College Picks, Week 2

It's early for picks, but there are games on Thursday night, in addition to the beginning of the NFL season. Plus, I'm bored.

Last week: 17-3
Season: 17-3

Last week was a good week, helped by the proliferation of predictable Big 12 games. Absent from last week's list was Appalachian State-Michigan, but I did whiff on Notre Dame, Iowa State, and UMass-Dartmouth. And no, Lenoir Rhyne at Appalachian State isn't on this week's list.

Picks for this week:

Miami at Oklahoma: A generation of OU fans has waited 20 years for this one. From 1985-87, OU went 33-3. All three losses were to Miami, costing the Sooners two potential national championships. The guys playing Saturday were either in diapers or not born then. OU wins. I hope it's ugly. Pick: OU
TCU at Texas: Horned Frog fans wish this game was last week, when TCU cruised against Baylor and Texas played like dog poop against Arkansas State. TCU star DE Tommy Blake should be back for this one. The Horns have a lot to prove this week. They stunk last week. They won't be looking past the Frogs, but that may not matter. I'm going out on a limb. Frogs continue their winning streak against Big 12 teams. Pick: TCU
Nebraska at Wake Forest: Nebraska opened strong last week, hanging half a hundred on Nevada. Wake Forest lost QB Riley Skinner in their loss at Boston College. The game is down on Tobacco Road, but Big Red is starting to roar again. Pick: Nebraska
Fresno State at Texas A&M: Dangerous game for A&M. Fresno will give the Aggies all they want. I'm tempted to pick Fresno, but I won't. Coach Fran survives this one. Pick: A&M
Missouri at Ole Miss: Mizzou survived a wild one against Illinois last week. They should be able to handle the Rebels down in the land of cotton, but nothing is a sure thing with either one of these teams. When in doubt, go with talent. Pick: Missouri
UTEP at Texas Tech: Tech went to Dallas and beat the stuffing out of SMU on Labor Day. The Miners won a defensive struggle against Los Lobos of New Mexico, 10-6. Tech outscores UTEP. Pick: Tech
Rice at Baylor: El Stinko Game of the Week. Rice lost to Nicholls State last week. Baylor got skunked by TCU. I'm glad I won't be at this game. It'll be ugly, one way or the other. Pick: Baylor
Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State: Oklahoma Aggies were brought way down to earth by the Georgia Bulldogs. They look to bounce back against the Owls of Florida Atlantic. FAU is better than some give them credit for being. Nonetheless, OSU wins this one. Pick: OSU
Northern Iowa at Iowa State: There is no such thing as a gimme in college football, as Iowa State and Michigan both learned last week. UNI is a strong FCS program, and nearly knocked off the Cyclones last season. My gut says UNI, but my head says don't pick against the bigger program. Pick: ISU
SE Louisiana at Kansas: Puhleeze. Pick: KU
San Jose State at Kansas State: K-State nearly beat Auburn last week. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. K-State bounces back this week. Pick: KSU
Colorado at Arizona State: Colorado came from behind to beat cross-state rival Colorado State last week. Arizona State pounded San Jose State. Dennis Erickson has the Fighting Sun Devils loaded for bear. This week, they're also loaded for buffalo. Pick: ASU
Notre Dame at Penn State: Notre Dame royally stunk up the field last week in a 33-3 whipping at the hands of the Ramblin' Wreck of Georgia Tech. Penn State warmed up by pasting Florida International. It looks like a long year for the Irish. Penn State, and it might not even be close. Pick: PSU
Virginia Tech at LSU: Saturday night in Tiger Stadium is a tall order for anyone. This one would be worth paying to see. Hokies are good, and have gotten through their first game since the tragedy on their campus. LSU is deservedly ranked #2 in the nation. LSU is known for losing games they should win at home, in spite of their home field advantage. I'm going out on a limb, and picking the Hokies. Pick: VT
Oregon at Michigan: Oregon has a good team. Michigan is the laughing stock of the United States. The secret is that Michigan isn't that bad. Wolverines bounce back in the Big House. Pick: Michigan
South Carolina at Georgia: Steve Spurrier brings his Gamecocks to Georgia. When in doubt, go with the home field, especially as UGa always finds a way to beat the 'Cocks. Pick: Georgia
BYU at UCLA: The Y plays their second Pac 10 team in as many weeks, after beating Arizona last week. Bruins whipped Stanford. This is an underrated matchup. When in doubt, again, go with the home field. Pick: UCLA
South Florida at Auburn: What's the deal with Auburn? They scheduled not one, but two teams in non-conference that could beat them. USF will scare War Eagle to death. In the end, Auburn wins again. Pick: Auburn
North Carolina at East Carolina: Pirates played tough in loss to Virginia Tech last week. Tar Heels blasted James Madison. Butch Davis will turn the Tar Heel program around. This is a tough one to pick. The sky is Carolina blue. Pick: UNC
Malone (Ohio) at Azusa Pacific: Long, long trip for Malone to Azusa, California. They'll have a nice trip to SoCal, but Azusa gets their first win of the year. Pick: Azusa