Well, for a while there, it looked like I might go 0-fer the weekend. I wasn’t too surprised to miss the Clemson-Wake pick. But when OU fell to Texas and UVA blasted ECU, I started worrying a bit. I rebounded to go .500 for the week, but it’s surely not anything to brag about. Hopefully this week goes better, but there are a lot of tough games.
WEEK 8: BUTLERS PICKS- OUR FAMILY PLUMBER IS NAMED JOE…NO KIDDING! EDITION
1- FSU @ NC State. Well…well. Former Pack coach Chuck Amato returns to Raleigh as an assistant on Bobby Bowden’s staff. Ol’ Chuckie got off to a great start at State, until he realized that he wouldn’t have Phillip Rivers for the rest of his eternal life. Things went sour fast, and Chuck was sent packing. The question is, will he wear any psychedelic shades tinted in Seminole colors? How about some snazzy Seminole-colored shoes? Oh, how I miss the days of ridiculing Amato, and watching videos like this.
PICK: FSU 27 NC State 22
2- Vandy @ Georgia. Vandy got off to an awesome start this year, winning the first 5 games. Then, they evidently remembered they were Vandy, and lost to SEC cellar-dweller Mississippi St. The Commodores haven’t been to a bowl game since the musical group by the same name was pumping out hit after hit. Unfortunately for Vandy, trying to run through Georgia is like trying to run through a “Brick House.” Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
PICK: Georgia 23 Vandy 17
3- Wake @ Maryland. The Deacs dominated Clemson last Thursday, yet needed a late 4th quarter TD to tame the Tigers. Why? Probably because Wake’s red zone offense was sorrier than a Pauly Shore flick. Wake gets a Maryland team that got embarrassed by UVA last time out. At 2-0, the Deacs are on the verge of history…they’ve never been 3-0 in ACC play. This is their best shot, but the Terps should have somethin to prove.
PICK: Maryland 20 Wake 16
4- Miami @ Duke. When the ACC expanded a few years back, I’m guessing they figured this annual matchup would never be decided by less than 30 pts. Oh, how things change. Based on what we’ve seen so far, this is a pretty even battle. Miami has a clear edge in talent, but Duke’s actually resembling a football team for a change. I think this one comes down to the final minute, but the Canes hold on late.
PICK: Miami 17 Duke 12
5- GA Tech @ Clemson. One would think, based on Tech only beating Gardner Webb by 3 pts last week, that the Jackets’ struggles would be the main topic entering this one. Well, nobody cares about that, because Clemson’s in a season of turmoil. Tommy Bowden’s out, somebody named Dabo is in, and CJ Spiller and Cullen Harper are both hurting for the Tigers. Clemson’s season is going downhill at breakneck speed. Sorry Bowden. Maybe ole Tommy Boy should’ve used the other guys brake pads.
PICK: GA Tech 21 Clemson 10
6- Ohio St @ Mich St. The Buckeyes stand at 6-1, and winners of 4 straight. Yet none of the wins have been particularly inspiring, and the pollsters are keeping OSU outside of the Top 10. A win over Sparty would probably lift the Buckeyes back into the national spotlight, but it won’t be easy. OSU is struggling on offense, even with phenom Terrelle Pryor under center. The good news is that MSU has a lousy defense. Tressel and the boys get it done.
PICK: Ohio St 27 Mich St 14
7- UNC @ UVA. Another week, another impressive win, another debilitating injury for the Tarheels. This time it’s star Brandon Tate, who’s done for the year with ligament damage. UNC has survived, and actually thrived to an extent, thanks to Cam Sexton’s surprisingly steady play at QB. This looked like a sure win weeks ago. UVA looked useless, but the Cavs have won two straight in impressive fashion. Plus, UNC hasn’t won in Charlottesville since 1981. That’s a bad sign.
PICK: UVA 28 UNC 27
8- Kansas @ Oklahoma. The first of two enormous showdowns in the Big 12. OU looks to respond after last week’s frustrating loss in the Red River Shootout (yes, I’m not politically correct, I’m still calling it a Shootout). Kansas isn’t as good as last year, but the Jayhawks are still formidable. In the end though, I like QB Sam Bradford to help the Sooners rebound.
PICK: Oklahoma 35 Kansas 24
9- VA Tech @ BC. Last year these two hooked up for 2 memorable battles. The first really put Matt Ryan in the national spotlight, when he rallied Boston College to 2 late scores and stunned the Hokies in Blacksburg. Yet it was VA Tech getting some payback, shutting down the Ryan Express and beating BC in the ACC Title Game. Neither team is quite as good as last year, but that means they’re still pretty evenly matched. Tough call. I’ll go with the home team.
PICK: BC 20 VA Tech 16
10- Missouri @ Texas. For about 3 hrs, this looked like it might be a matchup of #1 and #2. But after Texas upset Oklahoma, Mizzou got upset themselves, by Oklahoma State! This battle features killer offenses led by great QB’s in Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy. I’m picking Mizzou in this one for two reasons. 1- I still think Mizzou is the most dangerous team in the nation, and 2- Teams ranked #1 are dropping like flies. That’s bad news for the Longhorns.
PICK: Missouri 31 Texas 24
Last Week: 5-5 50%
Overall: 48-22 69%
