WEEK THIRTEEN - Preview

Michigan (+20½) over Ohio State
Call it a hunch, or call it a reaction to the widely held opinion that Ohio State is going to blow Michigan out – I feel like Michigan will cover this spread. The Wolverines aren’t as bad as their record, and Ohio State doesn’t typically blow people out. Michigan will play one good half and one bad half as usual, but I think the good half will be enough to keep the final score within three touchdowns.

Air Force (+18½) over TCU
I have my concerns over whether TCU will “show up” for this game or not. Even if they do, I’m not sure they can beat Air Force by more than 18 points. The Falcons have a pesky habit of hanging around.

Middle Tennessee (-19½) over North Texas High
There are only two more chances to bet against North Texas this season!

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Buffalo (+3½) over Bowling Green
Vanderbilt (-3) over Tennessee
Washington (-7½) over Washington State
Rice (-8½) over Marshall
Tulsa (-28½) over Tulane
Michigan State (+14½) over Penn State
Oregon State (+3) over Arizona
Minnesota (+5½) over Iowa

Week Twelve Results

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Midweek Games: 3-4 (42.9%)
Saturday: 25-16-1 (60.7%)

Week Twelve Total: 28-20-1 (58.2%)
SEASON TOTAL: 294-275-11 (51.6%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Midweek Games: 2-0 (100%)
Top 25 Picks: 12-4 (75%)
Under the Radar: 1-2 (33.3%)

Week Twelve Total: 15-6 (71.4%)
SEASON TOTAL: 253-95 (72.7%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 2-1 (66.7%)
Other Picks: 4-3 (57.1%)

Week Twelve Total: 6-4 (60%)
SEASON TOTAL: 71-69-1 (50.7%)
SEASON TOTAL ("Locks"): 32-23 (58.2%)

WEEK TWELVE - Preview

Tulane (-5) over UAB
Tulane running back Andre Anderson must be licking his chops. UAB allowed Southern Miss to put 70 points on the board the last time they took the field, and that included a big performance by USM on the ground (463 rushing yards, 4 players over 80 rushing yards). Anderson averages a Conference USA best 123.4 rushing yards per game and he’ll look to improve on that number. I like UAB quarterback Joe Webb, but he simply doesn’t have enough help to keep this game close.

Nebraska (-6½) over Kansas State
The Blackshirts are back! As a result, the Big Red defense will play their best game of the season against the lifeless Wildcats.

Stanford (+22½) over USC
USC has been playing great defense lately, allowing a paltry 13 points over the last five games. That doesn’t mean the Trojans have been pounding people though - quite the contrary as a matter of fact. Disregarding the games against Washington and Washington State (who hasn’t beaten up on those two this year?), USC’s margin of victory in Pac-10 play is an underwhelming 15 points per game. Considering Stanford was able to pull the upset last year in the Coliseum, I have a feeling this game will go down to the wire.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Rutgers (+7½) over South Florida
Texas (-13) over Kansas
New Mexico State (+15) over Fresno State
Oklahoma State (-17½) over Colorado
Utah (-28) over San Diego State
North Carolina (-2½) over Maryland
Texas A&M (+8) over Baylor

Week Eleven Recap

We're on the road to recovery. After two straight weeks of garbage picks, both Pikes are back on track. Brent had another winning week against the spread, so keep that in mind when you're looking for some easy cash next week. And my upset special came through this week when Western Michigan beat Illinois.

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Midweek Games: 5-1 (83.3%)
Saturday: 23-23 (50%)

Week Eleven Total: 28-24 (53.8%)
SEASON TOTAL: 266-255-10 (51%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Midweek Games: 2-0 (100%)
Top 25 Picks: 13-4 (76.5%)
Under the Radar: 1-2 (33.3%)
Bonus Picks: 1-3 (25%)

Week Eleven Total: 17-9 (65.4%)
SEASON TOTAL: 238-89 (72.8%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 2-2 (50%)
Other Picks: 4-4 (50%)

Week Eleven Total: 6-6 (50%)
SEASON TOTAL: 65-65-1 (50%)
SEASON TOTAL ("Locks"): 30-22 (57.7%)

WEEK ELEVEN - Gameday Preview

Michigan (+7½) over Minnesota
The Michigan defense was torched to the tune of 522 yards and 48 points a week ago against Purdue, but I still have faith in them. Defensive end Brandon Graham and the front seven are more than capable of corralling Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber when he runs, and Donovan Warren and Morgan Trent are solid corners who should be able to prevent Weber from throwing the ball all over the yard. I like Minnesota to find a way to win this game at home, but I don’t think it will be by more than a touchdown.

Wisconsin (-10) over Indiana
Wisconsin has their running game back, as evidenced by the 281 yards on the ground last weekend against Michigan State. That doesn’t bode well for Indiana, who ranks eighth in the Big Ten against the run. I expect John Clay and P.J. Hill to have big games in leading a Wisconsin rout.

