Here’s the Campus Press pick ’em of the week:
Stirling Wade – Sports Editor – Overall: 42-38, Last Week: 4-4
(16) Hawaii 28, Nevada 35 – Hawaii has had to go to overtime to beat two bad WAC opponents. Nevada is pretty good, and Hawaii is due for a loss.
(7) Ohio State 24, (21) Michigan 21 – The Buckeyes will bounce back in big part because of their defense. Michigan had a nice run in the soft portion of its schedule, but right now Ohio State is the more solid team and program.
(23) Kentucky 18, (9) Georgia 30 – The Bulldogs are flying right now. Mark Richt’s decision to be looser with his team is paying big dividends.
(6) West Virginia 35, (22) Cincinnati 20 – The Mountaineers are going to do their best to give the pollsters a headache down the stretch.
(17) Boston College 24, (15) Clemson 28 – Is any quarterback in the country having a better season and being talked about less than Clemson junior Cullen Harper? He has a 66.5 completion percentage, 2,432 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Penn State 14, Michigan State 17 – Penn State senior quarterback Anthony Morelli has been horrible on the road in his career.
Louisville 19, South Florida 26 – These are two teams that have disappointed in their own ways. This is a toss-up, but I’ll take the Bulls at home.
Duke 10, Notre Dame 9 – I need this pick. It could happen, couldn’t it?
Margot Schneider – Sports Writer – Overall: 46-34, Last Week: 3-5
(16) Hawaii 31, Nevada 24 – With Colt Brennan back, Hawaii players and fans can breathe easy. Could they have looked more depressed after the win over Fresno State last week? And now they get their chance to prove their ranking by going undefeated with wins over Nevada, No. 18 Boise State and Washington.
(7) Ohio State 27, (21) Michigan 21 – My favorite part of Thanksgiving break. Without Chad Henne and Mike Hart fully healthy and ready to play, the Wolverines don’t have a shot.
(23) Kentucky 27, (9) Georgia 34 – The Bulldogs are on a roll. I’m not making the mistake of picking them to lose.
(6) West Virginia 27, (22) Cincinnati 21 – I’m excited about not having to think about Big East football anymore. It really brings down my week.
(17) Boston College 14, (15) Clemson 17 – Two weeks ago, the Eagles were national champions. Now, Clemson gets a shot at revenge for the past two years and an automatic BCS bowl berth. I say C.J. Spiller and James Davis find the holes in BC’s defense and go to the ACC title game.
Penn State 24, Michigan State 17 – Just give up now Dan Conner, CU’s Jordon Dizon is getting the Butkus Award.
Louisville 24, South Florida 34 – South Florida: National Champions? These things have a way of working themselves out. The Bulls never had a shot.
Duke 10, Notre Dame 17 – As a Carolina fan, my favorite thing about football season is watching the complete and total embarrassment of Duke. And if you caught the game against New Mexico State Monday, their basketball team is not looking too good either.
Derek Schimmel – Sports Writer – Overall: 42-38, Last Week: 4-4
(16) Hawaii 42, Nevada 35 – Hawaii wants to shake up the BCS by going undefeated. Nevada will provide a test, but the Rainbow Warriors will prevail.
(7) Ohio State 49, (21) Michigan 13 – Ohio State is too talented to lose two in a row. And while Michigan bounced back from a rocky start, the Buckeyes are too good. This will be one of the most lopsided victories in this series.
(23) Kentucky 15, (9) Georgia 28 – The Dawgs may be the hottest team in the nation. If LSU slips up somewhere, Georgia may be discussed in the National Championship talks.
(6) West Virginia 35, (22) Cincinnati 14 – It’s only fair West Virginia wins and the BCS has an even harder time with its rankings.
(17) Boston College 20, (15) Clemson 17 – This will be a good one. BC has the talent, but Clemson has been riding high as of late. I’ll take BC on a last second field goal.
Penn State 14, Michigan State 21 – Michigan State will win simply because of home field advantage.
Louisville 35, South Florida 27 – While the Cardinals have been a disappointment, Brian Brohm is quietly putting up a solid year. Look for him to pick apart a quality USF defense.
Duke 1, Notre Dame 0 – An impossible score, I know. But if there are any two teams that can pull it off in the history of college football, it’s these two.
Amanda Walck – Sports Writer – Overall: 35-44, Last Week: 3-5
(16) Hawaii 35, Nevada 28 – Looks to me like the Rainbow Warriors will remain undefeated for another week.
(7) Ohio State 27, (21) Michigan 21 – The Buckeyes are just a better team, especially when the Wolverines are playing without Henne and Hart.
(23) Kentucky 28, (9) Georgia 34 – I really do think the Bulldogs could take the SEC this year. They need to win this one though to keep their momentum going.
(6) West Virginia 31, (22) Cincinnati 21 – West Virginia will use their running game to put this one in the bag.
(17) Boston College 21, (15) Clemson 24 – Oh, how the Eagles have fallen. Clemson has the advantage in this one.
Penn State 28, Michigan State 24 – The Spartans will suffer another loss on the road.
Louisville 31, South Florida 35 – Although the Bulls’ 15 minutes of fame are over this year, they will still take this one at home.
Duke 3, Notre Dame 10 – Margot and I share an undying love for North Carolina, which is why I will never choose Duke to win anything, ever. Considering both teams are 1-9, I think that’s enough for me to make my decision.
