Week 5 Predictions

Florida St @ Virginia (+6.5)

Hmmm... the Seminoles are coming off a shutout-beatdown of Wake Forest, while the Cavaliers have beaten two I-AA teams. I know they played better than expected against USC, but 6.5? Of course, seeing how last week went, I should probably pick them to cover. I just can't do it though...

The Call: Florida State by 13

The Result: Florida State 34-14
And the Noles are making waves again...
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Ohio State @ Illinois (+16.5)

After beating up on both Northern and Southern Illinois, the Illini get the Buckeyes at home. It's not so much that I don't believe in the home team, but when the Tresselball boys are firing on all cylinders, which they have been, they're pretty much unbeatable. At the same time, if they lose this season it'll be in a trap game. The gut says the Buckeyes roll.

The Call: Ohio State wins, but Illinois covers the spread

The Result: Ohio State 24-13
One, one wonderful close call! Ah ah ah.
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Temple @ Army (+6)

I usually only call games when I think I can pick it correctly. We've seen how that's worked out the last two weeks. At the same time, I like giving space to the teams we don't usually pay attention to. Both the Owls and Black Knights are 3-1 so far this year - props to them. I have no idea who will win, but still.

The Call: Temple by 7

The Result: Temple 42-35
See, good things can happen when you notice the smaller guys.
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TCU (-33.5) @ Colorado State

Look, we all know the Horned Frogs are scary good, but I think I've been underestimating the Rams this season. And 33.5 is a lot of ground to cover.

The Call: TCU by 35

The Result: TCU 27-0
Nope - apparently I wasn't underestimating the Rams.
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Tennessee @ LSU (-16.5)

The Tigers offense just can't get going, though we know they have the components to make things happen. The Vols can't really get going either - but will they ever be able to?

The Call: LSU by 17

The Result: LSU 16-14
That was probably the ugliest last 30 seconds of a game I've ever seen. If the Tigers don't drop in the polls, well, they should. (No, not just because of the second-to-last play. Because of the aforementioned sputtering offense.) Tough one for the Vols to lose. Hopefully they'll be able to bounce back mentally.
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Virginia Tech @ NC State (+3.5)

A flip-flop game here - who would've thought a month ago that the Hokies would be 2-2 with a loss to a cupcake while the Wolfpack would be 4-0 and leading the conference?

The Call: Virginia Tech by 10

The Result: Virginia Tech 41-30
And things are officially back to normal in the ACC.
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Texas (+3.5) v Oklahoma

You just know that things have been intense in Austin this week - the Longhorns, if nothing else, are going to come out looking to hit someone. But will they be able to control themselves and not make mistakes? The Sooners are still rolling along, and while the D is a bit shaky right now, the offense can still put up points on a regular basis.

The Call: Oklahoma by 9

The Result: Oklahoma 28-20
And the Longhorn offense continues to struggle. The Sooners are looking solid, and with only Big12 play left (and no Nebraska), they're going to be favored by a lot here on out.
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Louisville (-6) @ Arkansas State

I know the Cardinals aren't looking too good this year, but giving less than a TD to a SunBelt team? A 1-3 SunBelt team? Sorry Red Wolves, truth hurts.

The Call: Louisville wins, but Arkansas State covers the spread

The Result: Louisville 34-24
That was actually closer than I expected.
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Georgia @ Colorado (+4)

So the Bulldogs are going to the Rockies, huh? Maybe getting out of the southeast is just what they need to get their season going. Having AJ Green back won't hurt either.

The Call: Georgia by 7

The Result: Colorado 29-27
That makes it official - I'm not picking Georgia for the rest of the year.
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Stanford @ Oregon (-6.5)

The way things are looking, this game is for the driver's seat in the Pac10 race. I know I've liked the Ducks, and how explosively efficient they can be, but I can't discount how just plain powerful the Cardinal have been on both sides of the ball.

The Call: Stanford by 6

The Result: Oregon 52-31
I think what's most impressive about that game was the Ducks' poise, down 21-3 to start. They didn't panic, just kept doing what they know works. And eventually it did - in a big way. Tough loss for Stanford, but they'll be favored the rest of the way out and 11-1 is quite realistic.
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Florida @ Alabama (-8)

It's gonna take an above average effort from the Gators to knock off Bryant's boys. If the Tide play like they usually do, they should be just fine.

The Call: Alabama wins, but Florida covers the spread

The Result: Alabama 31-6
Yeah, that knife is gonna cut both ways - are the Tide as good (if not better) than advertised? Yup. Are the Gators a tad overrated this year (and glad they're in the SEC East?) Yup.
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Penn State @ Iowa (-7.5)

I still like the Hawkeyes. Have I mentioned that?

The Call: Penn State by 3

The Result: Iowa 24-3
The gut is a funny thing, you know?
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Better today, but not much - 9-3 straight up, 5-7 against the spread...