Nate - Once again, the college football regular season has gone by far too fast for my liking. For the regular season, my record rests at a respectable 41-29. It’s Championship and de facto championship weekend, so all of our picks are going to be either title games or games that are essentially title games.

Adam - A 4-1 record last week keeps me in winning form going into the Bowls. Things were looking shaky for my credibility after the first half of the season, but I’m back on track with some great games to play this week.

No. 5 Cincinnati at No. 15 Pittsburgh

Nate - Pitt lost a hard game last week against West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl and now has to face Cincy for what is, in effect, the Big East title game. You can bet that Pitt is going to be looking to lay the wood to the Bearcats after losing to their bitter rival.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, has escaped unscathed in each of their last three games, winning by a total of 12 points. The defense has been exposed as suspect, but the offense, now with more Pike, has been up to the task of simply out-scoring anything and anyone. Don’t think that the rampant rumors that head coach Brian Kelly is headed to South Bend after the season ends isn’t going to play a part here, especially since he hasn’t denied anything and refuses to even talk about the issue to his own players. That can’t be good for team unity.

As much as I like the Bearcats and Brian Kelly, I think Pittsburgh ends their streak right here.

Pitt wins, 38-35

Adam - Last week Pitt stopped a great offensive team in West Virginia but lost the game. This week, they face undefeated Cincinnati who are on their way to a BCS game. I see a similar game with just a few more points being scored.

Bearcats Win 27-24

No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama

Nate - Will we finally see the fall of the Tebow child in a big game or will he continue to build on his inexplicable Heisman hype? (seriously, he’s not having that good of a season at all) Mark Ingram is going to try and go for Alabama, but their struggles against an attacking Auburn defense don’t make me hopeful that they can pull out a game against Florida’s defensive juggernaut, Carlos Dunlap or no.

Florida wins, 28-17

Adam - I would love very much for Alabama to spoil the final season of Tim Tebow’s career, but I don’t see that happening. Bama’s defense is great, but they had a tough time with Auburn Last week. I don’t think Florida will score even as much as Auburn, but Tebow and the Florida defense will find a way to win.

Gators Win 20-17

No. 3 Texas vs. No. 22 Nebraska

Nate - The Boy Wonder Colt McCoy vs. Big Suh. That’s essentially what this game grinds down to. The Huskers offense leaves so much to be desired, it’s not even funny. Why they haven’t lined up Suh at TE at least once or twice this year is beyond me. The intimidation factor alone would be worth it.

Texas’ defense was exposed last week against A&M, but I don’t think that Muschamp is going to let that happen again, especially against an offense that is anything but explosive. If Nebraska has any hope of fucking up the BCS, it’s in shutting down Colt McCoy for 60 minutes, like they did with Oklahoma. But McCoy hasn’t been shut down like that all season and I don’t expect it to happen in this game.

Texas wins, 24-14

Adam - Colt McCoy is catching fire at the right time, and that spells trouble for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers’ defense has been solid all year, but Texas can smell the BCS Championship game and there’s no way they’ll lose.

Longhorns Win 31-20

No. 10 Georgia Tech vs. Clemson

Nate - Excitement, thy name is the ACC title game. Both GT and Clemson come limping into this game after getting their butts whupped in rivalry games last week. This game should be frustration revenge meted out in quarter-lengths. Expect a lot of big hits, late hits, breathtaking runs and mouth punches. I don’t think that Clemson is man enough to stop Paul Johnson’s offense, and C.J. Spiller can’t play every position, even if he wanted to.

Georgia Tech wins, 31-20

Adam - Tech beat Clemson early on this season by just a field goal, and now they face off in the ACC title game. Clemson’s defense has looked vulnerable lately, and after their loss to South Carolina, I think the Tech rushing game is going to have a nice day. Clemson is going to need big plays on defense and special teams to keep this game close.

Georgia Tech Wins 35-24

No. 16 Oregon State at No. 7 Oregon

Nate -  Autzen Stadium at night. The Rose Bowl on the line. The Civil War. Retina-burning uniform colors. Micro-brew drunk fans. I can’t imagine a better game to kick off championship weekend than this.

