RSSBot
News Junkie
There was a lot of confusion over this last week, (specifically from Iowa State/Texas Tech and K-State fans) so let me be clear: These are not my picks. My picks for this week were posted on Thursday morning. Here's who picked who around the Big 12:
From ACC blogger Heather Dinich:
Florida State 31, Oklahoma 21: Florida State’s offensive line will be the difference in this game, as it will pave the way for the running game and the play-action passes. The Seminoles will snap the Sooners’ nation-leading 31-game home winning streak. Christian Ponder will come out of this game with some Heisman hype and the defense will have shaken the ghosts of last year.
Georgia Tech 38, Kansas 21: The Jayhawks were likely embarrassed by their loss to an FCS opponent during the opening week, so it’s unlikely they’re going to roll over, but they won’t be able to stop this offense. After scoring just three points against North Dakota State, Kansas will continue to struggle against Al Groh’s defense.
From Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller:
California 30, Colorado 21: Colorado looks like a much improved team from 2009, but the Bears should be able to prevail at home. Wonder how Act II of Cal wide receiver Keenan Allen's freshman year will go?
From Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg:
Iowa 24, Iowa State 13: Last year's final score (35-3) was a bit misleading because Iowa State threw five interceptions and Iowa cruised despite admittedly not playing well up front on defense. Star defensive end Adrian Clayborn answers the bell Saturday with 2.5 sacks, and Iowa pulls away a bit in the third quarter behind running backs Jewel Hampton and Adam Robinson. Both teams play conservatively on offense and keep the score down.
From ESPN insider Bruce Feldman:
Nebraska 28, Idaho 10: After a fantastic debut, Huskers QB Taylor Martinez should keep Nebraska fans excited with another big effort against a team that just doesn't have enough speed to contain him. Also, look for Bo Pelini to have his defense ready to make a statement after a sloppy effort in the opener against Western Kentucky, where the Huskers allowed almost 200 yards rushing.
Oklahoma 31, Florida State 27: Fun matchup in Norman, where the Sooners have won 31 straight, the longest home winning streak in the nation. OU's defense was surprisingly shaky last week, allowing 341 passing yards to Utah State. I suspect Bob Stoops has worked hard to get some of that stuff straightened out with Christian Ponder coming to town. Ponder still should do some damage, but expect FSU to have its hands full with OU's Ryan Broyles and DeMarco Murray.
Iowa 30, Iowa State 13: The opportunistic Iowa D, which forced ISU QB Austen Arnaud into four INTs in 2009, is going to be a big problem for the Cyclones. ISU has gone 14 quarters without a touchdown against the Hawkeyes and was pretty sloppy in its opener against NIU, turning it over three times.*
Texas 48, Wyoming 14: Wyoming had problems running the ball against an FCS opponent, gaining just 36 yards on 25 carries. That puts too much pressure on talented QB Austyn Carta-Samuels, considering he now faces a very talented UT defense.
From columnist Pat Forde:
Oklahoma 37, Florida State 31: Can the Seminoles handle Sooners running back DeMarco Murray (16)? He ran for 218 yards last week, and Florida State's run defense was horrid last year against ranked opponents. It surrendered 6 yards per carry against West Virginia, 8 against Florida, 7 against Georgia Tech and 5.7 against BYU.
California 28, Colorado 19: The two teams gave up a combined six points in winning their openers. A Buffaloes victory here would dramatically improve Dan Hawkins' chances of survival. A Bears victory would position them for a 3-0 start heading into a big Pac-10 opener at Arizona -- if they can beat Nevada next week. Nevada, as you know, plays in that inexcusable abomination of a football league known as the Western Athletic Conference. (Same as Boise State. Get on the bus.)
More...