NCAA FB Picks for Week 11 by Kyle Butler

The election is over. Thank God!! Regardless of who you voted for, I think we can all be glad for an end to those annoying political ads. Apparently we elected Fibber Kay, Wasteful Walter, and other fine folks to office. Before I leave the election behind though, I do want to publicly say that I question Obama’s judgment. How anyone can be a White Sox fan is beyond my comprehension. Anyway, on to Week 11…

WEEK 11: BUTLERS PICKS- FULMER FAREWELL TOUR BEGINS EDITION

1- Maryland @ VA Tech.  The Terps seem to play better against ranked teams than against unranked teams. So if this was 2-3 weeks ago, I’d definitely pick them over the Hokies. But Tech has fallen from the rankings in the meantime, and has all sorts of issues at QB, where one of three guys could start tonight. The Hokies play well on Thursday nights though, and should be helped by a raucous crowd in Blacksburg.
PICK: VA Tech 20  Maryland 16

2- TCU @ Utah.  Another Thursday night game, this one features the two best teams nobody knows about. The Horned Frogs have rolled over everyone not named Oklahoma, and Utah comes in undefeated. The winner of this one can still dream about a potential BCS bid. That team is the Horned Frogs.
PICK: TCU 24  Utah 17

3- GA Tech @ UNC.  If you’d told someone at the beginning of the year that these two teams would hold the highest rankings in the ACC, you’d have been in a straight jacket before you knew it. Speaking of Jackets, the ‘Ramblin Wreck’ may be without starting QB Josh Nesbitt. UNC is vulnerable against the run, but no Nesbitt means problems for Tech. UNC can clinch its first winning season since 2001, and they will Saturday.
PICK: UNC 28  GA Tech 20

4- Alabama @ LSU.  This year, it seems like if you get ranked #1, your chances of survival equal that of a man surrounded by 12 grizzly bears. Alabama carries the ranking into what is sure to be a hostile environment with Nick Saban making his first trip to Baton Rouge as coach of the Tide. Fans in Louisiana still aren’t too happy with the way Saban left the school. Bama fans won’t be happy with the team’s performance in the Bayou. Tigers in an upset.
PICK: LSU 31  Alabama 20

5- Clemson @ FSU.  There’s good news and bad news for Bobby Bowden. The good news is that he can actually try to beat Clemson instead of rolling over to save son Tommy’s job. The bad news is that’s because Tommy Boy was canned last month. Sure, Clemson knocked off BC last week, but BC is not FSU.
PICK: FSU 34  Clemson 21

6- NC State @ Duke.  Not surprisingly, somebody enters this matchup winless in the ACC. Surprisingly, that team is State, and not Duke. Tom O’Brien is finding that rebuilding the mess left by Chuck Amato isn’t something that can be fixed in a day, or a week, or 2 years. As for Duke, the Devils displayed one of the worst special teams performances of the century last week, and still took Wake to OT. This will likely be an entertaining game, though most folks will probably be watching something else.
PICK: Duke 35  NC State 28

7- UVA @ Wake.  UVA outplayed Miami for much of last week till a bad case of fumble-itis plagued the Cavs, and sent them to a loss. How UVA is competitive with an offense that looks inept for the majority of games is amazing. Wake finally did some good things offensively last week. Perhaps O-Coordinator Steed Lobotzke finally removed his head from the toilet. Wake gets revenge for last year’s loss and beats the Wahoos.
PICK: Wake 14  UVA 13

8- Arizona @ Washington St.  This game is on here solely to introduce you to the worst team in the history of mankind, the WSU Cougars. WSU is 0-6 in the Pac 10 this year, and has been outscored by a combined margin of 350-33. The past two weeks, WSU has been outscored 127-0. For the year they’ve allowed 2500 rushing yards, 41 rushing TD’s, and are -20 in the turnover department. Somehow WSU beat Portland State earlier this season 48-9. My only explanation is that Portland State’s team must not include anybody over the age of 4.
PICK: Arizona 56  Washington St 3

9- Cal @ USC.  It’s hard to imagine just how much the Trojans would like that Oregon St game back. USC’s defense allowed 27 pts in that loss, but has allowed a total of 30 pts in their 7 wins combined. Cal does feature an offense that should be able to score some, but not nearly enough to beat the Trojans.
PICK: USC 38  Cal 17

10- Okla St @ Texas Tech.  Last week’s battle between Texas and Texas Tech was a game for the ages. A fantastic finish led to Tech fans storming the field not once, not twice, but three times. Apparently nobody noticed the :01 remaining on the scoreboard. Anyway, Tech gets another big name opponent this week. Oklahoma State features an offense just about equal to Tech’s high powered attack. Expect plenty of points, and yet another phenomenal game in the Big 12.
PICK: Texas Tech 45  Okla St 41

Last Week: 6-4  60%
OVERALL: 70-30  70%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 10 by Kyle Butler

Gotta get these in just before the deadline. It’s been a crazy week, what with Halloween, trying to vote, and other various tasks. This will be a short, basic version, and I promise a more substantial report next week. Here we go.

