NCAA College Football 2007 Week 11 Picks early games

NCAA College Football 2007 Week 11 Picks

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Fearless Rick's College Football Week 11 Picks - Early Games

Rick Gagliano | November 10, 2007

All times Eastern - Click here for late games.

Thursday, November 8

7:30 pm Louisville at West Virginia (-16, N/A) - The Cardinals have not had the best of seasons, having already lost 4 games and barely getting by a suspect Pittsburgh team last week, 24-17. Last season, Louisville had the #2 offense in the nation. This year they are barely cracking the top 20 at 37 ppg, but this is a significant game for them as a win makes them bowl eligible, and they still have South Florida and Rutgers ahead.

However, the 7-1 Mountaineers are still looking at a possible berth in the NCAA Championship game, and will not be deterred here. Ranked 6th on defense and 9th offensively, West Virginia is a formidable foe, especially at home, where they have not lost this season and are winning by an average of 34.7 ppg. They've also had an extra week to prepare for the Cardinals and look like they'll avenge their 44-34 loss at Louisville last season in a big way.

Prediction: Mountaineers 48 Cardinals 27

Saturday, November 10

12:00 pm Michigan (-2 1/2, N/A) at Wisconsin - Pity the poor Badgers. Once they were ranked in the Top 10. Then they lost at Illinois and last week they were handled at home by Ohio State. Now, they must deal with the Wolverines, who have won 8 straight and only need a win here to head into Columbus next week to challenge the Buckeyes for all the marbles in the Big Ten. Michigan, despite injuries and other setbacks, has found a way to win consistently, largely by way of their largely under appreciated defense. That's the big difference here. While the Badgers may have somewhat of a solid offense, they can't seem to stop anyone when it counts. Michigan moves on.

Prediction: Wolverines 35 Badgers 20

12:00 pm Wake Forest at Clemson (-8 1/2, N/A) - The Clemson Tigers control their own destiny in the ACC. If they can win here and then beat Boston College next week, they would be the Atlantic Division champs and take on either Virginia or Virginia Tech in the ACC title game. The Demon Deacons can still qualify for the championship, but only if they win and BC loses their final two games, so this one will be hard-fought on both sides. Wake's two conference losses were by 10 at BC and by 1 last week to Virginia, and both were on the road. Clemson, likewise, has two conference losses, though one of theirs was at home, a 41-23 thumping by the Hokies. The Tigers should be favored here, but by little more than a field goal, because the Deacons are as rugged as they come.

Prediction: Tigers 17 Demon Deacons 14

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12:30 pm Arkansas at Tennessee (even, N/A) - The Volunteers pretty much have their season on the line every week after early losses to Cal and Florida. They've failed to fire only once, at Alabama, where the Crimson Tide humbled them, 41-17. The Razorbacks offer a host of problems for Tennessee, not the least of them their unique, three-headed, option offense, which has put up 29 or more points on every opponent except Auburn. The Vols have proven to have an adequate defense, usually, but Darren McFadden has proven to be somewhat unstoppable recently.

Since the Razorbacks are 2-3 and in the same division as LSU, they have no shot at making the SEC championship game, whereas the Vols are very much alive in the East division, at 3-2, trailing only Georgia by 1/2 game. A win here puts them in the catbird seat, having already defeated the Bulldogs, but it's going to be a tough go. Look for plenty of scoring, and a late defensive charge by Arkansas to upset the Rocky Top apple cart.

Prediction: Razorbacks 41 Volunteers 38

3:30 pm Illinois at Ohio State (-14 1/2, N/A) - OK, Buckeye fans. This is big. Illinois can still have a say in the national title picture as well as the Big Ten championship. If they can find a way to upset the Buckeyes, the entire college football world gets turned on its head, even before the Michigan-Ohio St. showdown next week.

Can they do it? Or are the Buckeyes really unbeatable? Illinois has beaten Penn State and Wisconsin, but those games were at home. Their losses - to Iowa on the road and to Michigan at home - were close affairs, losing to the Hawkeyes by 2 and to the Wolverines by 10. By contrast, Ohio State's closest call was a 24-17 home win over Michigan State. This one should be an emotional contest, though the stats heavily favor the Buckeyes. They have a 7-point edge on scoring offense and a 10-point advantage in points allowed, but you can toss all the stats here and look for the Illini to play inspired defense and make the Buckeyes win this one at the wire or in overtime. An upset possibility looms.

Prediction: Buckeyes 27 Fighting Illini 24

All times Eastern - Click here for late games

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