Rice (-9½) over Army
Army is improving, but they still can’t match Rice’s firepower. Chase Clement and the gang shouldn’t have a problem scoring between 30 and 40 points on Army, which all but guarantees at least a ten point win.

Arizona (-39) over Washington State
Washington State has been generous all year. Despite huge spreads like this one, they have failed to cover in all 8 of their games against 1-A competition. In fact, the Cougars average margin of defeat in Pac-10 play this season is by a whopping 52.8 points! Arizona has scored over 40 points four times this season, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them top 60 here.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Purdue (+9½) over Michigan State
Tennessee (-25½) over Wyoming
Iowa State (+10) over Colorado
Penn State (-7) over Iowa
Virginia (+3½) over Wake Forest
N.C. State (+4½) over Duke
Florida Atlantic (-21) over North Texas High
Cincinnati (+8) over West Virginia

WEEK TEN - Preview

West Virginia (-3½) over Connecticut
Connecticut is actually a pretty tough team to beat on their home field. But without their top two quarterbacks the Huskies are vulnerable. West Virginia finally seems to be putting things together, so I expect them to stay hot and win by a touchdown or more.

Michigan (+1½) over Purdue
Purdue stinks. Curtis Painter is injured and might not play, but that doesn’t matter. Michigan has the defense to keep Purdue off the scoreboard and quarterback Steven Threet has improved enough to manufacture enough points to win outright.

Georgia (+5½) over Florida
I’m a little surprised the spread is this much in favor of Florida. Mark Richt wins the coaching battle here, and Knowshon Moreno will carry his team to victory over the speedy Gators. Texas (-6) over Texas Tech Like taking candy from a baby. Texas has won by an average of 18 points in the last five meetings. Texas Tech is the same old Texas Tech, but this might be Mack Brown’s best team yet.

Western Kentucky (-16½) over North Texas High School’s Varsity Football Team
How hilarious is it that a team with exactly zero wins over Division 1-A opponents is favored by 16½ over NTHS? The Hilltoppers are only averaging 10.5 points per game against D1-A competition for goodness sake! Take Western Kentucky anyway - they’ll win by 17.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Central Michigan (+2½) over Indiana
Kansas State (+11½) over Kansas
Arkansas State (+23½) over Alabama
Missouri (-20) over Baylor
Iowa State (+31) over Oklahoma State
Washington (+43) over USC
New Mexico (+7½) over Utah

WEEK NINE - J.Pike's picks against the spread

I see a lot of games that look good to pick against the spread this week. Here are my locks:

Cincinnati (-1) over Connecticut
Tony Pike is back at quarterback for Cincinnati and UConn is still without their quarterback Tyler Lorenzen.

Central Michigan (-4) over Toledo
The Chippewas are flat out the better team. It won’t matter that the game is in the Glass Bowl.

UNLV (+22½) over BYU
BYU proved themselves to be human in a blowout loss to TCU last week. Now they are more than three touchdown favorites over a solid UNLV team? I think UNLV takes this game down to the wire.

Michigan (+4) over Michigan State
I think Michigan wins this game outright with their defense leading the way.

UCLA (+17) over California
As long as Jeff Tedford stays committed to Nate Longspare at quarterback I’ll stay committed to picking against Cal.

Penn State (-2½) over Ohio State
The Nittany Lions own every individual matchup in this game and have too much speed offensively.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Kansas (-2½) over Texas Tech
Boston College (+3) over North Carolina
Oklahoma (-19½) over Kansas State
Rice (+1½) over Tulane
Virginia Tech (+4½) over Florida State
Tennessee (+6½) over Alabama
Arizona (+16) over USC

Week Eight Results

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Week Games: 2-1 (66.7%)
Saturday: 29-20 (59.2%)

Week Eight Total: 31-21 (59.6%)
SEASON TOTAL: 193-177-9 (52.1%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Week Games: 2-1 (66.6%)
Top 25 Picks: 15-1 (93.8%)
Under the Radar: 4-0 (100%)
Picks for Breakfast: 3-7 (30%)

Week Eight Total: 24-9 (72.7%)
SEASON TOTAL: 187-58 (76.3%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 2-2 (50%)
Other Picks: 4-5 (44.4%)

Week Eight Total: 6-7 (46.2%)
SEASON TOTAL: 51-43-1 (54.2%)
SEASON TOTAL ("Locks"): 25-13 (65.8%)

It took eight weeks, but one of us finally tasted perfection in 7 on 7 Drills. I did as well as you can possibly do, going 7-0 and padding two more games on my lead in the process. And Brent, if you keep picking against Texas I'll keep adding to my lead.

