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College Picks: Several teams have chances to make statements on Saturday
By Ralph D. Russo, AP College Football Writer
Thursday, September 04, 2008 | No comments posted.
The Saturday before college football’s first big Saturday is filled with potential pitfalls for teams in the Top 25, and for a few intriguing teams outside the rankings to make a statement.
Teams such as Miami. Yep, the Hurricanes are now on the outside looking in at college football’s elite and if they want to get back in, beating No. 5 Florida in Gainesville would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. Staying close to the Gators would be promising for the ’Canes.
Cincinnati could win some respect back for the Big East, which had a rough opening weekend with Rutgers, Louisville and Pittsburgh losing, with a good showing at No. 4 Oklahoma.
After opening with a loss at Stanford, Oregon State heads to No. 19 Penn State trying to avoid an 0-2 start.
New Mississippi coach Houston Nutt can score his first attention-grabbing victory with the Rebels at No. 20 Wake Forest.
And in maybe the most interesting game, East Carolina goes for consecutive victories over ranked teams at home against No. 8 West Virginia.
The picks:
Today
No. 24 South Carolina at Vanderbilt
Second game, second starting QB for Gamecocks ... SOUTH CAROLINA 21-13.
Saturday
Central Michigan (plus 231⁄2)
at No. 2 Georgia
Chippewas QB Dan LeFevour is Tebow of the MAC ... GEORGIA 50-21.
Ohio (plus 34) at No. 3 Ohio State
No Beanie required for Buckeyes ... OHIO STATE 47-7.
Cincinnati (plus 211⁄2) at No. 4 Oklahoma
Sooners won’t be up 50-0 like last week vs. Chattanooga ... OKLAHOMA 42-17.
Miami (plus 211⁄2) at No. 5 Florida
Gators expect injured WR Percy Harvin to play — might not need him ... FLORIDA 45-20.
SE Missouri (no line)
at No. 6 Missouri
Tigers WR Jeremy Maclin should get time to rest aching ankle ... MISSOURI 55-10.
No. 8 West Virginia (minus 8)
at East Carolina
Mountaineers have won seven straight against Pirates ... WEST VIRGINIA 35-21.
Southern Mississippi (plus 171⁄2)
at No. 9 Auburn
Tigers hope to have kinks out of new spread offense ... AUBURN 28-14.
No. 10 Texas (minus 26) at UTEP
Last meeting was 1933 ... TEXAS 49-14.
No. 11 Wisconsin (minus 201⁄2)
vs. Marshall
Badgers RB P.J. Hill goes for second straight 200-yard game ... WISCONSIN 38-14.
No. 12 Texas Tech (minus 101⁄2)
at Nevada
The Wolf Pack can put up some points, too ... TEXAS TECH 48-30.
Tulane (plus 30) at No. 13 Alabama
Green Wave evacuated to Birmingham to avoid Gustav ... ALABAMA 40-3.
Louisiana Tech (plus 201⁄2)
at No. 14 Kansas
Bulldogs coming off first win over BCS-conference opponent in five years ... KANSAS 45-14.
Stanford (plus 14) at
No. 15 Arizona State
RB Toby Gerhart gives Cardinal offense punch ... ARIZONA STATE 31-21.
No. 15 BYU (plus 91⁄2) at Washington
Huskies couldn’t stop Oregon’s second- or third-string QB ... BYU 35-28.
No. 17 South Florida (minus 14) at UCF
Knights moved into Conference USA when Bulls moved to Big East ... USF 24-7.
Utah State at No. 18 Oregon
Ducks expect QB Justin Roper (concussion) to be ready ... OREGON 55-10.
Oregon State (plus 161⁄2)
at No. 19 Penn State
Beavers trying to avoid first 0-2 start since 2004 ... PENN STATE 27-20.
Mississippi (plus 8)
at No. 20 Wake Forest
ACC’s image can’t afford another loss to SEC ... MISSISSIPPI 27-24.
UNLV (plus 211⁄2) at No. 22 Utah
Utes back in AP rankings for first time since Urban Meyer left ... UTAH 38-13.
