Posts Tagged ‘Oregon State Beavers’

December 29th, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

I’ve been studying the ‘total’ for the Alamo Bowl odds for quite some time, and I’m ready to make my Alamo Bowl picks for the clash between the Oregon State Beavers and the Texas Longhorns. The Texas vs. Oregon State kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX, and I’m going to show you which way to bet on college football to make your CFB pick on for this great game.

2012 Alamo Bowl
Texas Longhorns (8-4, 5-7 ATS) +3.5
Oregon State Beavers (9-3, 8-4 ATS) -3.5
Over/Under 57.5

I never like to back ‘overs’ on teams that don’t have solid starting quarterback situation. If there was a doubt about the situation for Head Coach Mack Brown, he ended his debate by suspending QB Case McCoy for this game. That’s one quarterback problem down, as QB David Ash is going to go from start to finish for the Longhorns barring injury. But the problem that I have is that Oregon State’s quarterback situation is extremely suspect. I expected to see that QB Sean Mannion was going to be the man under center, but in the end, Head Coach Mike Riley has chosen QB Cody Vaz instead. Vaz has the better numbers, but the team just doesn’t seem to respond to his time under center, and that worries me for sure.

The Texas defense also has a heck of a lot to prove. This is a unit that was trampled by the Oklahoma Sooners, the Baylor Bears, the Kansas State Wildcats, and the West Virginia Mountaineers also held the Iowa State Cyclones, Texas Tech Red Raiders, TCU Horned Frogs, and Kansas Jayhawks down. It is a unit that has a heck of a lot of potential and some real NFL talent on it, but thanks to the Big XII schedule, the numbers just aren’t all that great. Oregon State too, has some defenders that could ultimately make it to the next level, and it wasn’t a mistake that 10 of the 12 teams on the slate were held down to 27 points or fewer.

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In the end, this ‘total’ is just far too high. It’s tough to not notice the 72 combined points in the Civil War against the Oregon Ducks and the 76 combined points against the Cal Golden Bears in Oregon State games. It’s also tough to see how a Texas defense that was crushed for so many big time performances is going to step up to the task in this one against a Pac-12 opponent that has the ability to score so many points. But throw in a murky quarterback quandary for both teams and the fact that these defenses have some real talent, and the makings are right for the Alamo Bowl to be a bit of a low scoring bowl game that could go either way.

Texas vs. Oregon State Picks & Tips: Under 57.5

 
December 29th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan
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The 2012 Alamo Bowl picks are set to go here at Cappers Info, and we are ready to make our free bowl picks for all of the games on the schedule. Check out the Texas vs. Oregon State picks and predictions for what should be a remarkable game.

Alamo Bowl Picks: Texas Longhorns vs. Oregon State Beavers
Date: Saturday, December 29th, 6:45 ET
Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Alamo Bowl Betting Odds: Oregon State -3.5
Texas vs. Oregon State Live TV Coverage: ESPN

The Longhorns and the Beavers both started this year in different directions. Texas was ranked 15th in the nation in both of the polls, while Oregon State didn’t get a single vote in either poll until Week 4. In the end though, this has been a great year for the Beavs, who won nine of their 12 outings, and a questionable year for the Horns, who went 8-4. There isn’t much of a difference here between these two records, but Oregon State clearly overachieved, while at least in the eyes of the fans in Austin, UT underachieved to the point that Head Coach Mack Brown might be on a bit of a hot season going into next year.

Both of these teams went through a pair of quarterbacks this year. The Longhorns have no quarterback controversy left, as QB Case McCoy has been sent home after violating team rules during the bowl week. That means that QB David Ash is going to have the ball from start to finish, and that might ultimately help out the Horns in what should be a de facto home game playing in the Lone Star State. Ash was an embattled quarterback all season long, but he did complete 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,458 yards with 17 TDs against seven picks. QB Cody Vaz is going to get the start in the Alamo Bowl for the Beavers. He might have completed a slightly smaller percent of his passes than QB Sean Mannion, but he also had an 11/1 TD/INT ratio, as opposed to a 15/13 TD/INT ratio that Mannion had.

The move for Head Coach Mike Riley to go with Vaz as opposed to Mannion might ultimately come back to bite the team on the backside. Oregon State lost three of its last five games played against FBS foes this year, and it really has more or less come back to earth after beating up on a bunch of suspect teams at the start of the season. Texas lost its last two games, but it also had some big wins against some big teams in the Big XII. This isn’t a game against a solid team like the Oklahoma Sooners, nor is it a game against a team with a ridiculous high octane offense like the West Virginia Mountaineers. In a de facto home game right up the road in San Antonio, it feels like Texas is going to win this game.