1- Miami @ UVA.  It amazes me how well UVA is playing lately. Randy Shannon’s gotten the Canes to play better too. In a close one, I’ll go with the U.
PICK: Miami 17  UVA 13

2- WVU @ Uconn.  Looks like the Mountaineers have finally figured things out. They looked great against Auburn, and got 2 TD’s from Western Guilford alum Dorrell Jalloh. I think they handle the Huskies.
PICK: WVU 34  UConn 17

3- Pitt @ Notre Dame.  Jimmy Clausen seems to be making great strides in his sophomore year, and the Irish have a great weapon at WR in Golden Tate. Pitt has Dave Wannstedt as their coach, and gave up over 50 to Rutgers last week. Enough said.
PICK: Notre Dame 28  Pitt 20

4- Clemson @ BC.  The most disappointing team this year is the Tigers. Some would argue that means Auburn, and others Clemson. The latter has a tough one against the Eagles. BC needs to avoid the turnover bug that’s been plaguing them, and I think they’ll do it today.
PICK: BC 27  Clemson 19

5- FSU @ GA Tech.  They aren’t the Seminoles of the mid 90’s, but Bobby Bowden’s put together a pretty nice team. Tech hasn’t looked so hot the past few weeks, and will have a difficult time handling the tall receivers of FSU.
PICK: FSU 23  GA Tech 13

6- Duke @ Wake.  Hard to believe that this game looks like a toss-up. Duke isn’t a laughingstock this year, and Wake’s offensive coordinator has displayed the brains of a deformed tadpole the last few weeks. Assuming he remembers that WF has a good QB, and decides to throw the ball this week, Wake wins.
PICK: Wake 24  Duke 14

7- Florida @ Georgia.  Screw these politically correct morons, I’m still calling this the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. And it should be a great one. Georgia put up a ridiculous 52 pts at LSU. They won’t do that in the Swamp, where the Gators are still seething over last year’s loss, and excessive celebration penalty from the Dawgs. I like UF in this one.
PICK: Florida 38  Georgia 24

8- Tennessee @ S Carolina.  Phillip Fulmer’s probably done already at UT, but the final nail in the coffin is likely coming from his longtime nemesis, Steve Spurrier. Spurrier once remarked that you can’t spell Citrus without U-T. Well, you can’t spell Fire without Phillip Fulmer either.
PICK: S Carolina 20  Tennessee 6

9- Nebraska @ Oklahoma.  Classic rivalry likely to be a classic beatdown this year. The Huskers simply cannot stop Bradford and the fantastic OU offense.
PICK: Oklahoma 52  Nebraska 28

10- Texas @ Texas Tech.  The eyes of the college football world focus in on Lubbock. This has the potential to be the most exciting game of the year. Incredibly strong offenses will lead to a ton of points, and for Tech, this may be the biggest game in their history, at least until next week when they face OU. Yikes. In a thrilling shootout though, I give a slight edge to McCoy and the Horns.
PICK: Texas 45  Texas Tech 38

Last Week: 7-3  70%
Overall: 64-26  71%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 9 by Kyle Butler

Ah, the elusive perfect week strayed just so slightly out of my grasp. After nailing the first 9 picks, Mizzou let me down and received a old fashioned butt-kicking from Texas. A few observations before this week’s selections.
1- Despite Philly’s win in Game 1, I still like Tampa in 7. This World Series is tough to pick though…both teams look evenly matched.
2- Is anyone else feeling the same joy I am over the recent collapse of the Dallas Cowboys?
3- Folks who missed the Temple-Ohio game on Tuesday (which would include…oh, everyone in America) missed this great intro.

I’m at a loss for words to describe that, so onto the Week 9 picks…

WEEK 9: BUTLERS PICKS- DIDN’T YOU USED TO BE AN NFL COACH? EDITION

1- Auburn @ W. Virginia.  Remember the good ole days…the days when Auburn and West Virginia were considered top 10 teams and national title threats? That was actually earlier this season, but it seems like ages ago. Neither team is even in the top 25 at this point, and both are displaying offenses that a good peewee football team could stop. ESPN thought they had a killer matchup when the season started, but it’s now more likely it will just be a killer to watch.
PICK: W. Virginia 13  Auburn 10

2- Wake @ Miami.  We move from a matchup of offensively challenged teams to a matchup of…more offensively challenged teams. Sure, Miami put up a bunch of points last week, but Duke’s not exactly a defensive powerhouse. Wake looked useless against Maryland, and it is clear their MVP is a kicker. Without Sam Swank, the Deacs struggle. I really feel like Miami’s gonna win, but Jim Grobe’s too good of a coach to let Wake look pathetic 2 weeks in a row, right?
PICK: Wake 17  Miami 16