We have two high-powered offenses coming in at full strength. Two capable defenses who play opportunistic football but are not shut-down caliber. With the bitter rivalry angle, everything is lined up for a big time shootout. Do not be surprised to see sluggo LaGarrette Blount make a surprise appearance at some point and run over a few Beaver defenders. Chip Kelly has shown that he is nothing if not innovative and that would be one hell of a wrinkle to pull out in a game like this. In the end, I think that Oregon has just too much firepower to lose this game.

Oregon wins, 48-45

Adam - I’m gonna call this one like most of the recent Oregon games. Their defense will surrender plenty of points to the Beavers, especially with the way the Oregon State offense is playing, but the offense of the Ducks is just too damn good. Add to that, that Oregon is playing at home and you have a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Ducks Win 45-41

Adam - A 4-2 record last week keep me on the winning side of my picks as we enter a week full of rivalries and games where truly anything can happen. My beloved Boilermakers finished their season at 5-7; probably a tad bit better than most thought they would do. The offense is likely to have a completely different look next season so there will still be a lot of questions to start the year as to how good this team can be. One thing is for certain, the defense can’t give up a million points like they did this year.

Nate - I stumbled to a 3-3 record last week, placing me squarely at 37-27 on the season with one week left. There were so many good rivalry games with implications this weekend that it was hard to nail down which games to pick, but I think we got it down to a hearty five. Like most of you, I’m a bit crunched for time in this short week, so my picks will be in haiku form again. Enjoy!

No. 2 Alabama at Auburn

Adam - Here’s the thing Auburn’s offense is awesome, but Alabama has the top defense in the country. SEC games can go either way on any given week, but I think Bama can roll this week on their way to the SEC title game against Florida next week.

Tide Wins 23-17

Nate -

War Eagle, Roll Tide
Saban-focused SEC
Roll Tide Roll Tide Roll

Alabama wins, 31-14

No. 9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia

Adam - Pitt has had a very difficult schedule leading up to this game against West Virginia and then they get to face Cinci next week. They’re coming off a big win against the Irish, and could be on their way to a huge BCS game if they run the table. Both offenses are great, but I think the Pitt defense will stop West Virginia.

Pitt Wins 31-24

Nate-

Devine runs thru night
Pitt to the left and the right 
Mountaineer upset

West Virginia wins, 38-35 (OT)

Nevada at No. 6 Boise State

Adam - This is a tough one to call. I like to watch Boise State play, because they are fun, but I don’t like them at all. I don’t think they deserve to be in the National Title game. Maybe it’s because of the BCS, maybe their strength of schedule; I don’t know, but something’s gotta give if they ever want serious recognition. Perhaps a change of scenery would do the trick. I like about a million points to be scored in this game, but I like the Broncos on their stupid blue turf.

Boise State Wins 51-41

Nate -

Wolfpack run around
Boise on the ground and air
Broncos by a hair

Boise State wins, 58-57

Florida State at No. 1 Florida

Adam - Florida State’s defense gives up far too many points for them to be able to take down the Gators at home. Tim Tebow is a Golden God. The Second Coming. The Messiah. The Lord of College Football. Well…you get the picture. Look for Florida and Tebow’s legend to really be tested when they face Alabama. Even if they lose to Alabama I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida plays in the National Championship because you will never see Tim Tebow want to play in a game as much as he will want to play in that game. Thank you and God bless.

Florida Wins 35-21

Nate -

Bobby rises again
Tebow not enough to win
Florida trap game

Florida State wins, 42-37

UCLA at No. 20 USC

Adam - USC’s defense and the entire program have collapsed over the past three or four weeks. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. It’s time to crown a new king in the Pac 10. UCLA is coming off three straight wins and actually look like they have an outside shot at the win. It’ll surely be a nail biter, but UCLA’s lack of an explosive running game will hurt them in the end.