Texas vs. Oregon State Pick: Texas Longhorns +3.5
Alamo Bowl Score Prediction: Texas 24 – Oregon State 20

 
November 10th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

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College football betting fans are running to their online sportsbooks to place their Oregon State Beavers vs. Stanford bets and predictions, and here at Cappers Info, we are making our Saturday football picks for this encounter.

Week 11 College Football Picks: Oregon State Beavers @ Stanford Cardinal
Date: Saturday, November 10th, 3:00 ET
Location: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, CA
CFB Betting Odds: Stanford -4.5
Oregon State vs. Stanford Live TV: FOX

An upset really could be in the cards on Saturday afternoon when Stanford and Oregon State have at it. These two teams are both on their way to greatness this year in the Pac-12, but only one will legitimately have any chance whatsoever of getting to the Rose Bowl or claiming a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. Stanford has looked mortal at times this year, and its offense is going to be the real culprit. As long as QB Cody Vaz hangs onto the football for the Beavs, they should be able to use their gritty defense to frustrate the heck out of the Cardinal offense. The Beavers have done everything right this year, and they still control their own destiny to get to the Rose Bowl, though the road definitely looks like it is incredibly daunting from here. Head Coach Mike Riley will get his boys up for this game, and this will be another one of these where OSU defies all logic and pulls off the upset to keep this magical season going.

Oregon State @ Stanford Pick: Oregon State Beavers +4.5
Oregon State @ Stanford Score Prediction: Oregon State 27 – Stanford 20

 
November 3rd, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

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College football betting fans are running to their online sportsbooks to place their Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Oregon State bets and predictions, and here at Cappers Info, we are making our Saturday football picks for this encounter.

Week 10 College Football Picks: Arizona State Sun Devils @ Oregon State Beavers
Date: Saturday, November 3rd, 10:30 ET
Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR
CFB Betting Odds: Oregon State -5.5
Arizona State vs. Oregon State Live TV: ESPN2

It’s only early in the week, but the Beavers are clearly getting some massive public play in this one. We just don’t get it. Sure, Oregon State is the ranked team of these two, and sure we have seen the Sun Devils suffer two major defensive setbacks over the course of the last two weeks, but it isn’t like the Beavers are juggernauts. When you look back at their schedule this year, they have beaten a bunch of decent teams, but no truly good ones, and though Arizona State isn’t one of the elite teams in college football, it is a team that has some real potential. The Sun Devils have at least proven that they have the capacity to play some defense, and they have the better of the two quarterbacks in QB Taylor Kelly. QB Sean Mannion has been a wreck over the course of his last two games, and it is time to put these Beavers out of their misery once and for all, as they really don’t deserve to be ranked in the Top 15 in the nation.

Arizona State @ Oregon State Pick: Arizona State +5.5
Arizona State @ Oregon State Score Prediction: Arizona State 34 – Oregon State 27

 
October 27th, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

BovadaThe Oregon State Beavers and the Washington Huskies are set to kick off their college football clash on Saturday 10/27, and I’m set to make my college football pick for the affair at CenturyLink Field. Kickoff is set for 10:15 ET, and I’ve got the perfect NCAA football pick for this outstanding clash.

#8 Oregon State Beavers (6-0, 5-1 ATS) -5
Washington Huskies (3-4, 3-4 ATS) +5
Over/Under 48

I really got jobbed last week on the last game of the night, as I really should have had the ‘under’ in the San Diego State/Nevada game. But alas, I move onward and upward, and I’m taking my chances on the last game of the night on Saturday this week as well, knowing that Joe Public is only going to continue to push as hard as it can on the Beavers.

Call me a pessimist, but I still refuse to believe that the Beavers are going to finish the year ranked in the Top 25 when all is said and done. Who the heck has this team beaten this year? Okay, a road win at Arizona, a road win at UCLA, a home win against Wisconsin… The wins are good, but they aren’t great. This isn’t the greatest game in the world either, but it comes against a Washington team that might legitimately be one of the best 30 or so in the country in spite of its 3-4 record. Remember that the losses have come to LSU, Oregon, USC, and Arizona, and it is clear in my eyes that the Beavers would be whooped by at least the first three of those teams.