Eastern Illinois (no line)
at No. 24 Illinois
Illini QB Juice Williams coming off career passing day ... ILLINOIS 48-10.
Teams such as Miami. Yep, the Hurricanes are now on the outside looking in at college football’s elite and if they want to get back in, beating No. 5 Florida in Gainesville would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal. Staying close to the Gators would be promising for the ’Canes.
Cincinnati could win some respect back for the Big East, which had a rough opening weekend with Rutgers, Louisville and Pittsburgh losing, with a good showing at No. 4 Oklahoma.
After opening with a loss at Stanford, Oregon State heads to No. 19 Penn State trying to avoid an 0-2 start.
New Mississippi coach Houston Nutt can score his first attention-grabbing victory with the Rebels at No. 20 Wake Forest.
And in maybe the most interesting game, East Carolina goes for consecutive victories over ranked teams at home against No. 8 West Virginia.
The picks:
Today
No. 24 South Carolina at Vanderbilt
Second game, second starting QB for Gamecocks ... SOUTH CAROLINA 21-13.
Saturday
Central Michigan (plus 231⁄2)
at No. 2 Georgia
Chippewas QB Dan LeFevour is Tebow of the MAC ... GEORGIA 50-21.
Ohio (plus 34) at No. 3 Ohio State
No Beanie required for Buckeyes ... OHIO STATE 47-7.
Cincinnati (plus 211⁄2) at No. 4 Oklahoma
Sooners won’t be up 50-0 like last week vs. Chattanooga ... OKLAHOMA 42-17.
Miami (plus 211⁄2) at No. 5 Florida
Gators expect injured WR Percy Harvin to play — might not need him ... FLORIDA 45-20.
SE Missouri (no line)
at No. 6 Missouri
Tigers WR Jeremy Maclin should get time to rest aching ankle ... MISSOURI 55-10.
No. 8 West Virginia (minus 8)
at East Carolina
Mountaineers have won seven straight against Pirates ... WEST VIRGINIA 35-21.
Southern Mississippi (plus 171⁄2)
at No. 9 Auburn
Tigers hope to have kinks out of new spread offense ... AUBURN 28-14.
No. 10 Texas (minus 26) at UTEP
Last meeting was 1933 ... TEXAS 49-14.
No. 11 Wisconsin (minus 201⁄2)
vs. Marshall
Badgers RB P.J. Hill goes for second straight 200-yard game ... WISCONSIN 38-14.
No. 12 Texas Tech (minus 101⁄2)
at Nevada
The Wolf Pack can put up some points, too ... TEXAS TECH 48-30.
Tulane (plus 30) at No. 13 Alabama
Green Wave evacuated to Birmingham to avoid Gustav ... ALABAMA 40-3.
Louisiana Tech (plus 201⁄2)
at No. 14 Kansas
Bulldogs coming off first win over BCS-conference opponent in five years ... KANSAS 45-14.
Stanford (plus 14) at
No. 15 Arizona State
RB Toby Gerhart gives Cardinal offense punch ... ARIZONA STATE 31-21.
No. 15 BYU (plus 91⁄2) at Washington
Huskies couldn’t stop Oregon’s second- or third-string QB ... BYU 35-28.
No. 17 South Florida (minus 14) at UCF
Knights moved into Conference USA when Bulls moved to Big East ... USF 24-7.
Utah State at No. 18 Oregon
Ducks expect QB Justin Roper (concussion) to be ready ... OREGON 55-10.
Oregon State (plus 161⁄2)
at No. 19 Penn State
Beavers trying to avoid first 0-2 start since 2004 ... PENN STATE 27-20.
Mississippi (plus 8)
at No. 20 Wake Forest
ACC’s image can’t afford another loss to SEC ... MISSISSIPPI 27-24.
UNLV (plus 211⁄2) at No. 22 Utah
Utes back in AP rankings for first time since Urban Meyer left ... UTAH 38-13.
Eastern Illinois (no line)
at No. 24 Illinois
Illini QB Juice Williams coming off career passing day ... ILLINOIS 48-10.
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