NCAA College Football 2009 Week 11 Picks early games

NCAA College Football 2009 Week 11 Picks

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Fearless Rick's 2009 College Football Week 11 Picks - Early Games

Rick Gagliano | November 12-14, 2009

All times Eastern - Click here for late games.

Thursday, November 12

7:30 pm South Florida Bulls (-1, 48) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights - Rutgers has won the last three meetings between the teams and there's no doubt bad blood between them, especially after the Scarlet Knights thumped the Bulls 49-16 in last season's November 15 meeting in South Florida.

Both teams possess a wealth of talent, though the Bulls have become highly dependent on freshman QB B.J. Daniels, something the Rutgers defenders will no doubt key upon. Both teams enter the contest at 6-2, but with little hope of catching either Cincinnati or Pittsburgh for the Big East title. This game is all about pride and ownership. The teams are very evenly matched, but Rutgers has an edge in this match-up, plus overall maturity and a defense that can get nasty, especially at home. The Knights have won their last two on the road and will be happy to play on home turf.

PREDICTION: Scarlet Knights 27 Bulls 17

Friday, November 13

8:00 pm West Virginia Mountaineers at Cincinnati Bearcats (-9, 53 1/2) - As well as west Virginia has played, they're surely no match for the top 5 Bearcats, who have proven capable of taking on any kind of team, from West Coast wonders like Oregon State and Fresno State, to anybody and everybody in the Big East - except Pittsburgh, which is their final opponent of the season.

Zach Collaros will start for the Bearcats, but Tony Pike is expected to see his first action since injuring his non-throwing arm in an October 15 game against South Florida. Collaros has filled in spectacularly, winning that game and three more, over Louisville, Syracuse and UConn.

The Mountaineers come in at 7-2, with the losses both coming on the road - 41-30 at Auburn and 30-19 at South Florida. They've run up similar scores as Cincy against Syracuse and Louisville, but the Bearcat defense should step up late and get the job done at home. Cincy won last year's contest, 26-23, at West Virginia.

PREDICTION: Bearcats 41 Mountaineers 30

8:30 pm Temple Owls (-4, 43 1/2) at Akron Zips - Interesting line, considering that Akron is 2-7, while the Owls are unbeaten at 5-0 in the Mid-American East and 7-2 overall, bowl-bound no matter what and probably the best team fielded by this program in 60 years.

The Zips are usually among the top teams in this conference, but this year's a little different, and the Owls may maul them. After losing their first two, Temple's strung together 7 straight, including wins over Navy, Miami (OH) and Toledo. This one ought to be a hoot!

PREDICTION: Owls 34 Zips 21

Saturday, November 14

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12:00 pm Tennessee Volunteers at Mississippi Rebels (-4 1/2, 47) - It doesn't get much better than this long-standing SEC rivalry. The two teams last met in 2005, with Tennessee winning by a 27-10 score. Featured will be two of the top QBs in the nation. The Vols' Johnathan Crompton has tossed 14 TD passes against just two interceptions over his last five games, averaging nearly 260 yards per outing, while Jevan Snead of Ole Miss has not produced the kind of season many thought he would have, clicking on just 52% of his passes and throwing 13 INTs and 17 TDs.

Making matters worse for the Rebels is the concept that they were supposed to be one of the top teams in the nation this year, possibly contending for a national championship. After being soundly beaten by South Carolina and then Alabama, they got whipped 33-20 at Auburn, sending the season up in flames. Not only does Tennessee have a better QB and a better offense, their defense is top-notch, and it's hard to believe that the Rebels are actually favored here.

PREDICTION: Volunteers 34 Rebels 17

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12:00 pm Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-13, 58) at Duke Blue Devils - OK, the Blue Devils haven't been exactly bowling over the entire ACC, but they have won 3 out of 5 in the conference and represent the only challenge to the Yellow Jackets in the ACC South. Georgia Tech is 6-1 in the ACC and 8-1 overall, sporting the second-best rushing offense in the country at a robust 314.9 yards per game.

Despite being on the road, the Jackets are clearly the better team here and it's doubtful that Duke can put up a fight for more than a half. It's been a good season for the Blue Devils, but it really ends here, because after this they play at Miami and then host Wake Forest to end the season. They need to win one of these final three to become bowl eligible, and it looks like an uphill climb.

PREDICTION: Yellow Jackets 38 Blue Devils 13

12:00 pm Clemson Tigers (-8, 58) at North Carolina State Wolfpack - This could turn into a real nightmare for the Tigers, who escaped a close call last week against Florida State, eventually running off with the 40-24 win on a pair of 4th quarter TDs. Two of Clemson's losses have come on the road, and one - at Maryland - has eerie overtones to this game. The 4-5 Wolfpack aren't supposed to really challenge anybody, but they have the knack of coming up big when one least expects it.

They're the only team to have beaten Pittsburgh this season, and they nearly upset Florida State two weeks ago before knocking off Maryland, 38-31. All four of their wins have come at home, so there's obviously a certain level of comfort playing before their fans. This one looks like a trap game for the Tigers, who have been rolling along, winning three straight coming in. NC State probably won't be able to stop C.J. Spiller and Co., but Clemson's defenders may not be capable of stopping an improving Wolfpack offense all day. Look for a close call in a Clemson win.

PREDICTION: Tigers 31 Wolfpack 28

3:30 pm Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio State Buckeyes (-16 1/2, 37 1/2) - Having to play at the Horseshoe without QB Ricky Stanzi (injured last week against Northwestern) places the entire Iowa season in deep jeopardy, but to think that the Hawkeyes are simply going to roll over - as the Vegas line suggests - in a game that will likely determine the champion of the Big Ten, is probably a serious mistake.

The Hawkeyes rolled to a 9-0 record largely on the strength of their defense and the ability of the offense to not make serious mistakes, eventually grinding down the opposition defense in the late stages of the game. That, for the Hawkeyes, is not going to change. The defense will probably have its best game of the season while the offense rests on the arm and legs and spirit of redshirt freshman QB James Vandenberg, who holds 12 Iowa high school passing records.

All is not lost for Iowa. They've faced adversity all season long, and losing their starting QB may be just part of the deal. Ohio State possesses one of the better defenses in the country, but the offense, though improved, is still prone of error and stalling out. Allowing the line to enter your consciousness would be a mistake here, as this game will be close and crucial.

PREDICTION: Hawkeyes 20 Buckeyes 16

All times Eastern - Click here for late games

Copyright 2009, 2010, 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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