

Syracuse (4-4) 20 @ Maryland (5-3) 28: Maryland had a pretty nice season going until they stopped being able to play defense. Syracuse has been like Jekyll and Hyde, up one week, down the next. I'll stay with the pattern.

Texas (6-2) 34 @ West Virginia (4-5) 23: Since beating Oklahoma State, West Virginia has hit the skids. The Longhorns are going in the opposite direction. winners of five straight.  They'll make it six today.

Nebraska (6-2) 24 @ Michigan (6-2) 27: This may be one of the toughest games of the week to pick. Nebraska hasn't played particularly well the last two weeks, and Michigan got stuffed by their rivals from Michigan State last week. I haven't thought either team has what it takes to win their division, so I'll just stick with the home team  here.

Colorado (3-5) 20 @ Washington (5-3) 31: Washington isn't as good as they looked earlier in the season, but they're good enough to beat the Buffaloes today.

Arkansas (3-6) 20 @ Ole Miss (5-3) 28: The Rebels are a good team that happens to play in a very tough division. The Razorbacks are a rebuilding team that is at least a year away from competing with the other stellar programs in the SEC West.

THURSDAY NIGHT PICKS

The college weekend kicks off with two huge games, both matching top ten conference opponents. In the NFL, the Redskins try to gain some momentum against a beleaguered Minnesota Vikings team that's trying to find some way to score enough points to win a football game.

College:

(3) Oregon (8-0)  30 @ (5) Stanford (7-1) 24:  Last year, Oregon strutted into this game and got beaten, ending their national championship hopes. This time around, perhaps they'll be better prepared for a very physical Stanford squad. The Ducks are averaging almost 56 points a game, overshadowing a defense that is holding opponents to less than 17 points a game. I think the best two teams in the country are Oregon and Florida State, mainly because they're both explosive offensively and fast on defense, making it difficult to stay with them for an entire game.  Stanford has averaged about 22 points over their last three games, which despite last year's score, probably won't be enough to beat Oregon this time around. Will this be a blowout? Probably not. Does everything point to an Oregon victory? Well, maybe not everything, because the game is at Stanford, but a lot of the numbers would indicate it's a good probability.

 (10) Oklahoma (7-1) 28 @  (6) Baylor (7-0)  31: Baylor's offense has just been ridiculous this season, but not against any top defenses. Oklahoma, other than getting routed by Texas, has been very strong defensively, and they better be tonight to slow down the Bears. Statistically, it's difficult to place total credibility on the Baylor offense, primarily because of their soft schedule to this point. Just like Texas Tech, the Bears have all of their games against top Big 12 teams remaining. They aren't alone, really, as Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor all play at least two of the teams in that group the rest of the way.  I feel that while the Sooners will hold Baylor to its lowest output of the season, I'm not sure they can score enough to win. I'm going with the Bears to keep their undefeated season going.

NFL:

Washington (3 - 5) 27 @ Minnesota (1 - 7) 19: The Josh Freeman experiment appears to be over in Minnesota, as the Vikings go back to QB Christian Ponder tonight. The Redskins, while probably getting a little lucky in beaing the Chargers last week, apparently have things headed in the right direction after winning two of their last three games. The Vikings have an advantage by being the home team on a Thursday night, but they're averaging just over 200 yards a game passing in a league that encourages big games through the air. Minnesota's rush defense is pretty good, giving up just a little over 100 yards a game. But that may be enough for the Redskins to control the ball, get an early lead and make the Vikings pass the ball to win. If that happens, look for the 'Skins to get out of Minnesota with a win to keep them alive in the woeful NFC East.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 10 RECAP

Not a bad week, everything considered. I missed out on Oklahoma State's win over Texas Tech, my Hokies' collapse against Boston College, Northwestern's fifth straight loss and USC's dismantling of Oregon State. But I also got it right for Michigan State and Georgia.

Last Week:  15 - 4

Overall:   156 - 44

(7) Miami (7-0) 20 @ (3) Florida State (7-0) 37: As predicted, Florida State beat Miami and moved into second in the BCS standings. Now it's Oregon's chance when they play Stanford Thursday night. Correct. 14 - 41.

