Your Week Nine College Football Scores

Read my week nine picks here.

6 am - Wishing I was at the Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear instead of praying Indiana doesn’t make me wish I was dead.

7:45 am - My son’s baby genius videos aren’t giving me the urge to kill anymore. Have I gotten used to them?

7:55 am - Just saw Marcus Thigpen return a missed field goal 112 yards for a touchdown in the CFL. Hopefully it’s not the only highlight by an Indiana player all day today.

1:40 pm - I DVR’d the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear for a 10-10 shootout in the IU game and a 7-7 orgy of points in Kansas State/Oklahoma State? Awesome.

Record after week eight: 88-38 (63-60-3 ATS)

12 pm ET

Northwestern (5-2) at Indiana (4-3) (+3)

Pick: Indiana

Final: Northwestern 20 Indiana 17

I’m really trying hard to not say the words “season’s over.” Really, really trying. What a disaster.

This game means we’re going to have to beat Purdue and one of these three teams: Iowa, Penn State, or Wisconsin. Still trying really hard not to say “season’s over.” I’m even taking a bit a way from football as I write this, replacing it with Dog the Bounty Hunter. Yeah, I know.

Go read Phillips’ live blog and recap of the game over at SB Nation Indiana. Fucking fuck fuckity fuck. Can’t believe we lost this one and the Illinois game. Pathetic.

Record: 88-39 (63-61-3 ATS)

(20) Oklahoma State (6-1) at Kansas State (5-2) (+5)

Pick: Oklahoma State

Final: OSU 24 KSU 14

I find myself rooting for Kansas State again, mostly because they’re such an underdog program that I identify with them as an Indiana fan. We need a Bill Snyder, of course, but it’s a thought. Otherwise, the Bedlam game is looking bigger and bigger as we get closer.

Record: 89-39 (64-61-3 ATS)

Syracuse (5-2) at Cincinnati (3-4) (NL)

Pick: Cincinnati

Final: Syracuse 31 Cincy 7

I’m not used to Syracuse not sucking. I don’t know how to handle predicting their performances when they could actually beat most teams in the Big East. Hell of a job by whoever their coach is.

Record: 89-40 (64-62-3 ATS)

3:30 pm ET

(7) Missouri (7-0) at (14) Nebraska (6-1) (-7.5)

Pick: Nebraska wins but doesn’t cover

Final: Nebraska 31 Mizzou 17

Yes, this qualifies as an “upset” because Missouri was indeed a top ten team and Nebraska wasn’t. If that’s all we expect from a potential upset, then I guess we got what we wanted. After all, I want things to set up nicely for Boise State more than most.

And yet Missouri was also a house of cards the entire time. There was no way they were going to navigate their schedule and remain undefeated with their defense. Their offense, while great and productive, was always able to be stopped even when they ran in perfectly. Plus, they were on the road in probably the toughest environment in their conference.

Worse, they had to fight off the “just happy to be here’s” because, though they might say it, there’s no way that team expected to be in the top ten a little more than halfway through the season. There’s no way.

So we get the chaos I want. And one day we might finally reach the tipping point that ends the BCS once and for all and gives us a college football playoff that we can enjoy forever. A true national champion even in the richest of college sports.

Thank you, Missouri Tigers. You have served your purpose. BOISE REVOLUTION!

Record: 90-40 (64-63-3 ATS)

(15) Arizona (6-1) at UC,LA (3-4) (-9)

Pick: Arizona wins but doesn’t cover

Final: Arizona 29 UC,LA 21

That’s a tough loss for the Bruins, even if they got down early and had to come back. Arizona is a very vulnerable ranked team, and a win there could definitely bolster a successful season. I’ll have to ask Booter, but I’m not sure what UC,LA fan thinks of this football team. There are a few things to like such as the running game and the defense at times. But the quarterback play is beyond awful and even a little bit cursed. Plus, it’s not like the offense is fantastic though it’s coached by two of the better minds of the last quarter century.

It’s just a weird year in the Pac-10 in general. Like every team is trying to get as many random wins and losses in as possible before the newbies come in next year and they have to play the same conference schedule pretty much every year. Utah and Colorado are in for a nasty surprise, by the way. This is probably the most even league in the entire country. No one is going to dominate this thing for a long time.

That is, as long as USC beats Oregon tonight.

Record: 91-40 (65-63-3 ATS)

(5) Michigan State (8-0) at (18) Iowa (5-2) (-6.5)

Pick: Michigan State

Final: Iowa 37 MSU 6

I didn’t expect this from Michigan State, but it sort of makes sense since they’d been playing surprisingly well, which means we had them underrated at the beginning, but they slowly became overrated. You know, except by the oddsmakers and everyone who knew Iowa is really great at home.