USC Wins 27-24

Nate -

Win forever, ha!
Bruins hungry for fresh blood
Four-loss season hurts

UCLA wins, 24-20

Notre Dame at Stanford

Charlie’s toast, Clausen’s surveying defenses through a black eye and AD Swarbrick is ducking errant reports of who’s going to be coaching the Irish next year like a elementary school dodgeball game. Everything is lining up for this to be a slaughter. Stanford is going to come out pissed after losing the Big Game to Cal last weekend. Gerhart is going to be in full-on BEAST MODE and Harbaugh might just go for two every chance he gets against the hapless Irish defense.

But then again, adversity has a way of bringing everyone together in a way that nothing else can. I’m just not certain that the Irish offense will be able to outscore the Cardinal in regulation. At the very least, I see another overtime thriller unfolding, as Clausen finishes his career with a flourish, attempting to vault himself to the top of the draft boards. Maybe the Irish can pull this one out in Palo Alto, maybe they can’t, but it will be riveting television, either way. I think that it does go to OT and the walk-on kicker, Ruffer, who has been replacing Nick Tausch the last two weeks, comes up big. It’s probably just wishful thinking on my part, but hey, I have to have something to look forward to at this point, right?

Irish win, 48-45 (OT)

Adam - With a 5-1 record on my picks last week I am finally into the win column with an overall record of 33-30 (Or at least I’m pretty sure that’s my record. I kinda lost track for a week or two). Let’s all give Stanford a round of applause for giving us the most gratifying blow out victory in recent memory.

Nate - Another solid (if unspectacular) showing last week puts me at 34-24 on the season. That kind of middling record nearly puts me on par with every Notre Dame coach since Lou Holtz. I guess you could call me the Bob Davie of college football pick ‘em. Actually, don’t call me that. Ever.

On to the picks:

No. 11 Oregon at Arizona

Adam - The Wildcats’ loss to Cal last week takes a little of the luster off of this game, but it’s still just as meaningful for Oregon, who is still in the hunt for a Rose Bowl berth. I suppose Arizona is still in the Rose Bowl hunt, but with this game, Arizona State next week, and the season finale at USC, it’s not likely they’ll be in discussion. The Ducks’ offense is still on fire and the defense got back on track last week. Arizona plays a solid run defense, but I don’t think they can slow Oregon down enough to pull out a win.

Ducks Win 38-24

Nate - The Wildcats had a tough loss last week at Cal. While they’ve rarely looked dominant, they have been more than competitive all year and their losses have come by a combined total of 21 points. They have an explosive offense and a rough and tumble defense and should give Oregon a run for their money, but the Ducks score far too much and far too quickly for Arizona.

Ducks win, 38-24(honestly, we did these picks independent of one another, honest)

No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford

Adam - This is another big game in deciding the Rose Bowl picture. Cal is out, but Stanford is on a roll with an extremely satisfying throttle of USC last week. Stanford is just too good right now. The entire offense is clicking, and with huge wins against the Trojans and the Ducks, playing Cal at home should be a piece of cake.

Stanford Wins 42-22

Nate - Cal comes into this game without top tailback Jahvid Best and Stanford comes in fresh off a surprise 55-21 clobbering of USC. Usually, I’d say that this situation is ripe for the high-riding team to have a misstep, but the Cardinal have already avoided that pitfall once, seeing as they beat Oregon two weeks ago. Cal has been riding on the edge all season, with their annual dalliance with the Top 10, followed by an utter collapse and a slight rebound. So, as much as I’d like to say that Stanford continues on their winning ways, I think that the suffer a setback here, at home, to their most hated rival.

Cal wins, 34-28

No. 16 Wisconsin at Northwestern

Adam - This game is tougher to call than it seems. Wisconsin is on a winning streak after losing to Ohio State and Iowa in back to back weeks. Northwestern is already bowl eligible and causing a lot of problems for other Big Ten teams. The Wildcats did upset Iowa, but last week’s game at Illionois was a little too close for my liking. Despite playing at home, I think the balanced Badger offense is a little too much for the Wildcats.

