Six Pick: Week Seven

Welcome back, it's week 7 and we are half way through the regular season! I don't know about you, but I am re-energized after last week's thrilling Hokies' win. If only the college football schedule makers shared the enthusiasm and left us a good slate of games this week, all would be perfect. Other than laziness and watching our Hokies play there is nothing keeping me from honey-do lists or fall festivals. In the good old days i.e. before kids, I'd probably hop in the car and visit Wake Forest to see the VT win another. So those of you with nothing tethering you at home ... make the road trip to Winston-Salem and be sure to hit Foothills Brewing for good beer and grub.

Gameday will be in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday and that means lots of Phil Knight face time from the World Wide Leader. As you know he is a boss among booster bosses. Most major colleges have a couple of big giving donors that get a lot done for the football program.. Some like T. Boone Pickens and Kevin Plank are well known, but even they bend the knee to Phil Knight. Phil Knight's game is so big that not only can he bank roll the University Oregon into an athletics power, but he has reshaped the image of other schools through the Nike brand. Look no further than the Nike Pro Combat line of uniforms and the buzz they create. However, it's the Ducks that get most of his love and money. From the first pick of uniforms to the remodel of Autzen Stadium, to the always upgrading Oregon athletic facilities , he's reshaped this crunchy, happy to be here athletic program into one that can rival most anyone nationally. With $12.7B just falling out of his pockets as he walks, he'll be there again when needed. Daniel Snyder doesn't have as much power over the Redskins as Knight has over Oregon athletics!

Saturday, October 15th

20 Baylor at 21 Texas A&M -9.5 noon FX

Ahh, yes round 3 of the traitor's gauntlet. So far, Okie State has given aTm a parting loss to take the SEC and Texas Tech damn near tried to do the same. This week it's Baylor's turn. The Big 12 is the 2nd best conference behind the SEC right now and it's not really debatable. So not only does A&M have to deal with quality opposition on their way out, they also have to do it with a bullseye on their back. I may have underestimated that aspect of the season as well as their last place pass defense. That's not a good sign with Robert Griffin III and his 80% completion percentage and 19 touchdowns coming to College Station. With a matchup like that Ken Starr won't even have to sue for the Bears to get a win and RG3 to continue his march toward the Heisman.

On My Radar: aTm sure knows how to get up by a nice margin, just cruise a long then snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This makes me wonder, is that a character flaw or are they now battle tested and prepared for Baylor, who even with the outstanding RG3 are lessor than Okie State and Arkansas. This game is about the Aggie mental state and their pass defense.

Pick: Baylor getting the points and RG3 putting up more video game numbers.

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11 Michigan at 23 Michigan State -1.5 noon ESPN / espn3

There are two things I admire about the B1G Ten, their kick ass, money printing television network and their rivalry trophies. While owning the Commonwealth Cup is certainly nice, the trophy itself pales to what the Wolverines get to play for. Last week Michigan retained the Little Brown Jug from Minnesota for the 19th time out of 20 tries. This week is their instate hate week game vs Michigan State. The winner gets the Paul Bunyan Trophy. Three years of DickRod kept the trophy in East Lansing. Returning Paul to Ann Arbor is must for Wolverines' head coach Brady Hoke. There are only 2 things Hoke wants more than this trophy back, a victory over Ohio State and a triple order of the Smokehouse Breakfast from Cracker Barrell ... each morning.

On My Radar: State Pride. Who is the alpha dog? Historically of course it is the Wolverines, but the last 3 years that honor has belonged to the Spartans. Mark Dantonio is completely aware that this would be a nice win after the regime change in at Michigan. His team and fans at home should be as frenzied as one can get for a nooner. Both teams are gonna get after it and both have exploitable flaws. I see points on points on points on points this game. Enjoy.

Pick: Michigan. I believe in Fat guy meat sweats, quarterbacks who run 4.2 40's and some years just being magical.

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6 Oklahoma State -7.5 at 22 Texas 3:30 pm ABC or ESPN / espn3

"Texas is still Texas." A phrase used repeatedly last year by the @SolidVerbal's Ty Hildenbrandt until the Horns' wheels came completely off. Since then, the phrase has been used more as joke than as a term of respect. Let's see, in the last two seasons, TCU, Baylor and aTm have passed them instate, even if temporarily. Going out of state, but still in conference OU and Okie State also have proven to be superior. Affable Mack Brown better start winning or the spoiled Burnt Orange nation will start to get very anxious. TV network or not, they expect to win and how dare anyone but OU challenge their regional supremacy. If I was a student at Texas, and the Longhorns end up losing to Oklahoma State, I would stage and organize a sit in. I am thinking #occupy6thstreet very well could be in order by 7pm on Saturday. If you can't win, might as well tie one on!

On My Radar: Youth at quarterback for Texas versus mature senior leadership at the position for Okie State. Screw everything else, it's about that.

Pick: Okie State, I feel very strongly about this, their shitty D be damned.