What I really don’t like about this one is the idea that Oregon State has covered eight in a row and won seven of the last eight SU in this series. Still, I think that Washington has the better team believe it or not, and here at CenturyLink Field, that should mean that an “upset” is brewing.

Oregon State vs. Washington Tips: Washington Huskies +5

 
October 20th, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

Making sports betting picks is one of my specialties, and today, I’m making my Saturday Football Tipster pick based upon the football trends and Week 8 college football odds for the Utah Utes vs. Oregon State Beavers game on Saturday, September 20th at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Utah Utes (2-4, 3-3 ATS) +10
#8 Oregon State Beavers (5-0, 4-1 ATS) -10
Over/Under 46.5

The public over the course of the last day and a half has really swarmed onto the Beavers, but in my opinion, they have missed the boat on a team that is now ridiculously overrated. There is just no way in heck that Oregon State – yes, THAT Oregon State that was ready to castrate Head Coach Mike Riley at the start of the season – really has a team worthy of being in the Top 10 in the nation. None whatsoever.

Both of these offenses have huge question marks at the quarterback position, and that’s never a good thing. The Beavers are once again going to be without QB Sean Mannion, which means that it is up to QB Cody Vaz to lead the way for a team that has a lot of underrated weapons. Utah’s ground game might have a tough time with RB John White IV trying to run against a great front seven as well.

In the end though, 69% of the public is on Oregon State, and that number is only going to continue to rise as the day progresses. I don’t care that it’s the Beavers’ homecoming game. I don’t care that the Beavers have that fancy #8 hanging next to their name. I do care that Utah won the game in this series last year 27-8, and I don’t really believe that there is going to be a 5-score flip from last year’s clash to this year’s clash.

Utah @ Oregon State Tips: Utah +10

 
October 13th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan

BovadaThe Oregon State Beavers and the BYU Cougars are set to kick off their college football clash on Saturday 10/13, and I’m set to make my college football pick for the affair at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 ET, and I’ve got the perfect NCAA football pick for this outstanding clash.

#14 Oregon State Beavers (4-0, 3-1 ATS) +3.5
BYU Cougars (4-2, 3-3 ATS) -3.5
Over/Under Off

Early in the week, there is probably going to be a heck of a lot of action on Oregon State, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that this line is going to be moving against the Beavs when push comes to shove.

The truth of the matter is that the Beavers are an enigma as I look at it. Sure, they’re a cute story at 4-0, and sure, they have beaten some of the other pretty good teams in the Pac-12 that are going to be fighting for a respectable bowl game this year. In the end though, I just don’t view this team as one that is truly all that great. QB Sean Mannion will be good in the future, but he is playing well beyond his years right now, and the defense just can’t possibly be this good for Head Coach Mike Riley and the gang. Meanwhile, BYU is playing outstanding defense and has an offense that just has to be getting better with QB Riley Nelson under center than QB Taysom Hill.

There have only been two games in this series dating back to 1986, and both of those games were won and covered by the Cougars. Both were played in Reser Stadium. The bottom line though, is if the defense plays like this for the Cougs for a full 60 minutes at home, Oregon State just isn’t going to survive and will eventually concede some points. If the Cougars can get to 20, I think they’ll cover this game.

Oregon State vs. BYU Tips: BYU -3.5

 
September 28th, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

Making sports betting picks is one of my specialties, and today, I’m making my Saturday night Football Tipster pick based upon the football trends and Week 5 college football odds for the Oregon State Beavers vs. Arizona Wildcats game on Saturday, September 29th at 10:00 p.m. ET.

#21 Oregon State Beavers (2-0, 2-0 ATS) +3
Arizona Wildcats (3-1, 2-2 ATS) -3
Over/Under 61.5

Welcome to the Pac-12, where Oregon is good, USC is overrated, and a whole heck of a lot of other teams are going to be in and out of the Top 25 all year long. Last week, it was UCLA and Arizona that were in the Top 25. This week, it’s Oregon State. Next week it’ll be Washington… and probably Arizona once again.

The Beavers are off to a great start to a very important season for them. Head Coach Mike Riley is on the hot seat thanks to the fact that he just has never been able to get together the resources to bring this program up to an elite level over the course of the last several years. However, he’s off and running at 2-0 this year, and that, at least for the time being, makes him safe. Head Coach Rich Rodriguez is the new guy in the Pac-12, and he is going to hope to get the job done here offensively. Remember that last week, Oregon shut out his Wildcats in what amounted to be an ugly game in Eugene. This is a significantly different test against a Oregon State club that we really don’t know a heck of a lot about yet.