Wisconsin Wins 31-17

Nate - I’ve said time and time again this year that Northwestern is scrappy, and it’s true. Wisconsin is the epitome of scrappy and tough, though. They have better athletes and are very well-coached. Not that the Wildcats aren’t well-coached, but something just tells me that Wisconsin wins this game. It’s going to be a typical, cold weather Big Ten game.

Badgers win, 21-17

No. 8 LSU at Mississippi

Adam - Conditions may be perfect for Ole Miss to pull out a win against LSU. The Tigers seemed to be a little hungover from there loss to Alabama when they barely escaped Louisiana Tech last week. Both of these teams play defense exceptionally well, but I like the offense of Ole Miss over LSU’s. The Rebels get the benefit of playing at home and spoiling LSU’s chance at a BCS game. It’s going to be a tight game.

Mississippi Wins 17-13

Nate - Ole Miss has been on the rebound as of late. Mostly because they suddenly remembered that they have a gigantic playmaker on offense in Dexter McCluster, who put up over 300 yards of total offense and four TDs last week against Tennessee. LSU has been muddling through their whole season and it’s netted them a #8 ranking.  That’s the reputation of the SEC for you. Call me crazy, but I think that Houston Nutt somehow pulls this one off at home.

Ole Miss wins, 34-30

No. 14 Penn State at Michigan State

Adam - Penn State is looking to stay in the BCS hunt against Michigan State who narrowly escaped Purdue with a win last week. Michigan State is not the same caliber of team as Penn State, but their five losses have come at a total margin of just over 20 points. The Spartans are going to keep it close and will certainly put tons of pressure on Penn State who are going to have a hard time ignoring the fact that this is a must win game. The Penn State defense will be the deciding factor.

Penn State Wins 34-27

Nate - Penn State has had it’s struggles against solid competition this year, falling to Iowa and Ohio State in convincing fashion. The defense hasn’t held up to expectations and the offense, well, that’s what happens when you lose your top 3 WRs and have to start from scratch in the passing game. Everything suffers.

Michigan State has been winning and losing games by the skin of their teeth all year. Their five losses have come by a combined 21 points. I think that they put it all together and end their season on a high note at home.

Michigan State wins, 23-20

**Purdue at Indiana** Purdue lost a heartbreaker to Michigan State at home last week that would have put them in a bowl game with a win at Indiana this week, but whatever. The Boilers are just 4-7, but they have played tough and kept it close against good teams all year long (With the exception of the lose to Minnesota and the massacre at Madison.). A 5-7 finish would be acceptable for a season that saw a new head coach and a whole lot of question marks on the roster. With all of that being said, the offense has been scoring a lot of points the past couple weeks and the defense…well the Boilermaker defense just stinks. As a Purdue fan, this is one of those game where you like to think they could roll into Bloomington and easily defeat the Hossiers, but the fact of the matter is both teams are 4-7. Ralph Bolden is the key. He will be tough to stop, Purdue will control the time of possession, and he will finish with a 1,000-yard season.

Purdue Wins 34-27

Connecticut at Notre Dame

Look, I know that Notre Dame is on the skids. They’re on a losing streak and desperately need to break it. It’s senior day in South Bend and I want the seniors to have a good send-off. But, I can’t shake the feeling that UConn is going to come in and pull a Syracuse this weekend. They’ve lost three straight after CB Jasper Howard was stabbed to death almost a month ago, all of them heartbreaking losses. It would mean the world for the to come into hallowed Notre Dame stadium and knock off the Irish. With Notre Dame’s propensity to play down to their competition, this is not out of the realm of possibility. But…

I simply can’t go against Notre Dame this week. I want to. I want to say that UConn will win, tears of joy will be shed and everyone on their team will feel a little better about this season and life in general. But I just don’t think it’s going to work out that way. The Irish players seem to love Weis, and Weis is under attack from all sides (including me, for whatever that’s worth). Some of the seniors are from Weis’ first recruiting class, so you know that winning one more at home for their coach means a lot to them.