3- Texas Tech @ Kansas.  Enough with the sorry offenses. This Big 12 showdown should feature points, and a lot of them! Texas Tech has been lighting up the scoreboards in Lubbock for years now, and is off to its best start in over 30 years. Coach Mike Leach also likes to run up the score, as was indicated last week against Texas A&M. He won’t be able to run up the score against Kansas, but Leach and the boys from Lubbock will get enough points to stay unbeaten.
PICK: Texas Tech 42  Kansas 34

4- BC @ UNC.  Carolina tries to rebound from a disgraceful loss to UVA. I say disgraceful because UNC gave the game away. Having held UVA out of the end zone all day by playing good, aggressive defense, the Tarheels inexplicably played prevent on the last drive. It worked…as the defense “prevented” UNC from winning the game. I will never understand coaches who employ that defense. BC is looking a lot better, but QB Chris Crane is still fighting the interception bug. UNC leads the country in interceptions. That’s a bad combo for the Eagles.
PICK: UNC 23  BC 18

5- Oklahoma St @ Texas.  I’ve picked Texas to lose the past two weeks, and instead, the Longhorns have flattened their opponents. The beatdown Texas imposed on Mizzou was Secretariat-like in the Belmont. Not too surprising then, that it’s “Colt” McCoy responsible for the unstoppable Longhorns attack. Oklahoma State’s a terrific team, but that hasn’t made much difference lately for Mack Brown’s club.
PICK: Texas 38  Oklahoma St 34

6- Duke @ Vandy.  For about 2 1/2 quarters, it appeared Duke was on its way to another win, and possibly bowl-contention. Then the Blue Devils gave up a bajillion points in the last 20-25 minutes or so, and that was that. Speaking of bowl contention, we’re still waiting to see Vanderbilt reach the necessary 6 wins to be considered. As we’ve eluded to before, Vandy hasn’t been to a bowl game since the days of Genghis Khan. But that, my friends, is finally about to change…
PICK: Vandy 34  Duke 33

7- NC State @ Maryland.  Last time these two hooked up, State needed a win to make a bowl game. What State made was a mess, losing 37-0…an embarrassing loss in Raleigh. This year, State needs a win period. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got one, because Maryland seems to play down to their competition. In the end though, State’s got too many problems. Expect Maryland to be like Ron Cherry here and give State the business!

PICK: Maryland 28  NC State 21

8- Georgia @ LSU.  It wouldn’t be a real week of picks without an SEC showdown, and that’s what we’ve got down in the Bayou. The Bulldogs and the Tigers aren’t quite as good as they appeared to be a month ago. Georgia just hasn’t dominated teams like they’re capable of, and LSU’s defense went on vacation against Florida two Saturdays ago. LSU is really strong at home, but under Mark Richt, Georgia’s been pretty doggone good on the road. In a really tough pick, I’m takin UGA.
PICK: Georgia 23  LSU 20

9- Va Tech @ FSU.  The Seminoles are back in the rankings after taking advantage of NC State’s shoddy 3rd down defense to beat the Pack. On the climb back to the Top 25, FSU passed the Hokies, who were plummeting from the rankings themselves. Last year, Bobby Bowden lost to Va Tech for the first time ever. Well, dadgumit, that’s not happening for a 2nd year in a row.
PICK: FSU 26  Va Tech 13

10- Penn St @ Ohio St.  It’s pretty sad to say this, but this is the last big game in the Big Ten this year. Outside of these two teams, the rest of the league stinks. OSU finds themselves in the rare position of being an underdog at home in the Horseshoe. They’ll face Penn St, who has rolled over everyone. Two problems for the Nittany Lions. 1- 167 yr old Joe Paterno has serious problems beating the Buckeyes and 2- Ohio State tends to dominate the rest of the Big Ten in the same fashion that they themselves get dominated by any decent nonconference opponent.
PICK: Ohio St 27  Penn St 20

I’m Kyle Butler, and I approved these picks. Paid for by the Principled Prognosticating Pickers Association of America.

LAST WEEK: 9-1 90%
OVERALL: 57-23 71%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 8 by Kyle Butler

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%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 7 by Kyle Butler

Six weeks in the books. Unlike the stock market, I bounced back last week after two sub-par efforts. A 9-1 record is always nice, though I can’t help but be a bit amused that the game I missed (MD-UVA) was the one I felt most confident about going into the week. Weird. Anyway, on to Week #7.

WEEK 7: BUTLERS PICKS- WILL STATE AND DUKE BEAT THEIR BYE WEEKS? EDITION

1- Clemson @ Wake.  Up until two weeks ago, this was considered the top game of the ACC season. Then both teams came out and laid an egg (CLEM to MD and WF to Navy) and suddenly it’s not the battle ESPN was lookin forward to. Still a big game though. A WF win puts them in control of the Atlantic. A Clemson win puts nobody in control. I want to pick the Deacs, but they’re ranked, and ranked teams are dropping every week on Thursday nights.
PICK: Clemson 28  Wake 21

2- Texas @ Oklahoma.  Yee-haw! It’s the Red River Shootout and the Cotton Bowl will be crazier than a rabid coyote. With good reason…the Big 12 rivals are stacked. OU has been unstoppable on offense, while Texas isn’t afraid to put up the points either. Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy will get their share of yards and TD’s, but in the end, I think Bradford and the Sooners will get a few more.
PICK: Oklahoma 30  Texas 24