1. #23 Georgia Tech 21, Clemson 17
Jason: Georgia Tech
Brent: Georgia Tech
2. Boston College 28, #18 Virginia Tech 23
Jason: Boston College
Brent: Virginia Tech
3. #12 LSU 24, South Carolina 17
Jason: LSU
Brent: LSU
4. #4 Oklahoma 45, #14 Kansas
Jason: Oklahoma
Brent: Oklahoma
5. #21 TCU 32, #8 BYU 7
Jason: TCU
Brent: TCU
6. #6 Ohio State 45, #16 Michigan State 7
Jason: Ohio State
Brent: Ohio State
7. #1-t Texas 56, #9 Missouri
Jason: Texas
Brent: Missouri

WEEK EIGHT RESULTS
Jason 7-0 (100%)
Brent 5-2 (71.4%)

SEASON TOTALS
1. Jason 37-19 (66.1%)
2. Brent 34-22 (60.7%)

WEEK EIGHT - Preview

Boise State (-5) over Hawaii
Boise State will win by at least two touchdowns. [LINK]

Wisconsin (+3½) over Iowa
Whoa, let’s all take a step back. Sure, Wisconsin is a disappointing 3-3 right now, but since when is losing games to Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State such a damning indictment? No matter how bad it looks for Wisconsin right now, the Badgers are still a better team than the Hawkeyes. Hitting the road to get away from the grumbling home fans will actually work to Wisky’s advantage as they maul Iowa in the trenches, pick up a win, and get their season back on track. Note to Iowa, your pink locker rooms aren’t as insulting when you don’t have Brad Banks out there slicing up defenses anymore.

Louisiana-Monroe (-18½) over North Texas High
Here we go again. My favorite D-1A high school team is getting 18½ points and I still think you should pick against them. The Mean Green showed signs of life last week, but still managed to lose by 29 and drop to 0-6 on the season. This week will be no different as North Texas High takes another step on the road to a winless season!

San Jose State (-2½) over New Mexico State
This is a weird one to call as a lock, but I have a lot of faith in San Jose State quarterback Kyle Reed. He’s a late addition to the Faulk Trophy watch list, but he’s very deserving of the honor. He’ll slice and dice the Aggie secondary and run circles around pursuing defensive linemen. San Jose State is slightly underrated and I think they’ll handle Hal Mumme’s troops with ease.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
South Florida (-24) over Syracuse
Connecticut (-1) over Rutgers
Miami, Ohio (+9½) over Bowling Green
Ole Miss (+13½) over Alabama
Michigan (+23½) over Penn State
Colorado (-3) over Kansas State
Washington (+14) over Oregon State
Illinois (-16½) over Indiana
Air Force (-4½) over UNLV

Midweek Games

Florida State @ N.C. State
(Thursday, 6:30 pm, ESPN)
N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson is finally getting healthy again. When he’s 100% he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC. Top defender Nate Irving is also coming back from his injury? The Wolfpack and Tom O’Brien desperately need a win to stay afloat and what better place to do it than on your home field on a Thursday night ESPN game? The inconsistent Seminoles will once again talk more than they’ll actually play and get knocked off by an inferior opponent. Does Bobby Bowden do anything any more?
J.Pike’s Pick: N.C. State 24, Florida State 20

#8 BYU @ #21 TCU
(Thursday, 7 pm, VERSUS)
TCU has continually exceeded my expectations this season thanks to an always solid defense and a reliable running game. BYU enters the game as media darlings thanks to their 6-0 start and top 10 ranking. Max Hall is a good quarterback, but I’m not sure the Cougars are top 10 material. The Horned Frogs will give them all they can handle, and I’m putting BYU on Upset Alert.
J.Pike’s Pick: TCU 28, BYU 27

Hawaii @ #17 Boise State
(Friday, 7 pm, ESPN)
It’s been a rocky season post-June Jones on the islands. Hawaii has struggled to a 3-3 start. Boise State on the other hand has proven that they don’t rebuild – they reload! … for a WAC team anyway. Freshman Kellen Moore has been great at quarterback this season forming a solid backfield duo with veteran running back Ian Johnson. The ‘Bows have never been a great road team (can you blame them?), so the Broncos should handle their business on the Smurf Turf and move to 6-0.
Mark this down as one of my locks for the week: Boise State (-5) over Hawaii.
J.Pike’s Pick: Boise State 35, Hawaii 20

WEEK SEVEN - Locks

Syracuse (+23½) over West Virginia
Syracuse is bad, but West Virginia hasn’t shown the ability to beat anybody by more than three touchdowns this year. With Pat White suffering through nagging injuries, I don’t expect that pattern to change.

Utah (-23) over Wyoming
Utah is playing good football right now and Wyoming simply is not. The Cowboys aren’t even averaging double digits in points this season (by far the worst in the nation), so a shutout by the strong Utah defense is more than possible – it’s probable. Utah quarterback Brian Johnson can easily manufacture at least 30 against this group.

