2014 Week 7 CFB Game Picks
I’ve been picking CFB games for a few years now, but never have I felt better about going .500 than I did last week. It was a crazy week, with insane upsets and close games from coast-to-coast, and it was exactly what makes college football so great. This week will be fun too, as the SEC West continues its eliminator tournament, and we all get to see if the top half of the PAC-12 will continue to hurt itself.
| Last Week: | 5-5 | (.500) |
| Season: | 39- 21 | (.650) |
Texas vs. Oklahoma (Saturday, October 11th, 12:00 p.m., ABC)
The Red River Rivalry game should be very interesting this season. Both teams come in licking their wounds a bit after getting knocked off in Week 6. Rivalry games are always unpredictable, but the Sooners have far more to play for.
Pick: Oklahoma 31, Texas 21
Georgia @ Missouri (Saturday, October 11th, 12:00 p.m., CBS)
This is a bit of a surprise in Week 7. We expected UGA to be good, but we didn’t know what to expect of Mizzou. The Tigers are in the thick of the SEC East race, but Georgia has the better team, and a potential Heisman winner in Todd Gurley. That should be enough for them to go into Columbia and get the win.
UPDATE (10-9-14; 6:50 p.m. CST): Todd, Todd, Todd… What have you done, young man? Gurley will not play against Missouri. His presence on the field will be missed, but how will his absence affect his team’s psyche? I’m guessing it won’t be good, despite good depth and talent at RB. I’m switching my pick.
Pick: Georgia 35, Missouri 30 Missouri 31, Georgia 17
Duke @ Georgia Tech (Saturday, October 11th, 12:30 p.m., ESPN3)
Another surprise on the national stage is Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets, sitting at 5-0. GT played great against Miami last week at home, and has momentum going into another big division game this week. Feels like another Tech win this weekend, right? No. Gimme Duke on the road.
Pick: Duke 38, Georgia Tech 28
TCU @ Baylor (Saturday, October 11th, 3:30 p.m., ABC)
TCU enjoyed a breakthrough win at home last week, knocking off Oklahoma. The Frogs have positioned themselves to contend for the Big-12 title. To do so, they’ll have to beat a couple of good teams on the road. They have the talent, the QB and the defense, but I’m betting that Art Briles will have a plan to help Bryce Petty have a better game than Travis Knight did last week. I like the Bears at home.
Pick: Baylor 42, TCU 28
Auburn @ Mississippi State (Saturday, October 11th, 3:30 p.m. CBS)
The game of the week takes place in Starkville this Saturday, as Mississippi remains at the center of the college football universe for another week. Confession: I’ve had Auburn ranked #1 in the country for each of the past three weeks in the LWOS CFB poll. I still believe that the Tigers are the best team in the nation. I’m riding with Nick Marshall and Auburn again this week, on the road against a very confident Bulldog team.
Pick: Auburn 28, Mississippi State 17
Oregon @ UCLA (Saturday, October 11th, 3:30 p.m., FOX)
Tough (and unexpected) losses at home for the two PAC-12 favorites last weekend. Did each get caught looking ahead to this game? This seems like a strong possibility. Oregon has had more time to recover from its upset loss, and it has a (slightly) better team, featuring a (slightly) better QB. I like the Ducks to pull away late at the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Oregon 45, UCLA 28
Alabama @ Arkansas (Saturday, October 11th, 6:00 p.m., ESPN)
Arkansas is a tough team, and it deserves a better record than it has to show for its efforts this season. It is unfair that this team plays in the toughest division in CFB in this year (and perhaps in any year). Good thing Nick Saban’s Tide won’t come to Fayetteville angry or anything. Oh wait…
Pick: Alabama 38, Arkansas 14
Mississippi @ Texas A&M (Saturday, October 11th, 9:00 p.m. ESPN)
I am very happy for the Rebels for getting that huge win at home last week against Alabama. Their reward is a trip to Kyle Field to take on another deeply disappointed SEC West opponent. On a neutral field during another week, I would be very tempted to take Ole Miss in this game. Under these circumstances, however, I like Kenny Hill and the Aggies at home.
Pick: Texas A&M 31, Mississippi 24
USC @ Arizona (Saturday, October 11th, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2)
This game will come down to which USC team shows up in Tucson, and which Arizona team takes the field to meet it. If the Wildcats play like they did last week in Eugene, this game probably won’t be close. SC’s OLine is better than Oregon’s, though, and I think that will be the difference. I’m not terribly confident in either team, but I think USC’s superior starter talent will win out over Arizona’s momentum and home field advantage.
Pick: USC 28, Arizona 26
Louisville @ Clemson (Saturday, October 11th, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU)
Louisville has been hard to figure this season. One thing has been clear, though; the Cardinals are a much better team at home. Clemson seems to have found its QB in freshman Deshaun Watson, and seems to have found its rhythm as a team. Clemson will roll at home.
Pick: Clemson 42, Louisville 24
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