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NCAA College Football 2006 Week 5 Picks
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Fearless Rick's NCAA College Football Week 5 Picks - Late Games
Rick Gagliano | 9/26/06
All times Eastern - Click here for early Thursday & Saturday games
Saturday, September 30
3:00 pm Boise St. at Utah (-4, 52) - This is about as big as it gets in the western badlands. Both teams are predicted to win their respective conferences, but the Utes already have a loss, to UCLA, in their opener, 31-10. Since then they've rolled to three lopsided wins (45-7, 48-0, 38-7) over weak opponents.
Boise State is, as usual, unbeatable at home, and very competitive everywhere else. In addition to their offensive fireworks, this season they have a fairly efficient defense to boot and that should serve them well against the high-scoring Utes.
Should be a good one, with the Broncos pulling it out late.
Prediction: Broncos 38 Utes 31
Virginia Tech may have a slight edge, but it's very slight and being at home gives them another advantage. This one should come down to a late break, blocked kick or other form of turnover and it will be close and hard-knocking.
Virginia Tech won last year's meeting 51-7, but that was with Marcus Vick and Georgia tech didn't have Reggie Ball for that game, so don't go by that score as an indicator. Since the start of 2005, that was the only game the Yellow Jackets lost by 10 points or more and it won't be repeated.
Prediction: Hokies 16 Yellow Jackets 13
3:30 pm Texas Tech at Texas A&M (-1 1/2, 57 1/2) - Tech already has a loss, 12-3 to TCU, while the Aggies have been perfect through 4 games. Tech gets the headlines here with the wide open offense of coach Mike Leach, but the Aggies will have the pedal to the metal from the very start and could just outscore the Red Raiders. With Stephen McGee at QB and a wrecking crew up front, the Aggies are poised to battle for more than just respectability in the Big 12. They believe they can win it all and have started out in good fashion.
Look for a high scoring affair with plenty of highlight reel plays. This one could go either way, but A&M will make needed stops at the end to seal the deal.
Prediction: Aggies 41 Red Raiders 35
There's little to be said after the way Michigan pounded Notre Dame and then followed that up with a neat win over Wisconsin.
Big win for the Wolverines.
Prediction: Wolverines 38 Golden Gophers 21
The Hawkeyes survived and finished up behind the Buckeyes and Penn State in the Big Ten, but that game was remembered as the one that kept them out of the national spotlight.
Here they get yet another chance, and they get the Buckeyes in Iowa. In 2005, and so far in 2006, Iowa has just one loss at home, that a 23-20 nail-biter to Michigan, so home turf is definitely in play here.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, haven't really bowled anyone over. They were in a slugfest with Penn State last week until they turned two interceptions into touchdowns in the last 5 minutes of the game.
Iowa hasn't really demolished anybody getting to 4-0 themselves, but they do have the versatile Tate directing the offense and a pretty solid defense. Ohio State has not really been tested on defense and while most of the players (9 starters graduated in 2005) are new starters, they seem to have jelled pretty well.
The difference here will be home field advantage, emotion and an Iowa offense that knows exactly how to approach the Ohio State secondary. Drew Tate and his experience will send Iowa fans into a frenzy and the college football world into chaos.
Prediction: Hawkeyes 27 Buckeyes 24
All times Eastern - Click here for early Thursday & Saturday games
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