Colorado State (+15½) over TCU
This is the kind of game that seems to trip up TCU just about every year. The Horned Frogs are favored on the road against a team with a new coach that is improving every week. Not only do I think Colorado State covers this large spread, I think they have an excellent shot at winning outright.

Louisiana-Lafayette (-21) over North Texas High
If I actually put money on these bets, I would have gotten rich betting against North Texas High School this season. Louisiana-Lafayette has the nation’s top rushing offense and Tyrell Fenroy nearly topped the 300-yard mark a week ago against Louisiana-Monroe! Look for the Ragin’ Cajuns to to approach 500 yards rushing and completely control the clock in this game.

Tulsa (-25) over SMU
This seems to be the week where I capitalize on the big spreads. Tulsa is tops in the nation averaging 56.4 points per game. June Jones is struggling to get his passing attack going as the Mustangs sit on a 1-5 record averaging only 22 points per game. Tulsa wins big.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Texas (+7) over Oklahoma
Illinois (-12½) over Minnesota
Arizona State (+28) over USC
Buffalo (-1) over Western Michigan
Miami (-16½) over Central Florida
Arizona (-6½) over Stanford
Iowa State (+4½) over Baylor
San Jose State (-14) over Utah State
Missouri (-14) over Oklahoma State
UTEP (-4) over Tulane

Week Six Results

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Week Games: 2-5 (28.6%)
Saturday: 26-17-2 (60%)

Week Six Total: 28-22-2 (55.8%)
SEASON TOTAL: 139-128-6 (52%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Week Games: 3-2 (60%)
Top 25 Picks: 14-3 (82.4%)
Under the Radar: 2-2 (50%)
Picks for Breakfast: 9-3 (75%)

Week Six Total: 28-10 (73.7%)
SEASON TOTAL: 148-41 (78.3%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 4-1 (80%)
Other Picks: 4-3 (57.1%)

Week Six Total: 8-4 (66.7%)
SEASON TOTAL: 39-28 (58.2%)
SEASON TOTAL ("Locks"): 19-10 (65.5%)

Upset Picks
Upsets called: 0/2 (0%)
SEASON TOTAL: 3/10 (30%)

Both of us here at Pikes Picks rebounded nicely after our abysmal 2-5 showings last week. Brent picked up a game on me to cut my lead back down to a single game. With another strong slate of games on the schedule for this week, there's a chance for some shake ups in the standings.

1. #23 Illinois 45, Michigan 20
Jason: Illinois
Brent: Illinois
2. North Carolina 38, #24 UConn 12
Jason: North Carolina
Brent: North Carolina
3. #21 California 24, Arizona State 14
Jason: Arizona State
Brent: Arizona State
4. Florida State 41, Miami 39
Jason: Miami
Brent: Florida State
5. #9 USC 44, #22 Oregon 10
Jason: USC
Brent: USC
6. #17 Vanderbilt 14, #11 Auburn 13
Jason: Auburn
Brent: Auburn
7. #8 Ohio State 20, #18 Wisconsin 17
Jason: Ohio State
Brent: Ohio State

WEEK SIX RESULTS
Brent 5-2 (71.4%)
Jason 4-3 (57.1%)

SEASON TOTALS
1. Jason 25-17 (59.5%)
2. Brent 24-18 (57.1%)

WEEK SIX - Preview

UPSET WARNINGS

Stanford @ Notre Dame
Why it could happen: Notre Dame isn’t “back” yet. A win over Purdue only proves that Purdue still isn’t capable of playing up to their potential on a weekly basis. Stanford is the kind of team that can take advantage of Notre Dame’s mistakes.
Why it won’t happen: Notre Dame is too talented for Stanford. If the offensive line can play even average, that will give The Ostrich enough time to take advantage of a young, improving receiving corps.
J.Pike’s Pick: Notre Dame 28, Stanford 27

#15 Texas Tech @ Kansas State
Why it could happen: Kansas State seems to get up for one or two big games every year and Texas Tech is one of the most vulnerable teams in the top 20.
Why it won’t happen: Even though Mike Leach isn’t smart enough to take advantage of Kansas State’s obvious weakness against the run, they’ll still be able to take advantage of K-State’s poor tackling.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas Tech 51, Kansas State 37

Texas A&M @ Oklahoma State
Why it could happen: Oklahoma State is riding high off their press clippings and AP top 25 recognition, but Texas A&M will actually have the two best skill players on the field (RB Mike Goodson and QB Jerrod Johnson).
Why it won’t happen: The Aggies are still sorely lacking in talent and depth along both lines of scrimmage. Zac Robinson and the Cowboy offense shouldn’t have much trouble breaking 30 points against the porous A&M defense. But this one will be much more difficult than the 24 point spread would indicate.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oklahoma State 34, Texas A&M 28