3- ECU @ Virginia.  These may be the most confusing teams in all of football. ECU beats Va Tech and WVU, then loses to NC State and Houston. Virginia loses to Duke by 4 touchdowns, then proceeds to shut out Maryland. Good grief, compared to these two, the country’s tax code is a piece of cake. I still think ECU is better than UVA though, and I’m basing the pick on Skip Holtz putting his team’s bye week to good use.
PICK: ECU 38  Virginia 23

4- Tennessee @ Georgia.  To say the season has been disappointing for Tennessee is a huge understatement. Ol’ Rocky Top has a rocky offense, barely averaging double digits over the past 3 weeks. That’s bad news for the Vols, who get a Georgia team that’s had 2 weeks to stew over its loss to Alabama. Yes, I know UT has 2 straight wins over UGA. I also know they have no shot to make it 3.
PICK: Georgia 27  Tennessee 6 

5- Notre Dame @ UNC.  I don’t know what’s goin on anymore, friends. Tampa Bay is good in baseball. Michigan is bad in football. The stock market’s tanked, and UNC is ranked. How bout them Tarheels? In the poll for the first time since 2001 after thrashing UConn. Now the Heels meet the Irish, who haven’t been playing badly themselves. Jimmy Clausen is finally resembling a QB for the Golden Domers. Notre Dame has already exceeded their win total from last year. If UNC wins, they’ll exceed their own win total from 07 as well. Should be a great battle in Chapel Hill.
PICK: UNC 23  Notre Dame 20

6- Nebraska @ Texas Tech.  Bo Pelini is a defensive guy, and he’ll probably get the Cornhusker defense squared away at some point, but not this point. Nebraska gave up 52 to Missouri in Lincoln last Saturday. Now the Huskers face the best passing offense in the nation. In his last 3 games, Tech QB Graham Harrell has thrown for a whopping 15 TD’s and 0 INT’s! When Nebraska last visited Lubbock, they gave up 70 pts. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it again. Hide the women and children…this could get ugly.
PICK: Texas Tech 62  Nebraska 31

7- Central Florida @ Miami.  Poor Randy Shannon’s boys just can’t seem to put a full game together. Looked great in the first half against UNC, then fell apart late. Looked awful in the first half against FSU, then made a huge comeback before falling short. So it’s probably nice for the U to face a team like Central Florida. Kevin Smith is gone to the NFL, and it shows.
PICK: Miami 28  Central Florida 17

8- Penn St @ Wisconsin.  Last time PSU visited Wisconsin, coach Joe Paterno broke his leg after being hit on the sidelines. Well, ole JoePa is hurting again, having injured his hip while trying to demonstrate an onside kick in practice. Why the 113 yr old Paterno is attempting onside kicks in the first place is a good question, but we’ll figure that out some other time. The Badgers are 0-2 in the Big Ten, and are far too talented to start 0-3. Plus, PSU is due for a loss. I like Wisconsin in an upset.
PICK: Wisconsin 17  Penn St 16

9- Oklahoma St @ Missouri.  Now this should be fun. Both of these teams are averaging over 50…yes, 50 points per game! Everyone knows about Mizzou QB Chase Daniel and what is an unstoppable Tiger offense. Want proof? In 48 offensive possessions, Mizzou hasn’t gone three-and-out once. Oklahoma St gets the job done on the ground, rolling up over 300 yds per game. Coach Mike Gundy has the team playing well, after all, he’s a man! He’s 40!! The scoreboard operator better get some rest…he’ll be busy Saturday.
PICK: Missouri 48  Oklahoma St 35

10- LSU @ Florida.  Man, every week there’s a huge game in the SEC! This week, it’s in the Swamp, where Florida tries to get back in the hunt after shockingly losing to Ole Miss 2 weeks ago. LSU has already added fuel to the fire in this one when one of their players said the team would take Tim Tebow out of the game. That comment surely won’t sit well with the Gators. There are a ton of great games this weekend, and this should be one of the best.
PICK: Florida 20  LSU 17

Last Week: 9-1 90%
Season: 43-17 72%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 6 by Kyle Butler

4-6 last week. Yikes! Ok, let’s pretend last week didn’t happen. While we’re at it, can we pretend the last 2 Cubs games didn’t happen either? If I start talking about last night’s game, I’ll just start swearing uncontrollably while making facial expressions far scarier than anything you’ll see on Halloween. So let’s just focus on this week’s picks, shall we? Ok.