Record: 91-41 (65-64-3 ATS)

Florida (4-3) at Georgia (4-4) (-2.5)

Pick: Florida

Final: Florida 34 Georgia 31

Saw the overtime of this one, and we should be allowed to put two SEC West teams into the SEC title game in Atlanta. Ridiculous.

And as much as I enjoy Georgia losing for no real reason, there’s no way Mark Richt loses his job over it. This was a transition year anyway. Plus, as many have said already, it’s not like anyone else would do better there. Georgia isn’t going to suddenly start going undefeated because they hired Kirby Smart or Will Muschamp. And Muschamp, by the way, would be insane to leave Texas and the coach-in-waiting position. Texas is still the best job in college football from a recruiting, fan base, tradition, and talented team perspective. So keep wishing, Georgia. It’ll help you sleep at night.

Record: 92-41 (66-64-3 ATS)

6 pm ET

(3) Auburn (8-0) at Mississippi (3-4) (-7)

Pick: Auburn

Final: Auburn 51 Ole Miss 31

Auburn fan had better enjoy this while it lasts because Gus Malzahn is going to be a head coach somewhere next year. Sure, Cam Newton is the egg in the omlette, but Malzahn is the genius cook. Great coordinat…dear God PLEASE let him come to Indiana if we can’t get Bud Foster. It would be SO AWESOME. Whom do I have to kill to make this happen? Righteous murder is the dream calling of every sports blogger…Amen.

Record: 93-41 (67-64-3 ATS)

7 pm ET

(25) Baylor (6-2) at Texas (4-3) (-7.5)

Pick: Texas

Final: Baylor 30 Texas 22

Yep, definitely Mack Brown’s worst team. Their lack of a running game is pretty appalling considering how well they recruit and coach and how stocked their recruiting base is with good runners. It’s like they thought Colt McCoy would always be there. Garrett Gilbert was their leading rusher again and that’s pretty fucking sad if you’ve seen Gilbert run.

I’m betting there’s a year-after syndrome going for Texas this year, kind of like the Super Bowl loser always sucking the next year. They DID lose the winningest quarterback of all time in college football and have no other playmakers to rely on whatsoever. Growing pains are to be expected, I guess.

Record: 93-42 (67-65-3 ATS)

(13) Stanford (6-1) at Washington (3-4) (+7)

Pick: Stanford

Final: Stanford 41 Washington 0

Wow, Washington got punked at home yet again. Think their fans thought it would take this long to turn things around? Or that Jake Locker would suck this badly?

Record: 94-42 (68-65-3 ATS)

7:30 pm ET

(8) Utah (7-0) at Air Force (5-3) (-7)

Pick: Utah

Final: Utah 28 USAFA 23

I guess a close road win is a good thing for Utah, but you can hear the talking heads who are paid by the BCS harrumphing all the way in Indiana.

Record: 95-42 (68-66-3 ATS)

8 pm ET

(1) Oregon (7-0) at (24) Southern California (5-2) (+7)

Pick: USC

Final: Oregon 53 USC 32

All USC had to do was play mistake-free, and they could have won. But they didn’t so they got their asses kicked in the second half of a shootout. Seems like that’s all they play anymore, though it’s never that close.

I think the game we all want to see is Oregon/Auburn in the national championship, but don’t forget that Boise State is good enough on defense to own both of these teams, which is why I’m sure you’ll hear increased distaste for the Broncos from both fanbases. Boise is fast enough and disciplined enough to not make the same mistakes all the conference teams Oregon and Auburn face make on a weekly basis. You can bet your ass these two teams would rather play each other than Boise State.

Record: 95-43 (68-67-3 ATS)

Michigan (5-2) at Pennsylvania State (4-3) (+3)

Pick: Michigan

Final: Penn State 41 Michigan 31

At least there’s one defense in the Big Ten that sucks worse than Indiana’s defense. Congratulations, Michigan! 41 points to Penn State’s depressing offense is the cherry on the sundae to yet another disappointing season. I’m sure they’ll make a bowl, but keeping Rich Rodriguez is looking like a tougher and tougher thing to do. What a disaster these three years have been. They could have kept Lloyd Carr and sucked this badly without all the controversy.

Record: 95-44 (68-68-3 ATS)

9:15 pm ET

Colorado (3-4) at (11) Oklahoma (6-1) (-23.5)

Pick: Oklahoma

Final: OU 43 CU 10

Dan Hawkins is so fired. Wonder what sucker Colorado is going to hire to take them into the Pac-10.

Record after week nine: 96-44 (69-68-3 ATS)

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