College Game Day – Three Picks Week Seven

College Game Day – BiglakeSports Three Picks Week Seven of making picks.   I had a 2 – 1 week last week.  The one I got wrong I really got wrong.  I know Navy had played a bunch of posers so far this year.  Somehow I had it in my mind that Notre Dame was ripe for a fall and Navy would play their game of the season.  The result was a Notre Dame 52 Navy 20 beat down.  In the other two games.  I got the impact game right Oklahoma over Baylor.  Baylor had been living on borrowed time and being undefeated was just not in the cards for them.  They will more than likely get to play Oklahoma again in a few weeks and it is possible that things will be different.  The upset game Iowa State did take down Texas but the score was about half of what I thought it would be.  After the 2 – 1 record for last week that brings our record for the year to 14 -7.

This is the week where things could really change in the College Football Landscape.  There are some pretty interesting and impact games that will be played this weekend  Depending on what happens it more than likely force the playoff committee to make some difficult choices. Except for with SEC games.

 

Impact Game

Oregon at Arizona State

Arizona State has come a long way this year.  They started out great and then kind of fell off the rails.  In the last four games all losses they have lost to some pretty bad teams.  UCLA and Oregon State are not exactly setting the world on fire.  They games were close but sill resulted in losses for Arizona State.  On the other side Oregon started out the year with a loss to Auburn.  If you are going to lose they always say you need to lose early.  After the Opening loss to Auburn the Ducks have been on a roll winning nine in a row.  This game should be a run away win for the Ducks.  Oregon holds an edge in every meaningful team statistic.  Oregon should be able to put up a lot of points on Arizona State.  On the other side Arizona State may have some issues moving the ball against a surprisingly strong Oregon Defense.  If some how Arizona State manages to win this game it could affect who gets picked by the college football playoff committee.   The PAC 12 has been on shaky ground all year.  It will take a good PAC 12 championship game for them to have a shot at getting a team in the playoff.  That means they need Oregon and Utah to still only have one loss at that point.   Arizona State is in a huge nose dive.  I don’t see them pulling out of it.  Oregon is just too strong and will keep the PAC 12 hopes alive.

Oregon 42 Arizona State 24

Interesting Game

Temple At Cincinnati

This could have been in the impact slot if Temple had not stumbled a few times.  Temple has loses to Buffalo, UCF and SMU.  All three of those games were blow out losses.  Cincinnati has had a really good season so far.  Their only loss coming to in week two to Ohio State who is looking like to best team in the country.  Even though that game was a blow out it does not diminish the season that Cincinnati is having.  Ohio State blows out a lot of teams.  Temple other than those three games has also had a pretty nice season.  The American Conference has very quietly become a really strong conference.  At the beginning of the season I though that Temple would contend for the American Conference championship.  It has not worked out that way for them.   Both of these schools that were traditionally basketball schools have build pretty nice football programs.  Cincinnati has been a feeder school for coaches in the power five conferences.  With Luke Fickell I see that continuing.   He could move on as soon as next year.

If you just look as yardage statistics these teams are pretty even on offense and defense.  Then you look at the points scored and the points allowed.  Cincinnati has allowed almost 5 points per game less and scored almost 5 points per game more.   As interesting as I think this game is going to be.  Not just as a game but also for what it means for the American conference.  Cincinnati is going to come out on top.

Cincinnati 35 Temple 26

Upset Game

Texas at Baylor

Texas has had a difficult season.  Baylor has had an unexpectedly great season.  The Baylor undefeated run came to an end last week.  This week the pick for the upset game was a difficult choice.  I really don’t see a lot of opportunity for upsets to happen.  This game could be that game.  Baylor needs to show that they can come back after a loss.  Texas is in a tight spot.  They really should be much farther ahead then they are.   A Baylor win here could put them in the Big 12 championship game.  A Texas loss would set off the Texas fans in saying that there needs to be a change in the coach.

This will be a major gut check game for Baylor.  This is the game that could answer a lot of the questions about what kind of team Baylor is this year.  It will also give us some answers about the Big 12 and if they are going to get a team in the playoff this year.  The only two teams that have a shot it is this year from the Big 12 are Baylor and Oklahoma.  On paper this game should be a pretty easy win for Baylor.  I am not sure they have recovered from losing a 25 point lead last week to Oklahoma.

Texas 28 Baylor 24

The Biglakesports College Game Day picks are just for fun.  There is no implication that we are making any kind of recommendations off of these pick.