NCAA College Football 2008 Week 14 Picks late games

NCAA College Football 2008 Week 14 Picks - late games

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Fearless Rick's College Football Week 14 Picks - Late Games

Rick Gagliano | November 29, 2008

All times Eastern - Click here for early games.

3:30 pm Florida Gators at Florida State Seminoles (-16 1/2, 55 1/2) - There are a plethora of "if's" which mostly revolve around the Seminoles, such as if they can stop Tebow and Harvin, or if the offense doesn't turn the ball over, etc., etc., but the fact of the matter is that Florida is just one point from a perfect 11-0 and they aren't about to allow an in-state, out-of-conference rival to upset their plans to play for the national championship. They already have a date booked with Alabama on December 6 in the SEC championship, but this game is a must win. If they win here and beat back the Tide next week, the Gators will be on track to a date with somebody for all the marbles come January.

FSU is a good team with a solid defense. The Gators, however, are an exceptionally-talented bunch, very well coached, and ranked third in the nation in both scoring offense (46.5) and defense (12.0). The only other team close to matching that kind of dominance on both sides of the ball are Penn State, ranked 10th offensively (40.2) and 4th on defense (12.4), and USC (offense, 11th, 38.4; defense, 1st, 8.3). Many believe the Gators to be the best team in the country, and with good reason.

Prediction: Gators 41 Seminoles 21

3:30 pm Maryland Terrapins at Boston College Eagles (-7, 41 1/2) - Back to the ACC, where Boston College has a chance to wrap up the Atlantic division with a win over the Terps. It's Senior Day at BC, so the fans will be amped for this potential clincher, but most of the pressure falls to redshirt freshman quarterback Dominique Davis, who filled in last week in the Eagles' thriller over Wake Forest and gets his first start here. Maryland gains nothing with a win, except to hand the division to Florida State, who hammered the Terps, 37-3 last week. So, this depends on which Maryland team shows up. Will it be the one which beat Clemson, 20-17, and Wake Forest, 26-0, or the one which lost to Virginia 31-0? As schizophrenic as the Terrapins have been, the Eagles have mostly been outstanding on defense and able to make most of the plays on offense. Most will agree that the offense is still a year and a couple of players away from really being dominant, but they seem to have enough to win here and compete in the ACC title game and solid bowl in December.

Prediction: Eagles 28 Terrapins 16

3:30 pm Auburn Tigers at Alabama Crimson Tide (-14 1/2, 40 1/2) - Now, just about anybody in their right mind would tell you that Alabama is going to win this game. They are undefeated, headed for a date with the Florida Gators in the SEC Championship next week and their opponent is 5-6 and unable to garner a bowl bid unless they pull off the upset of the century.

Of course, this is no ordinary game. This is the Iron Bowl, one of the great traditions in SEC football, and Auburn fans would like nothing more than to knock their arch-rivals off their #1 perch. Can they do it? Maybe, but they surely can keep the game close. The Crimson Tide is no offensive powerhouse and the Tiger defense is a pretty capable bunch. Alabama has had some close calls this season as well, beating Kentucky by 3, Ole Miss by 4 and LSU by 6. Four of Auburn's 6 losses (to LSU, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Georgia came by a total of 13 points. Their worst loss, at West Virginia, was by 17, and, remember, this is a heated rivalry. Anything can happen. The points are worth taking.

Prediction: Crimson Tide 23 Tigers 17

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7:00 pm Oregon Ducks at Oregon State Beavers (-3 1/2, 58 1/2) - This is it for Oregon State. Beat the Ducks and win the PAC-10. Simple as that. Actually, it could be. The Beavers have won six of the last ten in this rivalry, including the last two and five straight at home. The Ducks are playing for a place in the sun, namely a bowl game in a Southern state, while the Beavers are looking at what to many seemed impossible at the start of the season: a BCS bowl automatic bid. Look for the Beavers to get back to their defensive footing at home and run away with this one.

Prediction: Beavers 38 Ducks 19

8:00 pm Oklahoma Sooners (-7, 75) at Oklahoma State Cowboys - Another highly-anticipated Big 12 game with plenty on the line for the Sooners. The amazing thing here is that should Oklahoma lose - a distinct possibility - the Big 12 West title would go to Texas Tech, as the Red Raiders beat Texas head-to-head, even though the Sooners totally out-classed Tech last weekend, 65-21.

While the Sooners have looked other-worldly the past four weeks, ringing up 58, 62, 66 and 65 points, they still have a very poised and ready rival in the Cowboys. whose only losses have been on the road (at Texas and Texas Tech) and who have put up 50 or more points five times this season. They've also had an extra week off to prepare for this season-ending battle, which could be a classic or could be a rout. Oklahoma has completely overwhelmed everyone of late, but can they keep up the pace? Many believe they can, but the Cowboys will make them prove it in a hard-hitting, closely-played contest.

Prediction: Sooners 37 Cowboys 34

8:00 pm Notre Dame Fighting Irish at USC Trojans (-30, 49) - The only reason this is listed is just so I can mention how the Fighting Irish got beat by my alma mater, Syracuse, last week, and head into the Coliseum like the Christians in Roman times, about to be mauled and eaten by lions, or, in this case, Trojan warriors. It should be interesting until USC covers the spread, which I predict will be not later than 7 minutes into the second half.

Prediction: Trojans 48 Fighting Irish 10

All times Eastern - Click here for early games

Copyright 2008, 2009, Rick Gagliano, Downtown Magazine. All rights reserved. Downtown Magazine is located in the Uinted States of America and is not affiliated with the National Football League or the NCAA. For more information, contact us here. Use of this site is for entertainment purposes only.

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