WEEK 6: BUTLERS PICKS- UNC AND DUKE ARE BOTH 3-1?! EDITION

1- Duke @ GA Tech.  Stunningly, I picked Duke to win an ACC game last week. More stunningly, they actually won, and in a big way over UVA. The bad news for the Dookies is that they haven’t played on the road to this point. I’m not sure of the last time Duke won a road game. I think it might have been during the Nixon administration. Anyway, I expect the Blue Devils to put up a battle, but fall short in Atlanta.
PICK: GA Tech 31  Duke 23

2- BC @ NC State.  State coach Tom O’Brien faces his old school once again. It didn’t go so well last year for Tommy O, and this year probably won’t go much better. Russell Wilson is supposedly back for the Pack, but for how long? He’s been about as durable as Dan Morgan. State is 2-3, but the 3 losses are by an average of 27 pts. This one won’t be that lopsided, but won’t be in State’s favor either.
PICK: BC 34  NC State 20

3- Florida St @ Miami.  Remember when this was the Game of the Year in the early 90’s? Remember how the ACC expanded primarily to make this the premier game of the conference? Yes, I remember these things, but the games between these two rivals over the past 5 years have been totally forgettable. I expect a defensive battle. Tough pick, but I’ll take FSU.
PICK: Florida St 17  Miami 13

4- Maryland @ Virginia.  Gotta hand it to the Terps. After inexplicably losing to Middle Tenn State, MD has rallied nicely, and had a huge win over Clemson in Death Valley last week. UVA, on the other hand, has been nothing short of pathetic. Al Groh may go from being coach of the year to the unemployment line.
PICK: Maryland 31  Virginia 10

5- UConn @ UNC.  These teams are a combined 8-1. There’s only one explaination. Jim Calhoun and Roy Williams are secretly coaching these football teams. In all seriousness though, both teams are missing their QB’s, which makes this difficult to predict. Cam Sexton stunned me by looking like a legit QB for the first time ever. If he plays like that again, UNC should beat a UConn team that hasn’t played anyone good this year.
PICK: UNC 23  UConn 18

6- Illinois @ Michigan.  Well, I said last week that I had no good reason for picking Illinois over Penn St. I was right. There was no good reason, and PSU lit them up. Michigan is coming off a surprising rally over Wisconsin. But the Wolverines still have issues. They turned it over 5x in the first half against the Badgers. I can’t believe I’m picking a Ron Zook coached team 2 weeks in a row, but…
PICK: Illinois 37  Michigan 27

7- Auburn @ Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is ranked. I’ll say that again. Vanderbilt is ranked!!!!! That hasn’t happened since I was 3 months old, in 1984. And this is no joke. Vandy is a solid team, with a great coach in Bobby Johnson. I never thought I’d say that, nor did I think I’d say that ESPN’s College Gameday will be on-site. Auburn is having problems on offense, but they should win. But you know what…I’m calling upset.
PICK: Vanderbilt 16  Auburn 13

8- Missouri @ Nebraska.  I had a lot of faith in Nebraska last week. They didn’t reward me, losing to VA Tech. VA Tech wasn’t anything compared to Missouri. Chase Daniel and the Tigers are averaging 54 pts per game. Unless Nebraska feeds Mizzou some tainted corn, the fans in Lincoln are in for a long night.
PICK: Missouri 49  Nebraska 27

9- Ohio St @ Wisconsin.  If this was a week ago, I’d totally pick Wisconsin. Then the Badgers found a way to lose to Michigan. That normally wouldn’t be bad, but this is not the same Michigan. Ohio St has Chris Wells back, and Terrelle Pryor looks good under center. The only thing that will be “On Wisconsin” Saturday is a big “L”.
PICK: Ohio State 28  Wisconsin 24

10- Oregon @ USC.  It’s been over a week now, and I still can’t figure out how USC lost to Oregon State. It defies all explaination. Now they get the other team from Oregon. USC can’t go 0-2 against the state of Oregon, can they?
PICK: USC 35  Oregon 24

Last Week: 4-6 40%
For the Year: 34-16 68%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 5 by Kyle Butler

Well, it couldn’t last forever. Three straight solid 8-2 weeks gave way to a totally mediocre 6-4 week. Looked like it could be a total disaster after a 2-4 start, but rallied late to edge above .500. I’ll be honest with you though, I’m a bit scared to pick this week’s games…especially after watching Oregon State (OREGON STATE??!!) knock off the top ranked USC Trojans last night. OSU had given up 81 pts in its first two games, yet was shutting out USC at the half. Huh?! Oh well. On to the Week 5 picks…

WEEK 5- BUTLERS PICKS: USC JUST FELL FASTER THAN OUR ECONOMY EDITION

1- UNC @ Miami.  Last year, Butch Davis took a bad UNC team and still managed to beat his former school. This year, UNC is better, but so is the “U”. And with TJ Yates out, UNC’s offense may be in the hands of Mike Paulus…yep, Greg’s brother. Trusting in people named Paulus usually is a poor decision…the kind of decision you’d make if you didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
PICK: Miami 24  UNC 17 

2- Virginia @ Duke.  The Blue Devils are favored to win an ACC Football game. You might want to sit back and let that information sink in, because I’m pretty sure that hasn’t happened in the past…oh, I don’t know…decade?! And the incredible thing is…they’ll probably win it! Duke’s last “W” in the ACC came 11 days after America reelected “W” as president in 2004. UVA is pathetic. I can’t believe I’m predicting Duke to win an ACC game.
PICK: Duke 35  Virginia 27