Ah, here we go with one of my favorite trends to bet in college football. The unranked team favored over the ranked team. It is clear to the oddsmakers that the Wildcats are the better of these two teams, and though the Beavs have covered five of the last six and nine of the last 11 in this series, that run is going to come to a close after the Cats claw them right out of the Top 25.

Oregon State @ Arizona Tips: Arizona -3

 
September 22nd, 2012 By Jack Wilshire

5Dimes SportsbookOne of my favorite plays on the Week 4 Saturday college football odds pits the UCLA Bruins against the Oregon State Beavers. These two are going to be meeting at 3:30 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl Stadium, and I’m going to show you which side to make your CFB pick on for this great game.

Oregon State Beavers (1-0, 1-0 ATS) +7.5
#19 UCLA Bruins (3-0, 3-0 ATS) -7.5
Over/Under 52

This is another one of these public games that the pointspread keeps dropping on. The Bruins are the favored side, and deservedly so after taking care of their first three foes with relative easy. However, there is a real problem that we see with laying so many points in this game, and some of the college football experts apparently are seeing that as well.

Mum is the word about QB Brett Hundley to the point that few even realize that he is dealing with an ankle injury. The Bruins are going to employ picture cards this week for their plays, similar to the ones that the Oregon Ducks use. Just one problem: UCLA isn’t quite Oregon yet. Oregon State QB Sean Mannion has gotten off to a great start this year, and the OSU defense is absolutely legit. The Beavers might be able to pull off the upset in this game, and that’s what the line movement is suggesting will happen.

The Bruins are 8-1 ATS in the last nine games in this series, however, Oregon State is 4-0 ATS in its last four as a road underdog and 6-0 ATS in its last six as an underdog overall. Those types of numbers don’t get created easily, and this should be another one of these games that comes right down to the wire in the Pac-12, something that I’m expecting to see a heck of a lot of this year.

Oregon State @ UCLA Tips: Oregon State +7.5

 
September 8th, 2012 By Andrew Ryan
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The Wisconsin Badgers and the Oregon State Beavers are going to square off in Week 2 of the college football betting campaign. Join us here at Cappers Info, as we make our predictions for football for what should be a great game on Saturday.

Week 2 College Football Picks: Wisconsin Badgers @ Oregon State Beavers
Date: Saturday, September 8th, 4:00 ET
Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR
CFB Betting Odds: Wisconsin -7.5
Wisconsin vs. Oregon State Live TV: FX

One of the biggest questions that college football betting fans were left with last week was whether or not Wisconsin really has the ability to beat some of the best teams in the Big Ten, or whether it really is as bad as Northern Iowa made it look last week, especially in the second half. Last year, the Oregon State offense just had nothing going in the “Bounce House,” knowing that the Badgers shut it out and allowed it to amass just 284 total yards. Have the Beavers really improved that much over the course of the last year? We just don’t think that that is the case. What we know about Wisconsin is that it is going to be able to run the ball and run it well, and last year’s 118 yards and two TDs for RB Montee Ball was one of his lesser games of the year. As long as Ball can keep rolling, there really should be no reason to see the defense allowing all that many points. Had this game been played a week ago, would the Beavers really only be getting a touchdown? We think not. Remember that two years ago this was a team that screwed around with both UNLV and San Jose State before ultimately finishing 11-1 and ending the year with nearly having three 1,000-yard rushers. The Badgers are legit, and they’ll show it on Saturday.

Wisconsin @ Oregon State Pick: Wisconsin Badgers -7
Wisconsin @ Oregon State Score Prediction: Wisconsin 30 – Oregon State 9

 
December 3rd, 2010 By Andrew Ryan

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The Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers truly hate each other, and they will engage in the Civil War on Saturday afternoon with all to play for on both sidelines. Should the Ducks prove to be victorious, they will have their ticket stamped to the BCS Championship Game in Glendale in January. Oregon State needs this 'W' to qualify for a bowl game in December after playing the nation's most brutal schedule. Which one will get the job done? We have our Civil War picks right here at Cappers Info!

