Picks, Previews, and Prognostications, Week Eleven

Hello everyone from New Orleans, Louisiana, where we are celebrating the 21st birthday of, well, me.

Twenty-one years ago, I was born about five minutes before Alabama-LSU in 1987. The Tide won that game in Baton Rouge, 22-10.

Of course, I would love for that to happen again this year, but we will see how I feel about that game later in this post after a review of last week and then other predictions for this week's games as selected by the CW Sports staff.

Last week, I managed to go 6-2 in the head to head competition with the CW Sports staff. The best any one of them could do was 5-3, and only one of them could muster that.

My seven times "Not so fast" on the Georgia Tech-FSU game plus my pick of Texas Tech over Texas helped to push me over the top.

So, what is there for this week? Well, I am already 1-0 after last night's grand comeback by Utah to beat TCU and remain unbeaten, but here are the other games.

Oklahoma State @ Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are looking to avoid a let down after a big victory over Texas last week. Oklahoma State is trying to remain in the Big XII South race with a win. Both teams still have a chance to make it to Kansas City to represent the South with a three-way tie, but Texas Tech can eliminate the Pokes all together with a win.

Texas Tech 45, Oklahoma State 41

California @ USC

As I pointed out earlier in the week, USC hasn't played anyone of meirt in their last four games, but the Golden Bears from Berkley are currently ranked in the Top 25. USC no doubt has a great offense as usual, but is their defense as good as advertised. The Bears will give the Trojans a run for their money, but USC is too strong in the Pac-1 to be challenged at home.

USC 35, Cal 14

Ohio State @ Northwestern

The Wildcats are looking at a bowl berth for the first time since 2005 and their fourth this decade, more than doubling their total bowl berths before the year 2000. Ohio State is still in the running for a Rose Bowl berth or even a Big Ten title if they can continue to win and get a Penn State loss. Northwestern may have home field advantage in this game, but that doesn't mean much when your stadium only holds 50,000 fans. A healthy Chris Wells will help the Buckeyes come out on top.

Ohio State 28, Northwestern 10

Georgia Tech @ North Carolina

Both Georgia Tech and North Carolina already have two losses in the ACC Coastal Division, just like three other teams, so a loss could be detrimental to any championship aspirations. Georgia Tech played a great game last week against Florida State and have won eight of the last nine against North Carolina. The Tar Heels can secure their first winning season since 2001 with a victory, and this should be the case on Saturday.

North Carolina 28, Georgia Tech 27

Cincinnati @ West Virginia

The Bearcats are currently tied for second in the Big East with Pittsburgh. Both teams are trailing the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Those three teams have yet to play each other until this weekend. WVU is starting to hit their stride after a big win over Auburn and are currently 5-0 at home this season. Make that 6-0 after Saturday.

West Virginia 38, Cincinnati 17

Arkansas @ South Carolina

Is their seriously nothing better this weekend to pick? Apparently not. I will make this one easy: Best defense in the SEC against the worst defense in the SEC. Sure, South Carolina may not have the greatest offense, but they are on enough of a roll right now that Michael Smith and company will not change that pattern as the Gamecocks celebrate Senior Day in Columbia.

South Carolina 24, Arkansas 10

Alabama @ LSU

The Crimson Tide are currently 60 minutes from clinching their first SEC West title since 1999. LSU fans have waited 675 days for Nick Saban to return to Baton Rouge as the coach of the Crimson Tide. Alabama is #1 in the country for the first time in almost three decades, and the question will be how they handle the pressure. The Tide will handle the pressure just fine because Nick Saban preaches one game at a time.

Alabama 24, LSU 14

So, we know what I think, but what previews and predictions are out there from other people around the country?

• Here is the Top 25 Overview from ESPN.com
• Christ Low, the SEC Blogger, has his things to watch for this weekend as well as his predictions for this week's games.
• Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com takes a look over the entire college football landscape for Week 11.
• Chris Fowler previews this weekend by looking at Florida's BCS Title chances, Barack Obama's change for college football, as well as a look at LSU-Bama (of course).
• Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com blabs on and on about every little thing in college football this weekend and guess what game he also comments on?
• CBS' video preview of the Bama-LSU game is right here.
• The CBS "experts" make their picks for this weekend here.
• Steward Mandel of SI.com, as normal, offers his thoughts on this week's games as well.