This is a team that has been backed into a corner, partially by their own hand, but a team backed into a corner is a dangerous thing. Their offensive firepower makes them doubly dangerous. When you have a QB that can throw for over 400 yards on any given Saturday and WRs who are heads and shoulders above the players that are going to cover them, that just makes it worse. I don’t think that the Irish necessarily have a field day with the Huskies, but I think that they will win.

Notre Dame wins, 48-34

I struggled to a 3-3 record last week, leaving me 30-22 on the season. The winning streak couldn’t continue forever. Let’s see if I can start another.

No. 25 West Virginia at No. 5 Cincinnati

Brian Kelly has announced that Zach Collaros will start this game over Tony Pike, but Pike will see some limited action. I think this bodes well for the Bearcats, because the Mountaineers had all sorts of trouble with South Florida’s B.J. Daniels, allowing him to run and pass all over them. Collaros is a much better passer than Daniels and is just as adept at running when the play breaks down. He’s going to give them fits. If the Bearcats can hold Noel Devine in check, which is a tall order, they’ll get out of this game just fine.

Cincinnati wins, 34-23

Stanford at No. 9 USC

Can John Harbaugh pull off another huge upset of USC? Sure, this time around Stanford isn’t 43 point underdogs(the line is actually -11) and he has a real live quarterback under center and not a walk-on, but it’s still a bit of a long shot. USC has weathered a beat-down to Oregon and a nail-biter against a game ASU team, so they might be poised for a breakout blowout. Then again, Toby Gerhart laughs at your attempts to tackle him and is one of the scarier white running backs of the last 20 years, if not longer. But since this game is at the Coliseum and USC does not lose at the Coliseum, unless it’s a game that Vince Young is involved in, I say the Trojans survive.

U$C wins, 27-21

No. 10 Iowa at No. 11 Ohio State

Ricky “who cares if I just threw five picks?” Stanzi is out for the season and with him goes any chance of Iowa beating a top-flight program. Their running game is gimpy. Their QB is shaky. The defense is stout and Anger-ier than last year. But I still don’t think that they have a shot against Ohio State at Ohio Stadium. Sorry, Hawkeyes.

Ohio State wins, 23-10

No. 16 Utah at No. 4 TCU

TCU has been cutting through their schedule with the usual ease and will be sporting fancy-pants new Nike Pro Combat unis for this game, making them water and tackle resistant, or something. Utah has been living by the skin of their teeth most of the year and will be starting a true freshman at QB for the second straight game. TCU, meanwhile, has a powerful run game and a QB in Andy Dalton who seems to have been there for ages. Still, Utah is a well-coached team and plays tough. I just don’t think that they’re tough enough to beat the Horned Frogs

TCU wins, 24-20

No. 14 Miami (FL) at North Carolina

Bro Montana and his precocious teammates will invade Chapel Hill to face a hard-nosed Butch Davis team that keeps winning, for some reason. It is the ACC, where anything can happen. I think that Miami will get more than they bargain for against UNC. Sure, Jacory “Bro Montana” Harris has led Miami to some signature wins this year, but he has also faltered, as a sophomore is bound to. I think he falters against the Tar Heels’ gritty defense and the Heel offense does just enough to win at home.

North Carolina wins, 17-13

Notre Dame at No. 12 Pittsburgh

Pitt has been the surprise of the season, so far. Their offense is firing on all cylinders and their defense is one of the best in the Big East(whatever that means). After losing to NC State, they have let only one opponent, UConn, get close to them. All of their other games have been won by at least a touchdown. Playing at home, at night, they will be fired up.

If Notre Dame comes out and executes well on offense and the defense manages to hold freshman RB Dion Lewis somewhat in check while not allowing Bill Stull to pass all over them, they should have a chance. They get RB Armando Allen and G Trevor Robinson back Saturday. Michael Floyd is only going to get more in sync with Clausen on his second week back from a broken collarbone. If this game turns into a shootout, which it just might, my money is on ND.

Notre Dame wins (pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease), 45-41

The turnaround had to happen sooner or later. Two straight weeks of 6-0 picks have left me at a balmy 27-19 for the season. I’m inching my way back to respectability, baby! Adam didn’t log too shabby of a week, either, notching a stellar 5-1 record. I think we’re finally hitting our stride.