3- Colorado @ Florida St.  It appears that Colorado has moved beyond the days of Gary Barnett, embarrassing parties, and “horrible” female kickers. Dan Hawkins has the Buffs 3-0, and taking on an FSU team that looked about as inept on offense against Wake as you can get. FSU QB’s Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson threw 5 picks. FSU might as well start wrestlers Christian Cage and D’Von Dudley. At least they’d bodyslam someone after throwing an INT.
PICK: Colorado 20  Florida St 17

4- Tennessee @ Auburn.  A rough week for these two teams. Auburn lost in the last minutes for a 2nd straight year against LSU. Tennessee lost about 1 minute into the game against Florida. And that’s the difference in this one. Auburn lost, but is a solid team. Tennessee isn’t. Incidentally, UT coach Phillip Fulmer looks a lot like Fred Thompson, and UT’s season is goin about as well as Thompson’s campaign did.
PICK: Auburn 17  Tennessee 0

5- Navy @ Wake.  Navy has a great offense. That’s the good news. Navy has a terrible defense. That’s the bad news. And frankly, a Navy without strong defense is no good in war, or on the football field. Wake can’t run the ball, which is odd for a Jim Grobe team, but Riley Skinner should find plenty of receivers. That will be plenty for the Deacs.
PICK: Wake 38  Navy 28

6- TCU @ Oklahoma.  You might be wondering why I’m bothering with this one, but TCU is ranked at #24. The Horned Frogs come in having beaten their first 4 opponents by a combined score of 172-31. Granted, the opponents probably couldn’t beat a high school team. OU is set to possibly shoot to #1 with USC’s loss. The Sooners won’t let that opportunity slip away. They’ll choke later in the season.
PICK: Oklahoma 42  TCU 24

7- S Florida @ NC State.  State surprised a lot of people (including me) by beating ECU last weekend. That may have had more to do with Skip Holtz’s questionable decision-making than anything else, but hey, a win’s a win. Good for State. Now they have to beat another ranked team in USF. Oh, and starting QB Russell Wilson is hurt for the Pack…again. USF is not as strong as last year, but should be able to handle the boys in Raleigh.
PICK: S Florida 27  NC State 13

8- Alabama @ Georgia.  The game of the week, and maybe the game of the season to this point. Much as I despise Nick Saban, you can’t help but be impressed with how his Bama team has played so far. Georgia has looked a bit vulnerable, but this game is between the hedges, and Georgia’s fans will be rockin! This one is tough…real tough, but in this case, I have to go with the Dawgs.
PICK: Georgia 24  Alabama 23

9- VA Tech @ Nebraska.  The Hokies were fortunate to escape Chapel Hill last week, and had UNC not self-destructed faster than John Edwards’ political career, VA Tech would have been toast. I haven’t seen Nebraska play yet, but coach Bo Pelini seems to have his team playing defense, which was a foreign concept to former coach Bill Callahan. Another tough one to call, but I think Tech’s luck goes “Field of Dreams” style, and disappears in the cornfield.
PICK: Nebraska 27  VA Tech 17

10- Illinois @ Penn State.  All indications are that Penn State will win this game. The Nittany Lions will have 105,000 fans wearing all-white for the game. Illinois is coached by Ron Zook. Penn State dominates the run. Illinois is coached by Ron Zook. Penn State has scored 211 pts in its first 4 games. Illinois is coached by Ron Zook. Why am I picking Illinois? I have no idea…probably because I’m a moron.
PICK: Illinois 34  Penn State 28

Last week: 6-4 60%
Season to date: 30-10 75%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 4 by Kyle Butler

“Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago.” -Bernard Berenson

Three weeks in the books. Three weeks of 8-2 records on these football predictions. That’s consistency, and that doesn’t sound ignorant. I don’t know about you, but I think this Berenson guy is full of it. I was especially glad to see Ohio State get clobbered in a big game, which seems to happen on a yearly basis. Anyway, let’s see what happens in Week 4.

WEEK 4: BUTLERS PICKS- BETTER THAN THE BUCKEYES EDITION

1- ECU @ NC State.  The Pirates had a letdown against Tulane after a pair of big upsets, but held on to win. NC State has been a letdown since the end of last season. More bad news for the Pack…Toney Baker is out for the year. The news won’t be any better after Saturday. ECU will lose at some point, but it won’t be to NC State.
PICK: ECU 27  NC State 7 

2- Alabama @ Arkansas.  This one is a battle of coaches with enormous egos, who left successful college programs for the NFL, only to struggle, lie to their owners and the media, quit, and bolt back to college. That’s right, it’s Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino…losers as human beings, but someone has to win. This week, it’s Saban.
PICK: Alabama 31  Arkansas 10

