College Football Pick'em Week 9

Week 9 of the college football season is upon us and we have a couple dynamite match ups to look forward to. We are into the second half of the season and already people are scared and clamoring about the BCS and wondering if they will get it right this year. Judging by the way this season is breaking down you can bet the BCS will screw it up. One thing that won’t get screwed up is our picks in this week’s edition of the College Football Pick’em.

The nation will be watching the Big 10 Saturday evening when the Ohio State Buckeyes host Penn State. But this is not your fathers or even your older brothers Big 10 match up. This game has the potential to be a high scoring affair with both schools running their version of the spread offense.

Ohio State may be one of the most difficult teams to predict in college football. While this team has a lot of talent especially Beanie Wells, they are experiencing some growing pains at the quarterback position. Pryor is not ready to step in and be Troy Smith just yet. His athletic abilities make him a great threat, but his inability to make reads downfield and his tendency to stay in the pocket too long and rely on his legs gets him into trouble. This can be seen in several of the close games OSU has played in recent weeks. Not everything is bad for the Buckeyes. Once again Ohio State has one of the best defenses in the nation. They are led by their line backing core that will be gear up come Saturday night. Penn State has not a met a defense with this much speed or this much intensity. It will be the defense that leads the Buckeyes on Saturday. Last week against Michigan State the OSU got their act together and put on a clinic. Buckeye nation needs to show up in week 9 the same way they did in week 8 and they will do just fine. Oh, and did I mention that PSU has not won a game in Columbus since the 1970’s?

Penn State is on a remarkable run. I am not sure how much Joe Pa actually has to do with this team’s success, but nonetheless he is being credited with the wins and that’s what really matters to him. The new spread offense they are running has had an immediate impact on this team and the rest of the Big 10 has yet to catch up. More importantly Penn State had their most impressive victory of the season last week when they came from behind and routed Michigan. The key to victory for the lions will be keeping the game up tempo. Spread the field and make Ohio State work to make tackles. Try to wear down that defense but keeping them moving laterally. Once they spread the field, the holes should open up in the middle especially on the draw plays.

This is a very tight game with the current line sitting at 2.5 with Penn State being the favorite. This game has the potential to go either way, and Penn State has been as hot as any team in the country this season. However, I am going with history on this one. The speed and power of the Ohio State defense will hold strong. Combine that with the intensity of the fans in the Horseshoe I like the Buckeyes to cover and win.

Now Time To Look at The Other Big Games on the Weekend:

LSU vs. Georgia: The battles in the SEC never get easy. The Georgia Bulldogs have their third test of the season. This time the Bulldogs are on the road deep in the heart of Cajun country. LSU is up to their old tricks and hanging around waiting for the rest of the SEC to trip up and then they walk into the Dome in Atlanta. LSU is a 2 point favorite here and I like them to stay strong and defend their home turf.

Texas vs. Oklahoma State: Texas just can’t catch a break and enjoy a week being the number 1 team in the country. They are still in the midst of the worst stretch in college football. Oklahoma, Missouri last week and now they have Mike Gundy and his Oklahoma State Cowboys. Texas is red hot right now and Colt McCoy is playing as well as anyone in the country. Oklahoma State is good and they are known for their upsets but they won’t be able to overcome the 13 point spread. Texas is the favorite to win and they will roll.

Kansas vs. Texas Tech: Yet another great showdown in the Big 12. Texas Tech has blown seemingly everyone (except Nebraska). However, Nebraska was the only real team they have played this season. Kansas is a very good team stuck in the middle of a great conference. Saturday against Texas Tech they have the chance to put their stamp on the Big 12 and regain some notoriety on the national scene. The Jayhawks played Oklahoma tough last week and they will do the same with Texas Tech. As of Thursday, the line is even on this game, but I am saying take the Kansas Jayhawks no matter what the spread moves to. Texas Tech is just overrated.

Alabama vs. Tennessee: Nick Saban put this Alabama team together in a hurry and they are good. Sadly for Tennessee fans the same cannot be said about their program. Somehow the Vols are only a 6 point underdog. I guess Vegas forgot that no one shows up to Tennessee games now days. This could be Philip Fulmer’s last stand and I want to believe that and take the underdog so I can have at least one dog pick this week, but I have no faith in Tennessee they have apparently given up on their coach and are just waiting around. I like Alabama to cover, win, and stay perfect.

Virginia Tech vs. Florida State: Once again these ACC teams will do battle and a trip to the ACC Championship could be swaying in the balance. The Hokies are coming off a difficult road lost to Boston College and they are looking to bounce back on the road against the ‘Noles. While Bobby Bowden has his team playing much improved football, I do not believe that Virginia Tech will lose two games in a row. Virginia Tech is a 6 point underdog but look for them to pull the upset.