College Football Preview – Week 13

Temple @ Ohio, Friday 11am
Evan: Why did we pick this game? Is anyone going to have an educated guess on this? I’m going to say Ohio because maybe Temple will think it’s Ohio State. Or maybe since they are playing Temple, Ohio will think they are Ohio State themselves. Pick: Insert Ohio’s Mascot Here
Mike: It was between this and Stanford/ND and I’m sick of picking ND games. Perhaps I should have just gone with ‘Hating on ND’ because I’d have a lot more to say about that. This Temple team excites me. There are usually a few Philly basketball teams to choose from, but never football. A win here and Temple might wind up in the Top 25. I’ll give you a minute to recover from your gasp. Here’s the thing, they started the season by losing to Villanova. Crazy. Of course, I haven’t a clue about them because they were terrible against PSU. And who knows what the deal is with Ohio. Still, this is a huge game for these teams as the winner goes on to the MAC Championship Game against Central Michigan. Pick: Temple
Ahad: Temple has been on a roll since they lost to PSU. This team just finds a way to win when last year they would lose every close game. What does it say about PSU that their best win might be against Temple? The concern for the Owls is that their freshman running back is out with an injury. Either way, the Owls will come out on top and head to the MAC Championship and a possible Top 25 ranking. Pick: Temple
Matt: I hadn’t been keeping tabs on Temple all year and was surprised to see that they have reeled off 9 wins in a row following the loss to PSU. The only thing I know about Ohio is that they lost close games to Connecticut and Tennessee. Can Temple really match PSU’s record at 10-2? I am just gonna go ahead and say they will. Pick: Temple

Pittsburgh @ West Virginia, Friday 7pm
Evan: Oooohhh, Pittsburgh is in line for a BCS bowl if they can beat West Virginia and then take down Cincy. I remember a time when all West Virginia had to do to play for the National Championship was beat a terrible Pittsburgh team. Could this be the same scenario? I think so. Pick: West Virginia, and my boy Noel Devine from Fort Myers is gonna run wild.
Mike: I usually don’t have a team in the Backyard Brawl. This year I’m strangely drawn to Pitt, which is against my nature. I think it has to do with the fact that they really weren’t expected to do anything this year. I was all set to put WVU in the Big East race until they lost to USF. Not that you can consider USF a bad loss, few teams are as up and down as USF (still don’t know what happened to them against Rutgers). The teams are fairly close, with Pitt a little better on both sides of the ball. This Pitt team has learned how to win. Pick: Pittsburgh
Ahad: Pitt will try and contain Devin by keeping him on the sidelines by using a ball control offense. Look for an ugly low scoring affair with Pitt coming out on top. Pick: Pitt
Matt: Will Pitt be caught looking ahead to their showdown with Cincinnati next week? They better not be or they won’t leave Morgantown with a win. All 3 of West Virginia’s losses have been on the road. I was a little concerned with Pitt two weeks ago giving up their big lead to Notre Dame. This should be a good matchup between Dion Lewis and Noel Devine. Which little guy will put his team over the top? I am gonna go with the home team. Pick: West Virginia

Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma, Saturday 12:30pm
Evan: I think this will be a good game. Not nearly as sexy as it would have been if Bryant and Bradford were playing. It’s still a rivalry and the Kowboys have the best shot at winning this game in 6 years. Pick: OK State
Mike: I don’t know what happened to OU last week and OKSt just barely escaped. This is the perfect example of falling into the program hype when I think OU will make this a game, despite evidence to the contrary. This team has to be more than Bradford. Stoops is supposedly a good coach. Pick: Oklahoma State
Ahad: Stoops is a good coach. His team has been hit very hard with injuries. Not many teams can recover from the losses they have suffered this year. The Sooners defense will show up this week. They have the talent, but most of the guys lack experience. This rivalry game will speed up the learning process. Pick: Sooners
Matt: Oklahoma looks to get to 7 wins and ruin Oklahoma State’s BCS hopes. It has been a rough year for Stoops and the Sooners. I don’t completely trust Oklahoma State. They struggled last week and Oklahoma is at home. The Sooners will pull out all stops to get the win. Pick: Oklahoma

Miami (FL) @ South Florida, Saturday 3:30pm
Evan: Both of these teams have been up and down all year. I have been on the USF bandwagon since the beginning, even with their new QB. What is a worse loss, USF’s recent smack down by Rutgers, or Miami losing to UNC? I think USF has lost their momentum for the season. Pick: Miami
Mike: I keep seeing scores early in Miami games and having hope they will lose. It’s similar to many of the Penn State games. They just have the talent to pull away from lesser opponents in the 2nd half. I expect that here, yet, I think USF has proven they will be around for a little while longer. Pick: Miami
Ahad: My gut is telling me Miami. Pick: Canes
Matt: Seriously, which team is gonna show up for each squad? The good or bad versions? I will just say that if both teams play their best games, then Miami will come out on top in the battle of Southern Florida. Pick: Miami

Arkansas @ LSU, Saturday 7pm
Evan: I had a little blip with my SEC picks last week. That never happens to me two weeks in a row. Pick: LSU comes back b/c they’re all pissed off.
Mike: No point in talking about LSU last week. I take away that they will be fired up. They also didn’t quit in that game, except for, well, you know. Pick: LSU
Ahad: Everyone knows how great I am at picking SEC games. Pick: LSU
Matt: Arkansas has been on a roll the past few weeks, but so far, LSU has only lost to ranked opponents in close games. LSU is at home and seething over last week’s loss. Les Miles and Jefferson just need to manage the game better. I think LSU gets back on track. Pick: LSU