UPSET CALLS

Arizona State @ #21 California
Why it will happen: Cal’s best player, Jahvid Best, is out for the game. Meanwhile Arizona State gets Keegan Herring back in the lineup. Rudy Carpenter and the gang are hungry to prove their disappointing 2-2 start was a mirage so they’ll put together their first complete game of the season and knock Cal back out of the top 25.
J.Pike’s Pick: Arizona State 30, California 24

Ball State @ Toledo
Why it will happen: The Glass Bowl isn’t an inviting place for opponents to play, especially when you will be without the services of Dante Love. Toledo has played pretty good football against decent competition so far this year, and it will finally pay off in the win column when they knock Ball State from the rank of the undefeateds.
J.Pike’s Pick: Toledo 36, Ball State 31


Iowa (+9½) over Michigan State
Last week I called the Northwestern “upset” of Iowa. But this week 9½ points is just too much. In fact, Iowa might even be able to pull off the upset here if they can manage to slow down Javon Ringer.

Illinois (+2) over Michigan
Michigan got lucky last week when their best half of football for the season coincided with Wisconsin’s worst half of football. They won’t be so lucky this weekend. Illinois is only 2-2, but their losses were at the hands of two of the top four teams in the nation (Penn State and Mizzou). They have a decided edge in speed in this game and they’ll use it to their full advantage to get their season rolling again.

Texas A&M (+24½) over Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State always seems to start out slow in conference play. It might have something to do with their weak non-conference scheduling, but that’s another topic. A&M has some weapons, but their weaknesses lie in the trenches and on defense. Those just happen to be two areas Oklahoma State doesn’t care much about. And honestly, I’d take Jerrod Johnson and Mike Goodson over any two players the Pokes could offer. The Aggies have won each of the last two meetings by exactly one point, so don’t be surprised if they do it again.

Florida International (-7) over North Texas High
You can’t go wrong betting against the Generous Green this year. FIU is coming off a big 35-16 win over Toledo and North Texas High lost to Rice by 57 points a week ago. It’s a no brainer!

Ohio State (-2) over Wisconsin
I’m starting to feel good about Ohio State again. After promoting freshman stud Terrelle Pryor to starting quarterback, the Buckeyes seem to be back on the right track. Even in Camp Randle, I don’t see the Buckeyes stumbling in anticipation of their big showdown against Penn State on October 25th.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Penn State (-12½) over Purdue
Duke (+14) over Georgia Tech
N.C. State (+8½) over Boston College
Florida (-24½) over Arkansas
Western Michigan (-4½) over Ohio
Arizona State (+9) over California
Miami (-2½) over Florida State

Week Five Results

Phew. All those upsets sure threw a wrench in my 85% picking accuracy for the season. Brent on the other hand took this opportunity to hurdle right over the 50% mark against the spread.

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Thu-Fri Games: 3-0 (100%)
Saturday: 23-21-1 (52.2%)

Week Five Total: 26-21-1 (55.2%)
SEASON TOTAL: 111-106-4 (51.1%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Top 25 Picks: 8-9 (47.1%)
Under the Radar: 2-2 (50%)
Picks for Breakfast: 10-2 (83.3%)

Week Five Total: 20-13 (60.6%)
SEASON TOTAL: 120-31 (79.5%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 3-1 (75%)
Other Picks: 3-4 (42.9%)

Week Five Total: 6-5 (54.5%)
SEASON TOTAL: 31-24 (56.4%)
SEASON TOTAL ("Locks"): 15-9 (62.5%)

Upset Picks
Upsets called: 1/2 (50%) - Northwestern over Iowa
Warned 1 upset (Maryland over Clemson)
SEASON TOTAL: 3/8 (37.5%)

Ugly ugly ugly. There's no other way to describe it. Both of us went 2-5 in the 7 on 7 Drills for Week Five. This can't possibly happen again, can it? Let's hope not.

1. Central Michigan 27, Buffalo 25
Jason: Buffalo
Brent: Buffalo
2. Florida State 39, Colorado 21
Jason: Colorado
Brent: Colorado
3. #13 Auburn 14, Tennessee 12
Jason: Auburn
Brent: Tennessee
4. Notre Dame 38, Purdue 21
Jason: Purdue
Brent: Notre Dame
5. Virginia Tech 35, #22 Nebraska 30
Jason: Nebraska
Brent: Nebraska
6. #8 Penn State 38, #19 Illinois 24
Jason: Penn State
Brent: Penn State
7. #11 Alabama 41, #2 Georgia 30
Jason: Georgia
Brent: Georgia

WEEK FIVE RESULTS
Jason 2-5 (28.6%)
Brent 2-5 (28.6%)

SEASON TOTALS
Jason 21-14 (60%)
Brent 19-16 (54.3%)