Matchup: Oregon Ducks vs. Oregon State Beavers
Date: Saturday, December 4th, 3:30 ET
Location: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR
Game Line: Oregon -16.5
Over/Under 64.5

Ducks Notes: Is there a team out there in the country that can stop the Quack Attack? The Ducks are on a roll right now, having won all 11 games this season by posting 42+ points in all but one of the 11. The bad news for those backing them on the college football odds is that they are only 0-2-1 ATS in their last three games, but that isn't going to bother HC Chip Kelly one bit. Kelly made a huge stand at the outset of the season by suspending his top rusher RB LaMichael James for one game for some off the field issues, but he made even bigger waves by kicking his quarterback, Heisman Trophy contending QB Jeremiah Masoli off of the team. With QB Nathan Costa being injured for most of the year, the pressure has fallen onto the shoulders of QB Darren Thomas. Talk about answering the bell! Thomas has rushed for 496 yards and five scores and has thrown for 2,355 yards and 26 TDs against just seven INTs on the campaign. As for James, he didn't turn out all that bad either. The sophomore has rushed for 1,568 yards, received for 169 yards, and has 20 total TDs on the campaign. Not too shabby for a man that was suspended for a game in which his team racked up 720 yards, eh? James is probably a Heisman Trophy finalist, as he is averaging well over 150 yards per game on the ground this year and is virtually impossible to keep out of the end zone. As always, keep an eye on WR Jeffrey Maehl as well. Maehl has 61 catches for 857 yards and 12 scores on the year, and he leads the team in all three categories. The only question is whether or not this defense is going to be able to slow down the Beavers. There is no doubt that the averages for the U of O are great, as allowing 328.5 yards and 18.3 points per game is nothing to sweat about, especially if you have an offense like this that is averaging over 50 points and nearly 550 yards per game, but this is a unit that has allowed at least 29 points three times this year and can be had.

Beavers Notes: The poor Beavers are probably the fourth best team or so in the Pac-10, and they are certainly deserving of going to a bowl game, but the fact that this is the fourth team this year that they are going to play that will be ranked in the final Top 10 in the country in nauseating. The averages for this team are terrible this year, as 330.2 yards and 24.8 points per game are not nearly what a HC Mike Riley team should be putting on the board on a regular basis. Nor should the defense be allowing 401.0 yards per game. Part of the problem has been that WR James Rodgers has been out for the majority of the season, which has really left QB Ryan Katz out to dry. Katz has thrown for 2,159 yards and 16 scores this year, but his eight picks have hurt, especially for a man that turns around and hands the ball off more often than he drops back to throw. And why wouldn't you want to turn around and give the pigskin to RB Jacquizz Rodgers? Many thought that Rodgers could be a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy this year, and though that hasn't panned out, he is clearly the man that the Ducks are most afraid of on Saturday. Rodgers has rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 scores and has caught 38 passes for 274 yards and two TDs. No one else has really been able to step into the shoes of the elder Rodgers brother though, as Markus Wheaton is the team's leading receiver with just 44 receptions, 523 yards, and three scores.

The Final Word: Though we know that taking points in rivalry games is usually a great idea, especially when you're talking about a ton of points for a team that is playing at home, we just can't do it on Saturday. The Beavers just appear to be snake bitten right now, and the fact that they were just shut out by the Stanford Cardinal last week isn't exactly appealing to us. There's just too much James, too much Maehl, and too much Thomas for OSU to stop. It will be a long, long night in Corvallis for the hosts, as they are going to end up waiting another year to return to a bowl game. The Ducks are heading to the BCS Championship Game with ease.

MAC Championship Game Picks: Oregon -16.5
Prediction: Oregon 52 – Oregon State 23

 
November 26th, 2010 By Andrew Ryan

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Matchup: Virginia Cavaliers @ Virginia Tech Hokies
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA
Game Line: Virginia Tech Hokies -23.5
Over/Under 57.5

The rivalry in the state of Virginia this year doesn't have all that much meaning to it, as the Hokies are already going to the ACC Championship Game next week, while the Cavaliers can't make it to a bowl game one way or the other. Both of these teams are solid ATS squads as well, as they are a combined 14-8 in that department. The Hokies have dominated this series, going 6-0 SU and 5-1 ATS since 2003, and there is little reason to believe that that won't continue. The Hoos are trying out a bunch of new things this year, and unless QB Marc Verica plans on getting to the 3,000 yard mark this year (which requires 369 passing yards), we don't see how UVA is sticking around with the red hot Hokies, who just want to keep their mojo going into the conference title game.