On to the picks:

No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama

Nate - I see no way that Alabama, even though they have been slumping as of late, lose this game. LSU has been eeking by all season on reputation and a stingy defense. Alabama gets by pretty much the same way, but they happen to have a faux-Heisman candidate in Mark Ingram at RB, so that puts them over LSU in my book. Oh yeah, they have a guy named Julio Jones that they hardly ever throw the ball to. He’s pretty good, too. Though judging by his paltry 20 catches and only one TD on the year, you’d think that Nick Saban doesn’t know it.

Alabama wins, 17-12

Adam - It’s obvious that LSU needs this win in the worst way. With a loss, Alabama could still be in the National title race. I like LSU, I do, and while I think they will challenge Alabama, I’m not sure they can pull out a win. I like the combination of Bama playing at home, having a great running game, and using that to control the time of possession.

Alabama Wins 16-10

No. 8 Oregon at Stanford

Nate - Ah hahahahahahaha. If you think that Stanford is going to beat the high-octane Ducks offense, even if the game is at Stanford, you’re crazy. Sure, the Cardinal have a bruiser in Toby Gerhart, but they have proven that they can lose against good programs. Oregon is running like a well-oiled machine right now. I don’t see them having too much trouble with a bunch of eggheads.

Oregon wins, 39-20

Adam - Yes, Stanford has the top rusher in the Pac 10 and he will be an asset to them in this game, but the Ducks are on absolute FIRE right now. The Cardinal gave up a ton of points in their losses to Oregon State and Arizona, and the Oregon offense is sure to run wild on them. Masoli and James will both have huge games again. Coincidentally, OSU and Arizona may be the only threats Oregon faces for the remainder of the season.

Ducks Win 45-24

No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State

Nate - Hey, look, it’s a Big Ten game worth watching! These don’t come around very often. In fact, it seems like they’re an endangered species outside of the Rust Belt. Penn State and Ohio State have, aside from convincing losses to good programs(and Ohio State’s WTF loss to Purdue), been blowing the doors off of inferior competition all year. Because of this, I honestly have no idea who the hell should win this game. Tyrelle Pryor has been better in the last few weeks, but his level of competiton (Minnesota and New Mexico State) hasn’t. So, I’m not sure if he’s turned the corner on his sophomore slump or not. Penn State has been yawningly efficient in dispatching their foes, yet hasn’t engendered any trust in their ability to win big games like this. My prediction is as good as a coin flip, here. I don’t like Tressel and his sweater-vest and JoePa is like the cranky grandpa I never had.

Penn State wins, 24-20

Adam - Both of these teams are playing great despite their losses, and both would certainly like to keep pace with Iowa. With just one loss overall and in the Conference, this game definitely means more for Penn State, and luckily they are playing at home. Ohio State has to play Iowa next week, and may be looking ahead to that game. While I like the Penn State offense over the Buckeyes’, I just have a feeling Ohio State will steal this game. Penn State will be too nervous and too concerned about getting back into the BCS picture.

Buckeyes Win 24-20

Oregon State at No. 20 California

Nate - I think that Oregon State is better than they look and Cal is worse. Jahvid Best aside, the Golden Bears are downright pedestrian or worse and even Best has shown the ability to curl up into a ball under bright lights. On the other hand, all ‘Quizz Rogers does is play bigger than anyone else on the field. If the rest of the Beavers show up in Strawberry Canyon, they win easy.

Beavers win, 34-24

Adam - Both of these teams have slipped in the Pac 10 this season, but both are on hot streaks. OSU has won the last four at Berkeley, and I like their chances in this game. The Rodgers brothers lead OSU in rushing and receiving and will play a huge part in what will certainly be a close game. What happened to Jahvid Best, I don’t know but he won’t have enough to carry the Cal offense.