3- Northeastern @ Syracuse.  I know you’re wonderin…what’s Butler doing picking this one? Well, I wanna talk about Syracuse. 7 of the last 8 opponents have scored over 40 pts at the Carrier Dome. Syracuse is allowing over 500 yds per game, and has no offense. Shoot, even a statue recently unveiled of Heisman great Ernie Davis depicted the RB wearing Nike apparel. Davis played before Nike existed. Wow. Where have you gone Donovan McNabb? I think the Orange sneak one out, but if they lose, they’re goin winless in 08.
PICK: Syracuse 24  Northeastern 23

4- VA Tech @ N. Carolina.  A huge early season matchup in the ACC. The Hokies won the “Techmo Bowl” over GA Tech, but still look vulnerable. UNC is riding high after destroying Rutgers on national TV. The Hokies are known for special teams, but the best special teams player in this one is on the UNC sideline. Brandon Tate’s been fantastic…can the Hokies stop him? I don’t think so.
PICK: N Carolina 24  VA Tech 20

5- Notre Dame @ Michigan St.  The Irish put a hurtin on Michigan, and now they get Sparty. Notre Dame comes in relatively healthy, with the exception of coach Charlie Weis, who tore all sorts of ligaments in his leg when he got bowled over on the sidelines. The injury means it will take Weis a good 15 minutes to walk from the locker room to the sidelines? Excuse me? It already takes him that long? Oh, sorry. Irish in a close one.
PICK: Notre Dame 27  Michigan St 23

6- Miami @ Texas A&M.  A matchup of former powers, now reduced to the middle of the pack in their respective conferences. Miami’s starting RB is out. A&M’s starting QB may be out. The difference is that a number of A&M fans wanted the QB out anyway. Based on that, I’ll pick the Aggies.
PICK: Texas A&M 20  Miami 13

7- Florida @ Tennessee.  I don’t miss much about the 90’s, but I do long for the days when Steve Spurrier coached UF and ridiculed the Vols. Quotes like “You can’t spell Citrus without U-T” and ”At least the Vols will be champs of Knox County” used to make my day. Fast forward to the present. UF is still beating down Tennessee, but now, it’s just not entertaining. Sigh.
PICK: Florida 28  Tennessee 16

8- Wake @ Florida St.  Speaking of the 90’s, those were the days when the idea of Wake beating FSU was about as likely as OJ Simpson looking for the ”real murderer.” Not any more. The Deacs have 2 straight wins over Bowden’s boys. FSU is ranked for the first time after a 2-0 start. That impressed the voters, who evidently regard Chattanooga and W. Carolina as powerhouses. A huge game, and I think it goes to WF.
PICK: Wake 34  Florida St 27

9- LSU @ Auburn.  Auburn beat Miss St 3-2 last week. I’m still laughing about that one. If Auburn can’t score more than that this week, they’re in for a heap of trouble against LSU. The battle of the Tigers is always a good one, but in the 08 edition, I like the Tigers from LSU.
PICK: LSU 13  Auburn 10

10- Georgia @ Arizona St.  Some people are calling for an upset, but I just don’t see it. Sure, I think Georgia’s overrated. I don’t even think they’re the best team in the SEC. But Arizona St is coming off of a home loss to UNLV. It’d be one thing to lose to UNLV in basketball, but football? That’s a bad sign for ASU.
PICK: Georgia 38  Arizona St 23

Last week: 8-2 80% 
Overall: 24-6 80%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 3 by Kyle Butler

NOTE: Apparently these did not get published yesterday. Sorry about that. The good news is that I’m already 1-0 this week…whoopee! Anyway, here are the picks as they were supposed to be published originally. -KB

Alright, another 8-2 week! This year’s off to a good start. Let’s try and keep it up.

WEEK 3: BUTLERS PICKS- AT LEAST ACC IS BETTER THAN NL WEST IN MLB EDITION

1- UNC @ Rutgers. UNC hasn’t won a game outside of the state of NC in over 5 years. It was 2002 against Arizona State if I remember correctly. Well, that streak has a good chance of ending tonight. Rutgers is not as good as in years past, and while they’ll likely give the Tarheels a battle, I think Butch’s boys win one in Piscataway.
PICK: UNC 24  Rutgers 21

2- Kansas @ S Florida. Wow…this one is a big game. If you had told me even last year at this time that those words would ever cross my lips, I’d have called you nuttier than Chad Johnson…er, Chad Ocho Cinco that is. Both of these teams were the surprises of college football last season, and both remain solid in 2008. South Florida plays pretty well on the national stage, and I think they’ll do it again Friday night.
PICK: S Florida 31  Kansas 20

3- Navy @ Duke. These teams combined for about a billion yards in offense last year, with Navy winning 44-41. Well, Navy’s not as good as last year and Duke’s a little bit better. But this concept of Duke actually being competitive is still so weird to me, that I’m not ready to start picking them yet.
PICK: Navy 35  Duke 30

4- NC State @ Clemson.  State scored some points against Bill n Mary last week. That’s the good news. Now they have to go to Death Valley. That’s the bad news. Russell Wilson will be back under center for the Pack, but Cullen Harper is under center for the Tigers. Advantage: Clemson.
PICK: Clemson 27  NC State 6