Free College Football Picks: Virginia Tech -23.5
Prediction: Virginia Tech 38 – Virginia 10

Matchup: Michigan State Spartans @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Game Line: Michigan State -1.5
Over/Under 51

This is the game that will essentially lock up the Big Ten for the Wisconsin Badgers. The Spartans are just barely hanging on by a thread this season, as they have already had to post major comebacks against both the Northwestern Wildcats and the Purdue Boilermakers to hold on for victories. If those games went the other way and nothing else changed, we know that Penn State would be favored by close to a TD in this one. The bottom line here is that we've had this game circled for quite some time. The Spartans have killed off a number of National Championship hopes for the Nittany Lions over the years, and now Penn State can return the favor and end the Rose Bowl dreams of Michigan State. You know that Joe Pa's crew isn't going to want to pass up on that opportunity.

Free College Football Picks: Penn State +1.5
Prediction: Penn State 23 – Michigan State 17

Matchup: Michigan Wolverines @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 12:00 ET
Location: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Game Line: Ohio State -16.5
Over/Under 63.5

Ohio State has a chance to finish off an 11 win season if it can continue dominance over the Wolverines. Previous Michigan HC Lloyd Carr was canned because he couldn't beat the Buckeyes, and though we know that HC Rich Rodriguez is safe this year after winning seven games and taking Big Blue to a bowl game, eventually, a win over OSU is going to be required for him to keep his job. QB Denard Robinson is going to have to go wild against one of the top defenses in the country to pull off this upset, but with what we've seen thus far with the Buckeyes at home, where they are 7-0 SU and 7-0 ATS, the NCAA football odds aren't looking so good for the visitors.

Free College Football Picks: Ohio State -16.5
Prediction: Ohio State 41 – Michigan 21

Matchup: BYU Cougars @ Utah Utes
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Rice Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Game Line: Utah -8.5
Over/Under 50

This is going to be one of the most interesting Holy Wars in years. The Utes are really slumping right now, as they only stopped a brutal two game skid in which they scored a total of just nine points last week. BYU, on the other hand, really has its offense in high gear right now, and it has salvaged a bowl bid in a year in which looked like it was going to be a disaster. This is the last meeting of these two teams as members of the MWC. The Cougs will be going independent next year, while Utah is headed to the Pac-10. QB Jake Heaps has really figured it out of late, as he is up to 1,824 yards and ten TDs on the campaign, while his counterpart in this one, QB Jordan Wynn, really hasn't gotten it together this year for the Utes to the fullest capability. Last year's game was an epic 26-23 overtime win for BYU in Provo, and this year's encounter should be every bit as entertaining. We think that Rice Eccles Stadium will claim another foe, but that the Cougs are going to find a way to get out of Salt Lake City with another cover.

Free College Football Picks: BYU +8.5
Prediction: Utah 27 – BYU 21

Matchup: Northwestern Wildcats @ Wisconsin Badgers
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI
Game Line: Wisconsin -23.5
Over/Under 57

As long as nothing else screwy happens in the Big Ten over the course of the day, this is going to be the farewell song for the Badgers at home this year, as they head to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl or to Glendale for the BCS Championship Game. The equation in this one is painfully simply. The Wildcats gave up 360 rushing yards last week to Illinois' RB Mikel LeShoure. Last week, Wisconsin's RB Montee Ball and RB James White both rumbled for at least 170 yards apiece. Now, RB John Clay is going to be back in the fold this week as well. At this pace, all three of them could end up with 150 on the ground, especially since the Northwestern offense has totally fallen apart with QB Dan Persa out of the lineup with an Achilles tear. RB Jacob Schmidt and RB Mike Trumpy probably aren't playing either, and if this is the case, QB Evan Watkins is going to be looking like a deer in headlights. Camp Randall will be Jumpin' Around on Saturday afternoon, as their Badgers will have roses between their teeth when this one is over with.

Free College Football Picks: Wisconsin -23.5
Prediction: Wisconsin 63 – Northwestern 17

Matchup: NC State Wolfpack @ Maryland Terrapins
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Byrd Stadium, College Park, MD
Game Line: NC State -1.5
Over/Under 52

The Wolfpack haven't played all that well on the road this year, but they knew coming into last week's clash with the North Carolina Tar Heels that they needed to win twice in order to lock up the ACC Atlantic Division to go to their first ACC Championship Game. The equation is simple. An NCSU win sends the Wolfpack to the game. A loss puts the Florida State Seminoles there for the second time in school history. QB Russell Wilson has all of the pressure on his shoulders to try to take down a team that has played incredibly well at home this year. The Terps don't have anything to really play for except positioning in bowl games, but you can bet that after a great season, Maryland doesn't want to see it all come crashing down with a pair of home losses. Back the hosts, which will send FSU to the league title game.

