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NCAA College Football 2006 Week 8 Picks
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Fearless Rick's NCAA College Football Week 8 Picks - Early Games
Rick Gagliano | 10/17/06
For games of 10/19 - 10/21/06
All times Eastern - Click here for late Saturday games
Thursday, October 19, 2006
7:30 pm Bowling Green at Central Michigan (-7, 47) - Big game in the Missouri Valley conference with both teams in the hunt for the title and bowl game honors.
Bowling Green stumbled badly against East division leader Kent State on 9/23, 38-3, and were also somewhat put in their place by Ohio State, 35-7, two weeks ago.
The Central Michigan Chippewas are undefeated in conference play at 4-0 and have a clear path to the title game, should they beat the Falcons here. QB Dan LeFevour has been on fire, and, coupled with a steady defense and home crowd, should get the job done here.
Prediction: Chippewas 30 Falcons 17
8:00 pm West Virginia (-22, 50 1/2) at Connecticut - The Huskies have been an improving program, but they are up against one of the best teams in the nation here. The Mountaineers can roll anybody with their backfield tandem of Pat White and Steve Slaton.
Against Syracuse last week, White ran for 247 yards on 15 carries and threw for another 99. Slaton rushed 20 times for a mere 163. UConn can try to defend these guys, but the best defense might be a muddy or snowy field. West Virginia continues to destroy all opposition, ranked 3rd in the nation on offense (41.5 per game) and 9th on defense (13.0). Unstoppable.
Prediction: Mountaineers 38 Huskies 10
12:00 pm Rutgers at Pittsburgh (-6 1/2, 45 1/2) - Hmmm... The Scarlet Knights' 34-0 romp over Navy apparently was not convincing enough. Doubters remain, but giving an undefeated team points, even on the road, is a dangerous gambit.
The Pitt Panthers are always dangerous offensively, but the will be facing the #1 defense IN THE COUNTRY. One does not get there by accident, and this Rutgers team has the tools to shut down anybody. Pitt will also have to find a way to slow down Ray Rice (149.8 ypg) who is emerging as a Heisman candidate (he'll likely surpass 1000 yards in just 7 games here - needs 101). Plenty to like about both teams, but Rutgers looks to be quite a bit better.
Prediction: Scarlet Knights 27 Panthers 24
The 'Huskers were supposed to be perfecting the West Coast offense this season, though it hasn't really showed to this point. QB Zac Taylor is clicking at 65%, with a 14-2 TD-INT ratio, so one may get the feeling that Callahan has been playing possum with the most difficult part of the schedule starting here. After this game, Nebraska has dates with Oklahoma St., Missouri and Texas A&M before closing out with Colorado.
If the Big 12 North is the goal, Nebraska is on track. They are 3-0 and a game ahead of Missouri. If they plan on changing their attack ever so slightly, this would be the perfect time to do it. The Longhorns have probably been practicing mostly to defend the run, so Nebraska can add some new wrinkles and try to confuse the #3 rushing defense in the country by throwing the ball. It makes sense for Nebraska to take the aerial route here because running the football against Texas may be a death wish.
The Cornhuskers should open up the offense somewhat, but the Longhorns will be equal to the task. They've improved since their only loss (to Ohio State in early September) and are playing at a championship level. Nebraska will not go down easily however.
Prediction: Longhorns 30 Cornhuskers 24
Both teams can light up the scoreboard, and while Purdue is primarily a passing team, the Badgers possess a more balanced attack. After losing to Michigan, the Badgers took their anger out on their next three Big 10 opponents - Northwestern, Indiana and Minnesota - beating them by an average of 34 points. Purdue suffered consecutive losses to Notre Dame and Iowa, and while they are 4-2, look somewhat outgunned here.
Prediction: Badgers 42 Boilermakers 21
The Irish are well-rested, having had a bye last week and are 5-1; their only loss was a 47-21 embarrassment by Michigan on September 16. The Irish have won three straight since then.
Neither of these teams look like major bowl contenders, especially UCLA, but the Bruins have shown some fight at least and should be effective on offense against the very suspect Irish defense (23.7 ppg). The Bruins only allow an average of 15.3 points per contest, but Notre Dame has a solid offense. This one should be close and UCLA could score an upset.
Prediction: Fighting Irish 26 Bruins 24
All times Eastern - Click here for late Saturday games
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