WEEK FIVE - Preview

UPSET WATCH

Maryland @ #16 Clemson
Why it could happen: Clemson isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. For all their talent, they haven’t managed to put together a complete game yet this year. Maryland on the other hand seems to be hitting their stride since Chris Turner took over at quarterback.
Why it won’t happen: Clemson’s defense won’t allow Turner to make the same plays he made against Cal. James Davis and the running game put up 249 rushing yards against the Terps last year, and I expect them to approach that again this weekend. But it won’t be easy.
J.Pike’s Pick: Clemson 26, Maryland 18

Marshall @ West Virginia
Why it could happen: Marshall was up on West Virginia at halftime in last season’s matchup, and Mark Snyder finally has the Herd back on the winning track in 2008.
Why it won’t happen: West Virginia has struggled to find an identity early on, but they at least got back to the running game last week against Colorado. Pat White and Noel Devine have too much speed for the Marshall defense and they’ll find their way to the end zone more times than the Herd offense will.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 32, Marshall 27

UPSET WARNING

Northwestern @ Iowa
Why it will happen: Northwestern is better than anybody is giving them credit for so far. They play solid defense and have two playmakers on offense (QB C.J. Bacher & RB Tyrell Sutton) that Iowa can’t match. Northwestern can flat out manufacture more points than Iowa. Bacher will have a big day.
J.Pike’s Pick: Northwestern 27, Iowa 17

Colorado vs Florida State
(@ Jacksonville, FL)
Why it will happen: Florida State is one of the worst offensive teams in the nation right now. The play they have gotten from their quarterbacks the past 7+ years has been atrocious, and it has led to the deterioration of the offense to the point it’s at now. The Noles still like to talk trash and attempt to intimidate their opponents before the game (see photo evidence from last week's loss to Wake Forest), but that doesn’t work as well when you’re a .500 team. In fact it just makes you look like a bunch of morons. Colorado running back Rod Stewart will send Florida State away on a Downtown Train with a 2-2 record.
J.Pike’s Pick: Colorado 21, Florida State 13

Northwestern (+8) over Iowa
There’s no way Iowa is 8 points better than Northwestern because I think Northwestern is better than Iowa straight up.

Ole Miss (+23) over Florida
Florida isn’t clicking offensively yet this year and Urban Meyer is too busy complaining about the new clock rules to fix it. Last year it was his running backs’ fault the Gators couldn’t run the ball. You might want to take a look in the mirror sometime, Urb? Houston Nutt will have Ole Miss ready to play and they’ll make it a game into the fourth quarter.

Cincinnati (-10) over Akron
Now that Tony Pike has proven himself at quarterback, I expect Cincinnati to continue putting up 40 point games against inferior opponents such as Akron. Cincy wins big as Pike continues his late bid for the Heisman Trophy.

Rice (-18½) over North Texas High
Rice quarterback Chase Clement is actually pretty good. Facing one of the best high school teams in the state of Texas might be imposing for Hurst L.D. Bell, but Clement will have no problems. Rice will roll to a four touchdown win. At least North Texas High can get back to concentrating on winning their district and making State after this beat down.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Duke (-7) over Virginia
Arkansas (+27½) over Texas
Colorado (+6) over Florida State
Purdue (+2½) over Notre Dame
Marshall (+15½) over West Virginia
Navy (+16) over Wake Forest
Oregon (-19½) over Washington State

Week Four Recap

This is why I leave the picks against the spread to Brent. My 5-7 record isn't going to impress anybody. In the mean time, Brent finished over .500 against the spread for the second consecutive week after a great start to the day. I'm guessing the "experts" got nuthin' on him. I took a slight step down picking games straight up, but I still have an 85% rate for the season.

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Wed-Fri Games: 0-2-1 (0%)
Saturday morning: 9-3 (75%)
Saturday afternoon: 7-8 (46.7%)
Saturday night: 7-8 (46.7%)

Week Four Total: 23-21-1 (52.2%)
SEASON TOTAL: 85-85-3 (50%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Top 25 Picks: 16-1 (94.1%)
Picks for Breakfast: 7-5 (58.3%%)

Week Four Total: 23-6 (79.3%)
SEASON TOTAL: 100-18 (84.7%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 3-2 (60%)
Other Picks: 2-5 (28.6%)

Week Three Total: 5-7 (41.7%)
SEASON TOTAL: 25-19 (56.8%)
SEASON TOTAL ("Locks"): 12-8 (60%)

Upset Picks
Upsets called: 1/1 (100%) - N.C. State over East Carolina
Warned 1 upset (Boise State over Oregon)
SEASON TOTAL: 2/6 (33.3%)

For the second consecutive week I displayed my mastery of picking the seven toughest games of the week. I took a two game lead overall and only missed one pick (how many times can I pick against Wake Forest?).