Free College Football Picks: Maryland Terrapins +1.5
Prediction: Maryland 21 – NC State 20

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Florida State Seminoles
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Game Line: Florida State -2
Over/Under 51

The truth of the matter is that this game really doesn't mean much to either one of these teams from the perspective of where they are going to go to a bowl game. Odds have it, Florida's fate will be in the hands of the Outback Bowl, which may or may not take it. If not, there will be a lot of bowl games that surpass the Gators before they land one way or the other. The Noles though, are probably going to be the No. 2 or No. 3 team in the conference, which means that they will either be in the Gator Bowl or the Champs Sports Bowl unless they win the ACC. You know that there will be plenty of scoreboard watching in Tallahassee, win or lose against UF. The Maryland Terrapins will be rooted on just as hard as the Noles will at the Doak on Saturday. A win for the team that FSU disposed of last week will send it to the ACC Championship Game. Still, this game takes top priority for the men on the field, as the Seminoles haven't beaten the Gators in six tries. Florida just doesn't look like it has the oomph right now, particularly offensively, to be able to take down the men in garnet and gold. Florida State will get the job done, and there will be a ton of celebrating on the streets of Tallahassee for the first time in years.

Free College Football Picks: Florida State -2
Prediction: Florida State 30 – Florida 21

Matchup: LSU Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, AR
Game Line: Arkansas -3
Over/Under 54

These two teams really hate each other, as the battle for the Golden Boot is always one of the most brutal battles to watch on the collegiate gridiron all season long. Depending on what happens with the Iron Bowl on Friday afternoon, Arkansas might think that it has a great chance of playing for a BCS bowl game, as a second team from the SEC is likely going to find its way to a major bowl game. LSU knows that a spot in the BCS is guaranteed with a win, as a one loss SEC team is not going to be passed upon under any circumstance. The chance is still there for the Mad Hatter, HC Les Miles and company to go the National Championship Game, especially if they are impressive in this one on the road. We know that statistically speaking, all signs point to Arkansas winning this game, but we're not so sure. LSU just has this knack of winning games like this one, while the Hogs have had the nature to lose them. That parlayed with the fact that the Bayou Bengals have been the dominant team in this series over the years has us waving around purple and gold flags in college football betting action.

Free College Football Picks: LSU +3
Prediction: LSU 23 – Arkansas 20

Matchup: Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Mississippi Rebels
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:00 ET
Location: Vaught Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS
Game Line: Mississippi State -2.5
Over/Under 54

The annual Egg Bowl is usually a very close run thing, and this year is probably going to be no exception whatsoever. The Bulldogs have lost a pair of games in a row, but no one is blaming them after having a fantastic first nine games of the year. Ole Miss has been disappointing, losing close game after close game. HC Houston Nutt needs something to bring into next season, but we tend to think that the combination of QB Jeremiah Masoli and RB Brandon Bolden are going to get stuffed up. MSU has no fear about going on the road and winning games like this one. Just ask the Florida Gators. The Bulldogs are going to find a way to sneak out of Oxford with a big time win to hopefully snare a bid in a strong bowl like they deserve after a great regular season.

Free College Football Picks: Mississippi State -2.5
Prediction: Mississippi State 27 – Mississippi 20

Matchup: South Carolina Gamecocks @ Clemson Tigers
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 3:30 ET
Location: Clemson Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
Game Line: South Carolina -2.5
Over/Under 45

Winning in Death Valley is never an easy thing to do, but the Tigers just haven't looked like a team all season long that can beat a team the quality of the Gamecocks. South Carolina didn't take its foot off of the gas pedal last week in the demolition of the Troy Trojans, and we don't see it doing anything of the sorts again this week even though the SEC Championship Game is on deck. The Gamecocks are a legitimate team, and they are going to give Auburn fits for the second time this year inevitably. But before any of that takes place, RB Marcus Lattimore is once again going to prove that he is the best freshman in the entire country, as he leads Cocky over the Tigers in Death Valley on the road.