5- Georgia @ S Carolina.  Steve Spurrier announced that two of his QB’s will play against the Dawgs. The Ol’ Ball Coach might want to play two quarters, and take the rest of the game off. But Spurrier doesn’t get blown out much, and the Gamecocks have a decent shot of keeping this one close. An upset is unlikely though.
PICK: Georgia 24  S Carolina 17

6- GA Tech @ VA Tech.  A friend of mine said that this game should be called the Techmo Bowl. I like it. And I like this matchup. GA Tech has played much better than expected, while highly touted VA Tech hasn’t exactly lived up to some inflated standards. This game looks about even on paper, which should be a treat for the folks in Blacksburg. It will be an even bigger treat for the home fans when the Hokies hold on.
PICK: VA Tech 19  GA Tech 13

7- Michigan @ Notre Dame.  Even more stunning than the fact that Kansas v. S Florida is a huge game is the fact that Michigan-ND isn’t. How the mighty have fallen. Michigan has no clue as of yet how to run Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense, and Notre Dame barely beat San Diego St, a team that lost to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The fight songs are still awesome…yet I wonder how often these offenses will give their fans a chance to hear them?
PICK: Notre Dame 17  Michigan 13

8- UVA @ UConn.  Through 2 games, UVA’s offense looks about as good as Courtney Love these days. The Cavs take on a UConn team that also had issues on offense against Temple. At least UConn has the excuse that they were playing in the remnants of Hurricane Gustav. What’s UVA’s excuse?
PICK: UConn 20  UVA  7

9- Ohio State @ USC. This is the big one, the one being promoted as the Clash or Combat or Cacaphony in the Coliseum. Whatever they’re calling it, one thing I won’t call it is close. Frankly, I’d be stunned if USC didn’t dominate the Buckeyes. I’d have said it before Chris Wells got hurt, and with OSU’s star RB unlikely to play, I’ll say it even more. OSU looked pathetic against Ohio, and if they play like that against USC, we’ll need some sort of mercy rule.
PICK: USC 28  Ohio State 10

10- Wisconsin @ Fresno State.  As you’ve noticed, I don’t think much of the Big Ten. Well, in this game, I still don’t. Actually, Wisconsin isn’t all that bad, but I really like Fresno State this year. Along with ECU, they may be the most likely team to burst into the BCS. If they can get past the Badgers, they’ll have gone a long way towards doing just that.
PICK: Fresno State 27  Wisconsin 13

STANDINGS:
Last Week 8-2  80%  Season: 16-4 80%

Welcome Back Delhomme by Kyle Butler

“Daylight come, and you gotta Delhomme.”  -Chris Berman

Carolina 26
San Diego 24

It’s only been one game, and as any coach will tell you, one game does not make or break a season in the NFL. But for the Carolina Panthers, Sunday’s thrilling last-second victory was as important a win as the Cats have obtained in a long time.

Did you hear the talk before this game? Hardly anyone gave the Panthers a shot to win it. The Chargers were the stronger team…the Super Bowl contender. The Panthers were just there for the scenery. Nobody seemed to notice that Carolina looked great in the preseason. In fact, it seems like the only thing anyone did all preseason was talk about Steve Smith goin’ Kimbo Slice on Ken Lucas’ face. The general impression was that the Panthers were already in turmoil, and that the season was already a lost cause. Yet, something important came from that fight. The way the Panthers responded was outstanding. Everyone was adamant that if anything, the fight had brought the team closer together, and the way Carolina played for the rest of the preseason backed that up.

The other factor that the television bigwigs apparently “misremembered” was that Jake Delhomme was back for Carolina, and by golly, the good ole boy’s a pretty darn good QB too. Everyone forgets that Delhomme was off to a sensational start before injuring his throwing shoulder last season. They forget that, with Delhomme, the Panthers actually move the ball on offense. They seemed to forget that David Carr is not running the Carolina offense in 2008.

Well, they all remember now. Down by 5, Delhomme engineered a terrific drive down the field, and despite the coaching staff’s lousy efforts at clock management, the Panthers got down inside the San Diego 15 yd line with 2 seconds left. In a similar situation last year, what would the various Panthers QB’s have done? Well, 63 year old Vinny Testaverde would have probably gotten sacked. Matt Moore would have eluded the rush, but probably thrown a pick. David Carr would have decided it was too risky, taken a knee, then explained that the team hadn’t played badly, and that’s all that matters.

Not Jake Delhomme. He threw a perfect strike to tight end Dante Rosario in the back of the end zone to silence the Charger crowd. It was the kind of victory Panthers fans got accustomed to in Delhomme’s first season, when the Panthers QB engineered comeback after comeback, leading Carolina to a Super Bowl appearance.

Does that mean Carolina is Super Bowl-bound again in 2008? Too soon to say. Again, one game doesn’t make or break a season. But without question, Sunday’s game does make the Carolina Panthers relevant again, and after last year, that’s a nice thing to see.