1. Miami 41, Texas A&M 23
Jason: Miami
Brent: Miami
2. Virginia Tech 20, North Carolina 17
Jason: Virginia Tech
Brent: North Carolina
3. Michigan State 23, Notre Dame 7
Jason: Michigan State
Brent: Michigan State
4. Wake Forest 12, Florida State 3
Jason: Florida State
Brent: Florida State
5. #4 Florida 30, #24 Tennessee 6
Jason: Florida
Brent: Florida
6. #1-t Georgia 27, #23 Arizona State 10
Jason: Georgia
Brent: Georgia
7. #7 LSU 26, #11 Auburn 21
Jason: LSU
Brent: Auburn

WEEK FOUR RESULTS
Jason 6-1 (85.7%)
Brent 4-3 (57.1%)

SEASON TOTALS
Jason 19-9 (67.9%)
Brent 17-11 (60.7%)

Week Four Preview - JP Locks

N.C. State (+7½) over East Carolina
East Carolina has gotten off to an impressive 3-0 start, but they haven’t exactly made a habit of blowing people out. N.C. State meanwhile has been slowly but steadily improving under Tom O’Brien. The Wolfpack will be in position to win this game in the end.

Mississippi State (+7½) over Georgia Tech
This game has a 10-7 feel about it. Neither offense has been very potent so far this year, and both teams field strong defenses. Paul Johnson will coach his team to victory with smart play calling, but by no means will either team reach 20 points. Therefore, the Bulldogs keep it within a touchdown.

Central Florida (+10½) over Boston College
With Chris Crane at quarterback, I’m not sure BC is capable of scoring 10 points against the surprisingly solid UCF defense. The Golden Knights secondary is capable of turning at least two or three of Crane’s errant throws into turnovers that will keep them BC off the scoreboard.

Akron (-7) over Army
Akron should roll in this game. Army head coach Stan Brock called out his team after their loss to New Hampshire saying they “quit”. Um, that’s probably not the smartest move – calling out kids who voluntarily enlisted in the Army to play football for you. Nice knowing you Stanley.

Florida (-7) over Tennessee
Even though I think Tennessee will show up ready to play Saturday afternoon, I just don’t think they will be able to keep up with Florida’s speed. Look for the Vols to keep it closer than the 39 points they lost by last year, but not enough to keep it in single digits.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Connecticut (-14) over Baylor
UCLA (+3) over Arizona
Boise State (+12) over Oregon
Notre Dame (+8½) over Michigan State
South Florida (-28) over Florida International
Rice (+30½) over Texas
LSU (-2) over Auburn

Week Three Results

Week Three saw Brent get back in the saddle and have a good week picking games against the spread. Not only did he finish above 50% for the first time this season, three of his losses came at the hands of that pesky 1/2 point. I did pretty well picking games straight up, but I'm disappointed that my Mississippi State upset fell one point short. That offense is even worse than I thought. I came back down to earth with my 4,000 gold nickel locks of the week too. Here's the recap for our picks in week three.

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Thursday: 0-1 (0%)
Friday: 2-0 (100%)
Saturday: 21-18-2 (53.7%)

Week Three Total: 23-19-2 (54.5%)
SEASON TOTAL: 62-64-2 (49.2%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Under the Radar: 5-0 (100%)
Top 25 Picks: 16-4 (80%)
Picks for Breakfast: 8-2 (80%)

Week Three Total: 29-6 (82.9%)
SEASON TOTAL: 77-12 (86.5%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 3-3 (50%)
Other Picks: 6-4 (60%)

Week Three Total: 9-7 (56.3%)
SEASON TOTAL: 20-12 (62.5%)

Upset Picks
Upsets called: 0/2 (0%)
Warned 0 upsets
SEASON TOTAL: 1/5 (20%)

This week I made up the ground that I lost last week, thanks to Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, and South Florida. We both sort of missed the boat on the UCLA/BYU blowout, but hey, the season is still young.

1. Notre Dame 35, Michigan 17
Jason: Michigan
Brent: Notre Dame
2. Virginia Tech 20, Georgia Tech 17
Jason: Virginia Tech
Brent: Georgia Tech
3. #1 Georgia 14, South Carolina 7
Jason: Georgia
Brent: Georgia
4. #10 Wisconsin 13, Fresno State 10
Jason: Wisconsin
Brent: Fresno State
5. #25 BYU 59, #22 UCLA 0
Jason: UCLA
Brent: UCLA
6. #17 South Florida 37, #19 Kansas 34
Jason: South Florida
Brent: Kansas
7. #2 USC 35, #3 Ohio State 3
Jason: USC
Brent: USC

WEEK TWO RESULTS
Jason 5-2 (71.4%)
Brent 3-4 (42.9%)

SEASON TOTALS
Brent 13-8 (61.9%)
Jason 13-8 (61.9%)

Week Three Preview

Iowa State (+13) over Iowa
This rivalry has produced some very close games recently. Both schools are 2-0 this season, and Iowa has won their two contests by a combined score of 88-3. Don’t let that fool you though – Iowa’s big wins came against Maine and Florida International. Iowa State is a team on the rise with Gene Chizik at the helm, and he has an impressive quarterback in Austin Arnaud. The Cyclones will keep this game close and have a good shot at winning the game outright.