Free College Football Picks: South Carolina -2.5
Prediction: South Carolina 26 – Clemson 17

Matchup: Oregon State Beavers @ Stanford Cardinal
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:30 ET
Location: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA
Game Line: Stanford -13
Over/Under 57

HC Mike Riley has his work cut out for him for his Beavers, as they need to beat either the Cardinal or the Oregon Ducks to go to a bowl game this year. The problem that the Beavs have is that they just can't win games on the road. They've had too many close calls to deal with and have just consistently found ways to drop. Stanford knows that this could be a play in game for the BCS, and maybe even for the BCS Championship if enough you know what breaks loose. The Cardinal are going to be locked in this dog fight with teams like the TCU Horned Frogs, LSU Tigers, and Ohio State Buckeyes for the last at large bowl bids to the BCS, and an impressive victory here against a former Top 25 team would go a long, long way. The offense for Stanford is just too strong, as it has put at least 42 on the board in three of the last four. The Cardinal are 3-0-1 ATS in those four games, and there is no reason that we can see that they would do anything less than come away with a three score victory against Oregon State.

Free College Football Picks: Stanford -13
Prediction: Stanford 38 – Oregon State 21

Matchup: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets @ Georgia Bulldogs
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 7:45 ET
Location: Bulldog Stadium, Athens, GA
Game Line: Georgia -13.5
Over/Under 58.5

The winner of this game is certainly going bowling, while the loser might be in a bit of trouble. We already know that Georgia is playing for its bowl life, something that the Texas Longhorns failed at on Thanksgiving night. One of the most proud programs in the SEC posting a losing season would be fatal for the career of HC Mark Richt, as he will almost certainly be fired by the end of the weekend if the Dawgs don't come out on top in this one. QB Josh Nesbitt has been out of the lineup for the Ramblin' Wreck though, and he isn't going to be back in the fold for the rest of the year. Even though Georgia Tech already has the six wins required to be eligible for a bowl game, there is still a huge question as to whether or not anyone would take the Yellow Jackets if there are more bowl eligible teams than there are tie ins to these bowl games in the ACC. Some weird results have happened in this rivalry game, just like last year when UGA pulled off the upset in Atlanta in a game in which no one really gave the Bulldogs a shot. Don't be overly surprised if HC Paul Johnson has something in store for the Georgia offense that it hasn't seen this year. Take all the points you can get, as un upset might be in the cards.

Free College Football Picks: Georgia Tech +13.5
Prediction: Georgia Tech 21 – Georgia 17

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ USC Trojans
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Game Line: USC -4.5
Over/Under 49.5

We're not so sure what in the heck the Fighting Irish have been doing in recent weeks, but even without five of their offensive stars, they just keep continuing to find ways to win games. The Golden Domers fortunately locked up their bowl berth before this game kicked off. But now that that has happened, does USC really have much in the way of motivation to finish off this year? The Trojans slumped down the end of the season last year, and that was with a bowl game coming up. Now, they don't even have one of those to look forward to. These are two of the most bi-polar teams in the entire country that we're dealing with, and as long as that remains the case, we'll take the hotter team with the points and pull for the Irish.

Free College Football Picks: Notre Dame +4.5
Prediction: Notre Dame 20 – USC 13

Matchup: Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date: Saturday, November 27th, 8:00 ET
Location: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK
Game Line: Oklahoma State -2.5
Over/Under 67.5

Unless the BCS rankings have some tricks up their sleeves that we don't see coming, the winner of this game is going to be taking down the Big XII South and heading to the Big XII Championship Game, where they will be facing with the Nebraska Cornhuskers or Missouri Tigers. This is the first time that Okie State has been favored in this series in well over a decade, and for good reason. The men from Norman have won Bedlam 80 times in 104 meetings and have beaten up the Pokes seven times in a row. That all changes this year, though. This offense for Okie State is just downright scary, as QB Brandon Weeden, WR Justin Blackmon, and RB Kendall Hunter are all capable of putting up absolutely bananas numbers on a regular basis against anyone in the country. Though things have gotten better for Oklahoma, they still aren't where they should be. This defense is still certainly down from what we were expecting at the outset of the season. The team that deserves to win the Big XII South is Oklahoma State, and that's exactly how it is going to be playing out at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday night, as the goalposts are coming down in Stillwater.

Free College Football Picks: Oklahoma State -2.5
Prediction: Oklahoma State 37 – Oklahoma 31