NCAA College Football 2008 Week 7 Picks early games

NCAA College Football 2008 Week 7 Picks

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Fearless Rick's 2008 College Football Week 7 Picks - Early Games

Rick Gagliano | October 9-11, 2008

All times Eastern - Click here for late games.

Thursday, Oct 9

7:30 pm Clemson at Wake Forest (-2 1/2, N/A) - This game could determine the eventual ACC Atlantic division champion. Clemson already has a loss in the conference (to Maryland, 20-17) and another to Alabama in Week 1. Wake Forest suffered their first loss two weeks ago, to Navy, 24-17, so one wonders how good the Deacons really are (or, how good Navy is).

The overwhelming problem for the Clemson Tigers this season has been a lack of emotion. They just seem to be flat every time they take the field. If they come out in that manner against a hungry Wake Forest team, they're doomed. Clemson has a more balanced attack, but if Wake can spread the field they should have success against the Clemson secondary.

Prediction: Demon Deacons 24 Tigers 16

Saturday, Oct 11

12:00 pm Rutgers at Cincinnati (-7 1/2, 48 1é2) - Hard to believe, but Rutgers is now 1-4, their latest loss a 24-17 downer at west Virginia. The best team they've lost to is probably North Carolina, who buried the Scarlet Knights by a 44-12 score. The Bearcats haven't gotten much attention - they're still unranked in the national polls - but their only loss was at Oklahoma, the #1 team in the nation, so there really aren't any knocks on this bunch.

The Bearcats can get off to a solid start in their first Big East contest and get into the mix with Pitt, West Virginia and UConn, all teams without conference losses. Rutgers probably can't stop the offensive juggernaut (32 ppg) that Cincy offers and the Bearcat defense should be up to the task.

Prediction: Bearcats 38 Scarlet Knights 17

12:00 pm Texas at Oklahoma (-7, 58 1é2) - Put up or shut up time for the Longhorns, who, like the Sooners, head into the Red River Shootout without a loss. It's been a while (the Vince Young years) since the Longhorns have been competitive in this matchup, but last season they held their own in a 28-21 loss. Statistically, this game looks nearly even. Texas is scoring 47.3 ppg while allowing 11.4. The Sooners numbers are similar: 49.6 and 13.6. With the game in Dallas, a supposedly neutral site, it's a showcase for the Big 12. Nobody's come close to beating either of these teams, but the Sooners are national championship contenders while the Longhorns may be nothing more than pretenders. While the Texas defense is top notch, they probably can only slightly slow down Sam Bradford and the Sooner express.

Prediction: Sooners 41 Longhorns 27

12:00 pm Minnesota at Illinois (-11 1/2, 56) - The Illini are arguably the best 2-loss team in the nation, as their pair of L's came on the road against Missouri and Penn State. Juice Williams set a Michigan Stadium record for total yards last week and the offense is just part of the story. The defense will get a test against the Gophers, who are 5-1 and their only loss was at Ohio State, by a 34-21 score. They are respectable and will be geared to outscore the Illini. That's no easy task, especially since Illinois' defense seems to be getting a little better every week.

This one still has all the makings for a wild shoot-out, especially since the weather forecasts are all pretty optimistic. A dry field and little wind should result in an up-and-down the field highlight reel of a game. Illinois will feel fortunate to get out of this one alive.

Prediction: Fighting Illini 41 Gophers 38

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12:30 pm South Carolina at Kentucky (-1, 41) - Following last week's super effort at Alabama, the only thing the Wildcats can do for an encore is return home and hammer the Gamecocks. That is going to be easier said than done, as the boys from Carolina are a real hitting machine on defense and the offense seems to have found its rhythm lately, last week earning their first SEC victory in a 31-24 win over Mississippi. The Gamecock's two losses have been to Georgia and Vanderbilt, so no shame there, and this game figures to be a defensive struggle throughout.

As the line indicates, this should be close, and low-scoring, but the SEC is about as tough as it gets and there isn't much difference in the talent levels top-to-bottom in the nation's best conference. OT is a distinct possibility, though turnovers could dictate the final score. Kentucky's defense is still the stingiest in the country, allowing a mere 7.8 ppg, though South Carolina gives up fewer yards on average.

Prediction: Gamecocks 20 Wildcats 17

2:30 pm Vanderbilt (-2 1/2 41 1/2) at Mississippi St. - The Commodores must now be considered one of the elite teams in the SEC. Last week's 14-13 comeback win over Auburn improved their record to 5-0 and they must guard against a letdown at Miss. State. The Bulldogs are just 1-4, and they are offensively-challenged, averaging just 16.2 ppg. Still, their defense is as good as any in the SEC even though they spend an inordinate amount of time on the field. Vandy will be hard-pressed to find paydirt more than two or three times here and they must handle the rock with care. If they don't turn the ball over, the Commodores should come out relatively unscathed and with another win.

Prediction: Commodores 17 Bulldogs 10

All times Eastern - Click here for late 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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