College Football Week 7 Preview

Texas @ Oklahoma (in Dallas), Saturday 12pm
Evan: This is at the top of my list for non-Gator games to go to. I love college football. I love the fair. I love shootouts. So basically, this is my cup of tea. I also like that it is such a huge game but is played at noon. Oklahoma has not been challenged. As strange as it seems, I feel like everyone is overlooking Texas and focusing on when Oklahoma will play Missouri. If you had said that 5 years (or even 2 years) ago, no one would have believed you. I am rooting for Texas big time, but I think that Oklahoma is too good. Bob Stoops needs to get back a few against Mack Brown. Pick: Boomer Sooner
Matt: Wow, it will be nice to wake up at 9am and have this game just getting started. Should be a good one. Neither team has really been challenged yet, so it will be interesting to see how each team faces some adversity. I think Oklahoma is the better team, and I feel like Texas hasn’t always performed well in these bigger games (except for when they had Vince Young). Pick: Oklahoma
Mike: I feel like the polls have influenced my Oklahoma leaning. Looking at Gregg’s UR3, Texas is at #7 and Oklahoma is at #9. I haven’t heard much love for Texas and with all the craziness of this year I have to go with them. Pick: Texas
Ahad: This is also one of the games that I would love to attend at some point in my life. This is one the biggest rivalries in college football. Neither team has faced very tough competition, but I believe that the Sooners are the more talented and better coached team. Stoops only comes up small in BCS bowl games. Pick: Sooners

Notre Dame @ North Carolina, Saturday 3:30pm
Evan: The ultimate “upstart” vs. the ultimate “has been, might be back, well not all the way back, but kind of a little bit back”. Beating a very talented Miami team is impressive, despite the Cane’s youth and loss to FSU. I feel like Clausen is getting better. I’ll be a Notre Dame homer and root for the golden domers, but Pick: Tar Heels
Matt: This such an interesting matchup and I am glad we included it in our picks. Seriously, where did North Carolina come from this year? Notre Dame has gotten back on track and beaten some good teams. Clausen has been playing very well. I am going to root for and Pick: North Carolina
Mike: I’ve liked UNC this year, which is surprising because I despise the school due to their basketball team. Their Virginia Tech loss didn’t worry me too much but the Miami game was too close. Connecticut is as good as anybody in the Big East, and UNC cruised over them. Notre Dame will make a bowl this year thanks to a good chunk of their schedule having a down year. This isn’t one of those victories. Pick: North Carolina
Ahad: This is the match up of two teams who no one thought would be in their current position. Notre Dame has been playing some decent football lately. UNC has faced better competition and should come out on top in this one. Butch out coaches Charlie. Pick: UNC

LSU @ Florida, Saturday 8pm
Evan: Shiznit. I have a bad feeling about this game. I’m already upset because I was going to be there, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I will not be present in the sure to be electric atmosphere of a night time Swamp game. I feel like being a maverick and doing something I never do, and that is to pick my team despite fears of a jinx. Pick: Gators. Maverick.
Matt: Tough game to call. I like that Florida is playing at The Swamp, but they have already lost there once this year. LSU’s win over Auburn doesn’t seem all that spectacular to me now. I think Tebow will be the difference maker. I will root against LSU so Penn State can move up (hopefully). Pick: Florida
Mike: I’m getting a sense of Evan’s bad feeling. Normally, when I’m split I go with The Swamp but after the Mississippi loss that doesn’t give me much hope. The hope I do have is that Urban Myer finds his playbook from the past two years and gets this team rolling the rest of the year. I think he will by the end to make it a game, but LSU pulls it off. Pick: LSU
Ahad: This is a very tough to pick. LSU has looked strong so far and Florida has yet to fire on all cylinders. I think the home field advantage and Tebow’s leadership put Florida on top in this one. Pick: Gators

Penn State @ Wisconsin, Saturday 8pm
Evan: Is the band going to be back for the badgers? If so, will they play extra hard to make up for their absence last week? Will a Penn State fan show up with a sign that says “this one time, at band camp…” or “I badge yer weren’t molested by a band geek”? Penn State’s heartbreak is 2 weeks away. Pick: Nittany Lions
Matt: Penn State’s defense needs to be stout in this game along the front line. I am sure Wisconsin plans on running the ball a lot to control the clock and keep our offense off the field. This will be Penn State’s closest game yet, and they will need to capitalize in the red zone with touchdowns as opposed to field goals. Pick: Penn State
Mike: I don’t know about Wisconsin’s band but I know the PSU alumni bought some tickets for some of the Blue Band so there will be some sort of band. Wisconsin has given me nothing but questions about them being any good: The slow start against Marshall, the close game with Fresno, blowing it against Michigan, and losing late to Ohio State. Penn State keeps giving me reasons to think they are better than they really are: crushing Oregon State (who then lost to USC), beating Illinois fairly handily (who then took care of Michigan), and winning their last 2 games without Jordan Norwood. One receiver seems to step up each week. I’d rather Daryll Clark have all his favorite targets to choose from. Pick: Penn State
Ahad: Wisconsin is still hurting from that loss to Ohio State. There is no way they are completely healthy after that battle with OSU. I don’t like that Hull says that they will look to “punish” PJ Hill in this game. He has no place to be saying things like that. I don’t see him as being a leader on this team and I hope this doesn’t motivate Hill. PSU keeps rolling in the hostile environment. Pick: PSU

Oklahoma State @ Missouri, Saturday 8pm
Evan: Two potent offenses. Two ranked teams. Two undefeated seasons. One hilarious adventure. I like Oklahoma State because they haven’t beaten anybody yet. They’re also proven upset makers. Missouri goes down this week, Chase Daniels calls his mom crying. Pick: Cowboys
Matt: There should be some offensive fireworks in this game for sure. Oklahoma State’s record has been built beating up on some weaker teams. I just don’t know that they can go toe to toe with Missouri scoring the ball. I will be rooting for them though. Pick: Missouri
Mike: Wow, what a week. To me this is the most unpredictable. I know nothing of this Oklahoma State team. They’ve taken care of their easy schedule so far. My concern is that they haven’t been in a battle yet. Missouri has the experience of their great season last year. I hope Oklahoma State is on the rise and turn the Big 12 into another SEC (at least at the top of the divisions). Even with a loss, they are still on the rise. Pick: Missouri
Ahad: Another quality Big 12 matchup. I find it hard to believe that Chase Daniels has yet to be on the field for a three and out this season. OSU has had a fairly easy schedule to date, but they are a very dangerous team. Missouri will be ready for this game and the veteran leaders will take care of business. Chase Daniels will keep his Heisman hopes alive. Pick: Missouri