(4) Ohio State (8-0)  51 @ Purdue (1-6)  10: The Buckeyes are doing all they can, just waiting for one of the teams ahead to slip up. History would indicate that they have a solid chance of that happening. Correct. 56 - 0.

(8) Clemson (7-1) 35 @ Virginia (2-6) 13: This one was even worse than I thought it would.  Correct. 59 - 10.

Tennessee (4-4) 23 @ (9) Missouri (7-1) 27: If not for one bad quarter, Missouri would still be in the national championship hunt. They can still play a role, as it's pretty certain the Tigers will be facing Alabama or Auburn in the SEC championship game. Correct. 3 - 31.

(11) Auburn (7-1)  41 @ Arkansas (3-5) 16 : The Razorbacks played better, but it wasn't enough. The question now is, does Auburn have enough to take down Alabama?  Correct. 35 - 17.

UTEP (1-6) 17 @ (12) Texas A&M (6-2) 57: The Aggies did what was expected of them. Correct. 7 - 57.

Mississippi State (4-2) 20 @ (14) South Carolina (6-2) 27: The Gamecocks looked like the top ten ranked team they were at the beginning of the season. Now they need someone else to knock off Missouri.  Correct. 16 - 34.

(18) Oklahoma State (6-1) 30 @ (15) Texas Tech (7-1) 31 : The tough part of Texas Tech's schedule is starting to take its toll. The Big 12 race is still wide open and Oklahoma State, believe it or not, still controls its own destiny. No. 52 - 34.

Nevada (3-5) 27 @ (16) Fresno State (7-0) 37: Now I'm hoping Fresno State wins out and gets in a BCS bowl where they will undoubtedly get crushed . Correct. 23 - 41.

(17) Northern Illinois (8-0) 38 @ UMass (1-7) 13: Another easy win for NIU. Correct. 63 - 19.

Colorado (3-4) 20 @ (20) UCLA (5-2) 34: The Bruins are still in contention in the in the Pac-12 South with some big showdowns left.  Correct. 23 - 45.

(21) Michigan (6-1) 17 @ (22) Michigan State (7-1) 28: Michigan State served notice that they are clearly a team to be reckoned with in the Big Ten.  That defense is certainly for real and now they get a week off to prepare for Nebraska in the game that will decide the Big Ten Legends division title. Correct. 6 - 29.

(24) Wisconsin (5-2) 27 @ Iowa (5-3) 24: The Badgers showed up and squeaked out a win at Iowa. They Correct. 28 - 9.

Navy (4-3) 20 @ (25) Notre Dame (6-2) 30: Notre Dame should have been able to handle Navy more easily than they did.  Correct. 34 - 38.

USC (5-3) 20 @ Oregon State (6-2) 27: Ed Orgeron has turned USC around. If I was Pat Haden, he'd be on my short list to remove "interim" from in front of his head coach title.  No. 31 - 14.

Kansas (2-5) 13 @ Texas (5-2) 30: Texas is in control in the Big 12 after a very rocky start. I don't think they can run the table, but if they do, no one will be talking about firing Mack Brown, new AD or not. Correct. 13 - 35.

Georgia (4-3) 27 vs. Florida (4-3) 21 (in Jacksonville, FL): Believe it or not, Georgia still has a shot at the SEC East title. Sure, it's a long shot, but the possibility is still there. Correct. 23 - 20.

Virginia Tech (6-2) 23 @ Boston College (3 - 4) 14: Are the Hokies as good as their BCS ranking of fourteen suggest? Are they as bad as their 0 - 2 record since that ranking? Probably neither. No. 27 - 34.

Northwestern (4-4) 30 @ Nebraska (5-2) 27: The Cornhuskers stayed alive in the Big Ten Legends division, but they have to travel to face Michigan in the Big House to keep their Nov. 16 matchup with Michigan State relevant in the race. No. 24 - 27.

WEEK 9 NFL RECAP

Who would have thought the Jets could pull off the upset  of the Saints, especially with rookie QB Geno Smith going 8 - 19 for 115 yards?  The Buccaneers almost pulled off an unlikely upset in Seattle, extending the Seahawks to overtime. Green Bay, without Aaron Rodgers for most of the night, couldn't get it done against Da' Bears.

Last Week: 8 - 5

Overall:  82 - 50

Cincinnati (6-2)  24 @ Miami (3-4) 20: The Bengals had a chance to take control of the AFC North, but squandered the opportunity.  No. 20 - 22 OT.

