Six Pick: Week 12

The MADNESS is here and I'm not talking about the Creamsicles either.

The solace I was seeking, the unbeatens falling as the season comes to an end, did not soothe me. It made me want more chaos and more losses, orange & maroon withstanding. It was fun being surrounded by 3 people from Idaho last weekend as we watched Boise's kicker miss a 40-yard field goal that wouldn't have been good from 20. Then over the next 4 hours, I made sure to keep my eyes on LaMichael James as best I could (and better than Stanford) as the Tree took a mighty fall. Welcome to Week 12, those 10 unbeatens a month ago, are now two and half (sorry Houston, blame the C-USA.) Behind them is a pack of 1 losses teams that will be running up the score, in case either unbeaten bows out late. I think the next 3 weeks will more than compensate for the below average October we had to endure.

I don't have the time to do this proper with words, so lets just watch BdozerVT's preseason trailer again before Thursday night lights. I want you to come correct for the seniors, be liquored up and lacquered down.

Thursday, November 17th

North Carolina at 8 Virginia Tech -10.5 8:00 pm ESPN

Speaking of liquored up, it's going to be cold, so the bourbon really helps, you guys. Here's hoping the boys from Chapel Hill won't like the cold much. The Hokies best not be looking ahead to UVa or the ACCCG, and better remember what happened the last time the Tar Heels came into Blacksburg on a Thursday night. This game is usually hard fought, I am hoping the Miami game wasn't a one time thing and the fierceness of the Thunderdome is back!

Pick and Rationale: UNC getting points , but the Hokies winning. This is typically a close game and UNC matches up well in certain spots with the Hokies. They'll run and stop the run OK, it's the passing game where VT holds the bigger edge. If the OL and Skip continue to do work, I could be wrong by a wide margin.

Saturday, November 19th

Harvard -10 at Yale --The Game-- noon Versus

A Six Pick curveball with a BCO made spread. I don't expect you to know anything about either of these teams, other than Yale's quarterback decided a Rhodes Scholar interview was less important than trying to beat Harvard. A quick look at ESPN shows Harvard at 9-1 and Yale at 5-4 with Harvard winning the 9 of the last 10 in the series. Nothing says exciting like a bunch of Winklevoss wannabee ass-hats in this matchup of lawyer white boy speed versus hedge fund trader white boy speed. It will either mesmerize, make you laugh or both. The true highlights may be the bands performing pranks on one another.

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Pick and Rationale: Yale, I have no reason.

16 Nebraska at 18 Michigan -3.5 noon ESPN / ESPN3

Michigan State is the likely B1G Ten Legends representative leading these two teams. So they are playing for their bowl slot and potentially a BCS bid if the chips fall right. I don't expect either to a lay an egg. I give Nebraska's coach Bo Pelini a nice ration of shit, but after last week's win over Penn State he came harder than any other football coach, telling us hisunpopular opinion.

I'll be honest with you, going into this football game, I didn't think the game should have been played–for a lot of different reasons. I look at my job as a football coach is to educate, and to prepare the kids that come into the program for life.

Props to you Bo, I think we can all respect your opinion and the fact you didn't waffle giving it.

Pick and Rationale: Michigan. Both of these flawed teams mirror each other with quarterbacks who can run their asses off, but can't throw worth shit. The defenses may lack great personnel, but are well coached and perform reasonably well. All things being equal, I'll take the home team.

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SMU at 11 Houston -19.5 3:30 pm FSN Affiliates

Yeah, this Big East Conference USA game is a stretch, but the video game numbers Case Keenum has put up each week for the better part of 3 years deserves at least one game in the Six Pick. Houston runs the highest octane Mike Leach Air Raid offense that doesn't slow down a bit, not even when mastermind Dana Holgorsen left 2 years ago. Case Keenum holds the NCAA's record for all time passing yards and touchdowns thrown. For good measure Case decided to throw 9 touchdowns in one game a few weeks back. Damn. Keenum only has one goal left, lead his Cougars to a BCS bowl game. With Boise slipping last week, all Houston has to do is win out. Sounds easy, but the next 3 games will be some of their toughest opponents and the pressure is mounting especially with Chris, Lee and Kirk on campus.

Pick and Rationale: SMU getting the points, but not winning. This will be the best defense Houston has seen all year. The Cougar O is great, but it has feasted on cream puffs. While SMU is hardly Alabama, they'll slow Keenum down a little.

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Virginia at 25 Florida State -17 7:30 pm ESPN2 / ESPN3

All those who thought in late November FSU would be locked into a division championship race and UVa would be eliminated ... raise your hand. Mike London put both of yours down, yours was a prayer, don't even front. In between turning down Penn State {wink, wink}, pledging to show up the VT game and disparaging Coach Cav he has done a good job coaching up the hoos. The hoos have something to play for and I expect the Noles will get their best effort. The uva offensive line, running backs, secondary and defensive line have played well this season.

Pick and Rationale: UVa getting the points and losing. Matchups don't favor UVa against FSU. UVa's good run defense is wasted on the Noles who will air out against a more susceptible wahoo secondary. The hoo offense is run first and that plays right into the hands of FSU strength. For UVa to win, their passing game has to be on point and stretch the field, nothing this year has led me to believe Rocco can pass the ball vertically on a consistent basis.

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USC at 4 Oregon -15.5 8:00 pm ABC / ESPN-GP

First, let me get this off my chest ... Lane Kiffin has done a helluva job this year as coach of Southern Cal. Considering their depth and youth, the Trojans have played well and have gotten much better since game one. Eww, that felt dirty, but this is good for college football. The product needs the traditional programs to be good and it especially benefits when they're led by head coaches with strong personalities. Speaking of improvement and polarizing head coaches, we get to the Trojans opponent, Oregon. Seems a long time ago Les Miles was shooting Ducks in barrel. The Quack attack is now humming along like seasons past, though the passing game has to be a slight concern. What I want to see is how Oregon handles the pressure of being favorite and having their ass kissed this week after winning a big game. USC comes in with no pressure and would like nothing more than to be spoiler. That didn't work 3 weeks back vs Stanford, but now the fighting Kiffin's have one more shot to end the season middle fingers up.

Pick and Rationale: USC getting the points with a legit shot to beat Oregon. I know the Ducks play faster and better at home, but the Trojans will prove to be better balanced than Stanford. USC has better athletes across the board and an offense that can pass and run the ball effectively. I think USC attacks some cracks in the defense that Stanford didn't have the material to go after.

Thursday's Tailgater

My goal, if time allows it is to load up on some Oskar Blue Ten Fidy for the tailgate on Thursday. It's a BIG stout, strong, dark, mean ... like how I want Bud's defense when they see Carolina Blue!

Quick Recap:

Remember these pics are against the spread.

UNC at VT -10.5
Harvard -10 at Yale
Nebraska at Michigan -3.5
SMU at Houston -19.5
uva at FSU -17
SouthernCal at Oregon -15.5