Finally, to head into the weekend at full force, there must be a story on John Parker Wilson. With Alabama's success this season, Wilson has been a favorite subject of many articles, and SI.com's Andy Staples now takes his turn on JPW.

Pete Carroll: The Adam Morrison of College Football

For the second time this week, USC (University of Southern California) head football coach Pete Carroll spoke out against the BCS, and he didn't have anything better to say the second time around.

"I think it stinks. I don't think it's the way it should be," he said Tuesday.

And that was just the beginning of his little therapy session with the media yesterday.

"What is the criteria of the process? Is it to pick the team that has the best season, that has the season that you like the most and feel best about voting for? Or is it the best team at the end of the year, the team that would win a playoff system if you did have it?"

Pete may be the cool factor of college football coaches, but apparently he doesn't know how to use the internet effectively.

Here is where I step in for him.

One quick type of "BCS formula" on google gave me this site as the first choice and it explains it.

Here is the short hand explanation of the BCS:

• The Harris Poll, made up of 114 voters of the media, makes up 1/3 of the formula.
• The ESPN/USAToday coaches poll, voted on by 60 coaches in the FBS (football bowl subdivision) makes up 1/3 of the formula.
• Six computerized polls (Peter Wolfe, Wes Colley, Sagarin, Seattle Times, Richard Billingsley, Kenneth Massey) rank the top 25 every week. The highest and lowest rankings for each team are thrown out, leaving four rankings. That average makes up 1/3 of the formula.

Upon further review, Pete just didn't take the time to look into the formula.

It's not about a feel good story or any of that crap, its for who the voters think is the best team, just like it has always been. No one outside of Los Angeles feels sorry for you and your team because you are not among the best right now.

Sure, you have shut out three of your last four opponents, but lets take a look at who these teams are:

• Arizona State: The Sun Devils currently sit at 2-6, having lost their last six games. USC beat them 28-0, while Oregon beat them 54-20 with their third string QB. Carroll tried to defend his conference by saying teams have been hit by the injury bug at QB, but it doesn't seem like that argument can hold much water. ASU's season may be looking up, because their next two games are against the other two teams on this list, followed by 3-5 UCLA and 5-3 Arizona. Possibility of a bowl: 15%.
• Washington State: The Cougars are currently 1-8 on the season, the only win coming against Portland State, a 3-5 team from the Big Sky conference in the FCS (football championship subdivision). The Trojans beat them 69-0, but a shutout of a 1-8 team is nothing, especially when they lose to Stanford 58-0. Washington State does not possess a win against an FBS team this season, and would be lucky to get one. Possibility of a bowl: BAHAHAHAHAHA!
• Washington:The Huskies make up the second half of the most inept state in college football this season, looking at a great chance at completing a defeated season. "U-Dub" is currently 0-8 this season and lost to USC 56-0. It is bad enough when you can't win a game, but it's even worse when your rival across the state, who is 1-8, can look at you and say, "Hey, at least we have won a game this season." Possibility of a bowl: About as likely as Ty Willingham getting another coaching gig.

It doesn't help USC's cause to have the fourth game of that stretch be a 17-10 squeaker against Arizona.

So Pete, you were wondering why your team dropped this week from five to seven in the BCS?

It's because your conference down right sucks on top of the fact that you lost to unranked Oregon State.

Look at the teams ahead of you, Pete. Oklahoma lost to #5 Texas. Texas lost to #7 Texas Tech. Alabama, Texas Tech, and Penn State are all undefeated.

Florida is the only other team ahead of you who lost to an unranked team in Ole Miss, but they have since beaten #8 Georgia like a drum and play in a stronger conference.

So, Pete, I hope this explains a lot of things to you so you don't come crying like Adam Morrison again because of your team's lack of consistency and ineptitude in Corvalis.

Like I said earlier, no one outside of Los Angeles feels sorry for you.