NCAA Week 8 Picks

On to Week 8 - the College season is halfway done! And FYI - every team that is 6-0 is already bowl eligible...of the undefeateds who stays that way? History says its got to thin out...

The weeks Picks - with a seeming emphasis on the ACC matchups:

North Carolina @ Clemson
UNC: none
Clemson: JL, JM, EVW, DL, JNL
RE - The baby blues of UNC make me forget they play football
DM - I will take the Tigers in Death Valley...face it thats a cool nickname for a stadium!
RM - One of these weeks, I'm going to pick according to who I like better. But this week, I think Clemson takes charge of the ACC. An ACC undefeated team?
GM - Clemson rolls big over the Heels

Kansas @ Kansas St.
Kansas: RE
Kansas St: JL, JM, EVW, DL, JNL
GM - In the Sunflower State Bowl - Wildcats over Jayhawks
RM - Joe, remember when Barry and I went with you to this game awhile back? I've never seen so much purple!!!
DM - I think maybe Kansas thinks they have a chance at Andrew Luck if they continue to play terribly.

Illinois @ Purdue
Illinois: DL, JL, GM, JNL
DM - The Illini took they first loss of the year last week (they hadn't played tough competition), but I don't see them losing to a bad Purdue team this week.
RE/EVW - Ed is convinced IL is the sleeper of the Big 10 this year. Just an FYI. I'm not on that bandwagon yet.
Purdue: JM
RM - I'm a sucker for punishment. Go black and gold! Boiler Up!

Central Michigan @ Ball St.
Central Michigan: JL, JM, EVW
Ball St.: DL, RE, JNL
GM - Ball St. over the Chips - let them fall where they may.
DM - I have to go with the Cardinals at home this week.
RM - Central isn't what they were, and the Cardinals are on the upswing under another good coaching hire!

Auburn @ LSU
Auburn: JNL
LSU: JL, JM, DL, EVW, GM
RE - Even though Auburn was cleared by the NCAA on the Cam Newton debacle, still not quite ready to get on the Auburn fan club.
DM - Too much defense for Auburn to handle.
RM - I so want to change this pick with the suspensions, but I can't...not with LSU at home. The Mad Hatter Les Miles will come up with something.

Air Force @ Boise St.
Air Force: none
Boise St.: JL, JM, DL, EVW, RE, JNL
GM - There sure will be a lot of blue on the Smurf Turf!
DM - Smurf Turf! That's it!
RM - Did you know when Boise St. joined the Mountain West, they had to agree to not wear all blue uniforms at home in conference games on the blue turf? Still - they are top 5 in the nation.

Georgia Tech @ Miami (FL)
GT: JL, RE, EVW, JNL
RM - Triple option gets back on track.
DL - Has the potential of being a great game but Tech wins on the road.
GM - Ramblin Wreck over a good Hurricane team.
Miami: JM
DM - I don't like to say it, but the Hurricanes will be too tough this week for the Yellow Jackets.

Maryland @ Florida St.
Maryland: JNL
RM - Just a hunch. Neither team is great, but I think Maryland is a quality team at their record...and FSU is still not ready for the next level.
FSU: JL, JM, EVW
GM - Seminoles take out the Terrapins (but they will have on great threads for the loss)
DL - Just because FSU is at home...I want to pick Maryland sooo bad but can't when I am trying to catch Gary  *Note - this is the first time a pick has been declared because of the standings in the league!!! Strategy time!
RE - I do hope Maryland brings back the uniforms from the first game - talk about a walking disaster / state nationalism collision.
DM - They haven't been as good as I'd thought they'd be, but I will take them at home over the Terps.

NC State @ Virginia
NC St.: JNL
Virginia: JM, JL, EVW, RE
DM - I don't know much about either team, so I will take the home team.
DL - This is going to be a good game. Virginia at home.
GM - Wow - UVA might be good and NC St looks bad.
RM - Had this game been a couple weeks ago, this pick may have been different. The Cavs seem to be getting it together.

Army @ Vanderbilt
Army: JL, JNL
RE - Happy birthday Rob!
DL - OK Rob, going with Army again...I might have just jinxed them...sorry!
RM - Alas, I hope Army wins. Then they would be the smart SEC and Big 10 (Northwestern) schools in the same year. After all, they are better academically!
Vandy: GM, EVW, JM
DM - The Commodores defense will be too tough for the Army offense in this one.

Tennessee @ Alabama
Tenn: none
Bama: JL, JM, RE, EVW, DL, GM, JNL
DM - The Crimson Tide will roll over the Vols.
RM - This game looks like it may be worth something in the near future, but not his year.

USC @ Notre Dame
USC: EVW, JL
DM - ND is bad...simple as that.
ND: JM, DL, RE, JNL
GM - I should pick USC but being a Hoosier I will go with ND - Go Irish!
RM - Irish are coming together. Indiana fall weather gets USC.

Wisconsin @ Michigan St.
Wisconsin: JM, JL, EVW, DL
RE - Bring on the Spartan beat down!
GM - What a great game - this will be fun to watch!
DM - I am hoping the Badgers continue to roll towards a possible National Title Game.
RM - Big 10's undefeated team? BCS mayhem if Clemson, Wisconsin, KState or one of the Oklahoma's, LSU or Alabama, Stanford, Houston, and Boise St. all go undefeated. It realistically could happen!
MSU: JNL

Washington @ Stanford
UW: JM
Stanford: EVW, RE, JL, JNL
RM - I actually want to pick UDub, but I think Luck knows this is a big game with exposure, so they'll step up! It will be close. Undefeated??
GM - Don't people on the left coast know these (Cardinals) are supposed to be birds and not trees Joe? Or is this just in the Midwest?
DM - The Andrew Luck show continues to win this week.
DL - This should be an easy one for Andrew Luck and the Cardinal.

Colorado St. @ UTEP
CSU: RE, JL, JM, DL, JNL
UTEP: EVW, GM
DM - The Miners will throw it all over the yard and out score the Rams.
RM - This is a game that has a lot of interest for me, based on where I lived in the Army (El Paso & Colorado Springs). It's also a future Mountain West/C-USA association rivalry! This game could go either way - I'll watch it if I can find it somewhere. Just think UTEP is a little more consistent, particularly in the Sun Bowl.