Baylor (+2½) over Washington State
Baylor is bad, but Washington State might be worse. Coming off a 66-3 loss at the hands of Cal, the Cougars must travel to Waco to face an offense that seems be gaining their footing in Art Briles’ new offense. Baylor will pick up the first meaningful win of the Briles era in this one.

Central Michigan (-3½) over Ohio
Don’t be fooled by Ohio’s gutsy performance against Ohio State last weekend. They still don’t stand much of a chance against MAC powerhouse Central Michigan. QB Dan LeFevour will show the Buckeyes how to move the ball against Frank Solich’s Bobcats.

UCLA (+9) over BYU
I’m not sure how BYU is favored by 9 points in this game. UCLA plays great defense and will get after Max Hall all day long. That will keep the game close enough for UCLA’s offense, hobbled by injuries, to sneak out with the win.

Southern Miss (+1½) over Arkansas State
Arkansas State has produced two “whoa” moments already this year. In week one they beat Texas A&M in College Station, and last week they scored 83 points in a win over Texas Southern. But Southern Miss still has the overall talent edge with running back Damion Fletcher and tight end Shawn Nelson. USM wins this one outright.

Stanford (+12) over TCU
This was a tight contest last year, and that was only Jim Harbaugh’s first season. Stanford is playing even more consistent football this season and they’ve already got two conference games under their belt. That early season experience gives the Cardinal a slight edge over TCU so if they don’t win outright, they’ll definitely keep it within 12.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to qualify them as “Locks":
Illinois (-24½) over Louisiana-Lafayette
Oregon (-7½) over Purdue
Penn State (-26½) over Syracuse
Michigan (Pick’em) over Notre Dame
Georgia Tech (+7) over Virginia Tech
Western Michigan (-8) over Idaho
Mississippi State (+10½) over Auburn
Kentucky (-16½) over Middle Tennessee
Oklahoma (-20) over Washington
Utah (-24½) over Utah State

Week Two Results

How did we do on our picks this week? Looks like J.Pike is ascending while B.Pike is descending. However, in the head to head matchup that we like to call 7 on 7 Drills, Brent won. Go figure. Here's the recap for all our picks for Week Two.

B.PIKE

Against The Spread
Thursday/Friday: 1-1 (50%)
Saturday morning: 3-6 (33.3%)
Saturday afternoon: 5-7 (41.7%)
Saturday night: 10-10 (50%)

Week Two Total: 19-24 (44.2%)
SEASON TOTAL: 39-45 (46.4%)

J.PIKE

Straight Up
Top 25 Picks: 19-2 (90.5%)
Picks for Breakfast: 8-2 (80%)

Week Two Total: 27-4 (87.1%)
SEASON TOTAL: 48-6 (88.9%)

Against The Spread
Locks: 4-1 (80%)
Other Picks: 5-2 (71.4%)

Week Two Total: 9-3 (75%)
SEASON TOTAL: 11-5 (68.8%)

Upset Picks
Upsets called: 0/1 (0%)
Warned 1 upset (East Carolina over West Virginia)
SEASON TOTAL: 1/3 (33.3%)

J.Pike is losing ground on B.Pike after another 4-3 week. The upset pick of Ole Miss over Wake Forest fell through on a last second field goal by Sam Swank. And apparently Chris Crane is no Matt Ryan. B.Pike's solid week was only one pick away from 7-0, and that's because West Virginia decided to get manhandled in the trenches by East Carolina. Here are the results.

1. East Carolina 24, West Virginia 3
Jason: West Virginia
Brent: West Virginia
2. Oklahoma 52, Cincinnati 26
Jason: Oklahoma
Brent: Oklahoma
3. Wake Forest 30, Ole Miss 28
Jason: Ole Miss
Brent: Wake Forest
4. Georgia Tech 19, Boston College 16
Jason: Boston College
Brent: Georgia Tech
5. Arizona State 41, Stanford 17
Jason: Arizona State
Brent: Arizona State
6. Penn State 45, Oregon State 14
Jason: Penn State
Brent: Penn State
7. Florida 26, Miami 3
Jason: Florida
Brent: Florida

WEEK TWO RESULTS
Brent 6-1 (85.7%)
Jason 4-3 (57.1%)

SEASON TOTALS
Brent 10-4 (71.4%)
Jason 8-6 (57.1%)