Kansas City (8-0) 23 @ Buffalo (3-5) 17: The Chiefs took care of business on the road, now it's a bye and then a trip to Denver to face the Broncos. Correct. 23 - 13.

Minnesota (1-6)  20 @ Dallas (4-4) 31: The Cowboys could have, but they didn't, hand one to the Vikings and took control of the NFC East. Correct. 27 - 23.

Tennessee (3-4) 16 @ St. Louis (3-5) 20: It looks like the Titans still have something to say about their playoff chances in the AFC.  No. 28 - 21.

New Orleans (6-1) 27 @ New York Jets (4-4) 16: Injuries have hurt the Saints, and it showed Sunday as they couldn't penetrate the Jets defense even though Geno Smith was ineffective at QB for the Jets. No. 20 - 26.

San Diego (4-3) 27 @ Washington (2-5) 30: The Redskins seem to be doing what they did last season, with RGIII looking much better in the pocket to make a stretch run. Correct. 24 - 30 OT.

Atlanta (2-5) 24 @ Carolina (4-3) 28: The Panthers are really looking like they are getting it all together. I think we can say goodbye to head coach Mike Smith in Atlanta. Correct. 10 - 34.

Philadelphia (3-5)  13 @ Oakland (3-4) 20: This Eagles team is driving me crazy. Two weeks at home with a total of ten points and then they put up a big number on the Raiders on the road. Go figure. No. 49 - 20.

Tampa Bay (0-7) 14 @ Seattle (7-1) 26: The Bucs had a chance to get their first win, but let the Seahawks escape. Seattle needs to get those injured offensive tackles back, because this team hasn't been particularly impressive for the last month, despite owning the best record in the NFC. Correct. 24 - 27 OT.

Baltimore (3-4) 20 @ Cleveland (3-5) 23: This division, with the Bengals loss, is still up for grabs if someone like the Browns gets on a run. Correct. 18 - 24.

Pittsburgh (2-5)  23 @ New England (6-2) 26: This was a close game until the Patriots exploded in the second half. The Steelers may be playing out the string for the chances to get a top draft pick. Correct. 31 - 55.

Indianapolis (5-2) 31 @ Houston (2-5) 23: The Texans lost another big lead, and more seriously, head coach Gary Kubiak collapsed at halftime. I certainly hope Kubiak is okay, but the team certainly isn't.   Correct.   27 - 24.

Chicago (4-3) 20 @ Green Bay (5-2) 27: Without Aaron Rodgers for the last three quarters, the Packers couldn't mount a fourth quarter comeback. Now the NFC North is clearly the dogfight we thought it would be at the beginning of the season. No. 27 - 20.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 10 PICKS

There are three games involving two top twenty-five BCS ranked teams this week. Two of them are traditional rivalries, with Florida State hosting Miami and Michigan making the short trip to Michigan State. In the other, Oklahoma State travels to Lubbock to face Texas Tech. All three games have potential conference championship implications. Top ranked Alabama and second place Oregon have the week off, so it sets the stage for some possible reshuffling at the top of the BCS standings. Now for the picks.

Overall: 141 - 40

(7) Miami (7-0) 20 @ (3) Florida State (7-0) 37: For the second time in three weeks, the Seminoles face a top ten ACC foe. With Oregon off in advance of its Thursday night matchup with Stanford, Florida State can make a move to skip over the Ducks to get to second place in the BCS. I just don't think Miami has enough on either side of the ball to challenge the 'Noles.

(4) Ohio State (8-0)  51 @ Purdue (1-6)  10: The Buckeyes will probably cruise to an undefeated record, unless they let the rivalry aspect of their game with Michigan cause a hiccup. Other than a spirited battle against Notre Dame, the Boilermakers haven't even been competitive.

(8) Clemson (7-1) 35 @ Virginia (2-6) 13: It will take a monumental effort by the Cavaliers to give Clemson any kind of battle on Saturday. A five game losing streak is about to go to six.

Tennessee (4-4) 23 @ (9) Missouri (7-1) 27: The Tigers let South Carolina score 17 unanswered to force overtime and eventually win the game last week. The week before, Tennessee defeated the same opponent. I'll stick with Missouri here, but it's the SEC and every week's a battle.