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19 Virginia Tech -7 at Wake Forest 6:30 pm espn3

It's Wake Forest weekm and you know what that inspires ... not a damn thing. Hating on Wake would be a 100% fabrication on my part. Sure they play in a rip off, mini Lane Stadium and their coach is a Hoo grad, but that might be it. At least with Duke, we can transfer over the hate for Coach K and his basketball team to their football squad, but Deac's Basketball is putrid. We all know that Wake is well coached each season, but now they have some seasoned talent to make things interesting for teams. If not for their quarterback Tanner Price getting injured in the 3rd quarter versus Syracuse, they would be undefeated. This should excite me, but all I see is gold and black tie-dyed meh in a stadium relying on VT fans to sell it out for their homecoming. I'd say Jim Grobe deserves better, but I make it a policy not to feel sorry for millionaires, so if he hates it too, Grobe can take a better job. Good news for Beamer, Wake Forest's win over FSU should allow him to get his team's attention and not be some humorless bore like me. There is no reason to be blah about the Demon Deacons. If they take Wake lightly, VT's undefeated streak in road ACC games in the state of North Carolina will get snapped.

On My Radar: The Hokie defensive front. Wake is an extremely balanced team that runs their offense from the shotgun. They won't mash the Hokies like Miami, but they will precision block and use a lot of misdirection for running back Josh Harris to find cut back lanes. It's imperative to get penetration and stops early for the defense and for the offense to eat clock. The Hokies defense can easily be worn down late in this game, if these things don't happen.

Pick: Wake to keep it close ... and lose.

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8 Clemson -8.5 at Maryland 7:00 pm ESPNU

Filler alert, filler alert. OK, some game has to be number six. Why not an ACC game that has the classic Clemson let down/trap game look and feel to it? Even if Clemson wins as expected we get to see the Randy Edsall Derp face and Dabo Swinney going Ric Flair again. You don't love college football if you don't secretly pine for both.

On My Radar: Quarterback. How healthy is Tajh Boyd and swag hip? Who is the Edsall Era quarterback, once wonder boy Danny O'Brien or new kid on the block C.J. Brown? O'Brien is probably the better QB, but Brown may be the better Crowton wOe fit. I don't think this controversy will go away quickly or quietly. Boyd on the other hand needs to take a street cred hit and armor up, this is big boy football, not intramurals.

Pick: Clemson ... I think. Crap, I am not feeling confident in this pick, even though I should. Old memories are hard to forget.

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18 Arizona State at 9 Oregon -15.5 10:15 pm ESPN

More of Oregon superfan Chrissy can be read and seen here.

Oregon is known for a few things, great beer, amazing scenery, good football and top notch wiminz. While I would love to ramble on about any of these, this week I will stay on the topic at hand, football. ESPN's Gameday will be there and that means they'll be broadcasting before sunrise. Makes me wonder what the typical Oregon Duck student does during that long day. I submit a timeline of what your activities would be if you went to school in Eugene. All time based on PST.

• 5:00am - Still drinking from Friday night, you have the realization Erin Andrews goes live in 1 hour.
• 5:45am - Shotgun two Red Bulls and grab the shoddy beer stained sign shitting on Oregon State and head out the door.
• 6:00am - Yell every time Oregon is mentioned for 3 hours. Boo whenever another Pac-12 or SEC team is mentioned. Completely lose your damn mind when Corso dons the Duck head.
• 9:05am - You are part of the walking dead, but you call or text all your friends to see if they saw you, then you smoke a bowl.
• 9:30am - Wolf down a western omelet.
• 9:50am - Pass out.
• 3:00pm -The roommate wakes you up, hands you another bowl, then you pound bud lights and scam tailgate food from old sucker alumni for 3 and half hours.
• 6:30pm - Start to make your way to Autzen, relieving yourself every 15 minutes.
• 7:15pm - You go nuts for some duck on a Harley and then you scream your lungs out for another 3 hours.
• 10:30pm -Down another red bull and then go victory drink to 5am or jail, whichever comes first.

Man, I miss college.

On My Radar: With LaMichael James out, Oregon will have to turn to one of their other 30 fast-as-balls running backs. Sure they won't be LMJ, but they'll be pretty good. The question is their defense, which I think is susceptible versus a good ASU offense. Over 2 TD's is a lot of points, but the quality of the overall quality of the programs, the style of play and a frenzied home game makes this an interesting game to pick.

Pick: ASU getting points as the Ducks only win by 2 touchdowns.

Beer of the Week:

This week's beer of choice while I watch the Hokies play on my 17" laptop screen is Raleigh, North Carolina's own Lonerider Peacemaker Pale Ale. I was left 2 in my cooler, courtesy of @hokiewolf after last week's VT-Miami game. What better way to celebrate good, free beer than to drink it as the Hokies play. Cheers.

Quick Recap:
Remember these pics are against the spread.

Baylor at aTm -9.5
Michigan at Michigan State -1.5
Okie State -7.5 at Texas
VT -7 at Wake Forest
Clemson -8.5 at Maryland
Az State at Oregon -15.5