(11) Auburn (7-1)  41 @ Arkansas (3-5) 16 : Auburn may be a little underrated and the Razorbacks, at least defensively, appear to have quit on new coach Bret Bielema.  In addition, Tiger coach Gus Malzahn returns to Northwest Arkansas where he was a high school coach and University of Arkansas assistant. Unless something changes in a hurry for the Hogs, this is going to be ugly.

UTEP (1-6) 17 @ (12) Texas A&M (6-2) 57: With fourteen teams now in the league, I just can't understand these late season non-conference games for SEC teams. The Aggies will be able to score at will against a team giving up almost 40 points a game against inferior competition. Give me a break.

Mississippi State (4-2) 20 @ (14) South Carolina (6-2) 27: This is the first of a brutal three game stretch for Mississippi St. They go from Columbia, SC to College Station to take on Texas A&M , then host Alabama. So although this is their best chance for victory in those games, it's not likely.

(18) Oklahoma State (6-1) 30 @ (15) Texas Tech (7-1) 31 : This should be one of the premier games of the weekend. Texas Tech blew a chance to take control of the Big 12 with their loss at Oklahoma last week. The Cowboys have been a bit inconsistent on offense and laid an egg earlier in the season at West Virginia. I'll take the Red Raiders at home in a close one.

Nevada (3-5) 27 @ (16) Fresno State (7-0) 37: I keep waiting for Fresno State to play a high school team. It's the only way this schedule could get any easier. Still, they've had to go into overtime for two of their seven victories. Only one of the teams remaining on their schedule has a winning record, 4 - 3 San Jose State. What a crock of...well, you get the idea.

(17) Northern Illinois (8-0) 38 @ UMass (1-7) 13: At least Northern Illinois has played two Big Ten teams, one of them  5 - 3 Iowa. This one won't be close.

Colorado (3-4) 20 @ (20) UCLA (5-2) 34: The Bruins have lost some luster off their season after going 0 -2 against Stanford and Oregon. Most teams would suffer the same fate, so look for UCLA to bounce back against the Buffaloes in the Rose Bowl.

(21) Michigan (6-1) 17 @ (22) Michigan State (7-1) 28: That Spartan defense is really tough and the Michigan offense hasn't been particularly strong. A very overlooked Michigan State team wins big at home.

(24) Wisconsin (5-2) 27 @ Iowa (5-3) 24: I really like the way Iowa has played this season, but I think Wisconsin is just a little better in the trenches and at the skill positions. But if the Badgers don't show up ready to play, the Hawkeyes can pull the upset.

Navy (4-3) 20 @ (25) Notre Dame (6-2) 30: The Irish are trying to put up back to back victories against service academies, not such a great feat considering most other FCS schools don't schedule one, much less two of them.

USC (5-3) 20 @ Oregon State (6-2) 27: USC doesn't travel particularly well and the Beavers are coming off a close loss to Stanford. I just think Oregon State has a little too much offensive firepower.

Kansas (2-5) 13 @ Texas (5-2) 30: The Longhorns have turned it around and I don't see the Jayhawks getting in their way.

Georgia (4-3) 27 vs. Florida (4-3) 21 (in Jacksonville, FL): Who would have thought these two top ten teams would be meeting in the world's biggest outdoor cocktail party with the certainty that one of them would fall to .500 on the season? But believe it or not, both teams still have an outside chance at playing in the SEC championship game because of the dominance of the SEC West. Florida's offense is so bad, I have to take Georgia.

Virginia Tech (6-2) 23 @ Boston College (3 - 4) 14: If I wasn't a Hokie, I'd probably pick BC here. The Tech offense was horrendous last week against Duke and BC, at least until their game against UNC, has played teams pretty tough. But I have confidence QB Logan Thomas can rebound for Va. Tech, at least enough to give the defense some room to work with.

Northwestern (4-4) 30 @ Nebraska (5-2) 27: This is a compelling game, with Northwestern nursing a four-game losing streak and the Cornhuskers coming off a disappointing loss to Minnesota. I'm not a big Nebraska fan, as they've lost convincingly to both quality opponents on their schedule so far this season. Northwestern played Ohio State tough and I think they have the ability to stop their slide in Lincoln.