Beavers Win 38-28

No. 24 Oklahoma at Nebraska

Nate - The Cornhuskers turned to Freshman QB Cody Green as their starter last week against Baylor and it paid off in a win. An ugly, frustrating win, but a win nonetheless. Oklahoma has lost Bradford for the season and his career, apparently. So the Landry Jones era has officially begun in earnest in Norman. The Blackshirts are back, to a degree, for Nebraska, but the offense is still a work in progress. Oklahoma has too many weapons and too much talent to lose this game, even if it is in Lincoln.

Oklahoma wins, 40-17

Adam - Oklahoma’s three losses have all been excruciatingly close, and likely tough to swallow. They head into Nebraska with out Sam Bradford this week to play a Cornhusker team that put up just 7 points against Iowa State two weeks ago. Landry Jones is not a bad quarterback by any means, and in the end he’ll have just enough to put the Sooners ahead. I just don’t think the Nebraska offense can keep pace.

Oklahoma Wins 41-24

Navy at No. 22 Notre Dame

Navy is never an opponent to overlook. Just ask Ohio State. For that matter, ask the 2007 Fighting Irish, who lost to Navy for the first time in over 40 years. The armed forces academies will never be college football powerhouses like they were in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s, but they will always leave everything on the field and for that, if nothing else, they must be respected.

The Irish come into this game banged up but riding high from their blowout of a hapless Washington State team last week. Their main focus needs to be on not taking this game for granted after a big win. Big-play wide receiver Michael Floyd returns this week, which should be a boost, not that they seem to have suffered that much in his absence, with Golden Tate making a legit argument for inclusion in Heisman talks.

I think that Jimmy Clausen and company will take care of business against a thoroughly out-matched Navy defense. Notre Dame has been tough against the run in recent weeks, so this will be a big test for them. Don’t think that Navy won’t try and test the shaky Irish secondary, either. In the end, though, Notre Dame is just too big and too deep to lose this game.

Notre Dame wins, 38-17

Purdue at Michigan

Michigan hasn’t exactly lived up to the promise they showed early on in the season and their loss to an awful Illinois team is proof of that. The Wolverines were horrible against the Illini run game, so it seems that Purdue will have to get that working in order to stay in this game. Huge runs by Bolden and mistake free football from Joey Elliott will be the key for the Boilermakers, but I see them struggling big time at Michigan. Hopefully they can manage to score—a field goal perhaps…maybe a touchdown. They don’t even have to make the extra point for all I care, just put some points on the board fellas. Michigan wins 31-17

Nate - I was a sparkling 6-0 last week. It’s never too late to turn things around, it seems. Hopefully, my newfound spark will continue this week. We have a few really big games and a bunch of ho-hum matchups.

Adam - The season marches on and I was 3-3 again last week; putting me at 20-25 for the season. Oklahoma and Minnesota have lost their best players for the remainder of the year, Iowa is in the Top 5 (!?!?!), and my Purdue Boilermakers are three fourths of the way to the four wins that I predicted for them in this 2009 season. That being said, College Football continues to provide tons of great games no matter how crappy the slate may look before Thursday nights roll around. On with the picks!!!

Georgia vs. No. 1 Florida*

Nate - While Georgia sits at a middling 4-3 on the season, they have managed to put together a few good games when they put their mind to it. Florida has been underwhelming most of the season, despite the fact that they’re undefeated and #1 in the land. Tebow has been lackluster and their offense hasn’t been near as explosive as previous seasons.

Then again, the game is going to be in the Swamp.

Florida wins, 20-13

Adam - Georgia’s impressive wins are only matched by their equally impressive losses. Florida isn’t exactly the powerhouse they have been, but they do have home field in this game. The Bulldogs’ mostly one sided offense is not going to be enough to win this game. They’ll need to get the running game going to have a chance, but either way they should keep it close.

Gators Win 27-24

No. 3 Texas at No. 14 Oklahoma State

Nate - How Texas is undefeated is beyond me. But, then again, the Big 12 has been a muddled pile of what-the-fuck all season. No one is as good as they were advertised. The two best players on Oklahoma are injured and still leaving for the NFL after the season, inexplicably. Super-Texan Colt McCoy has been solid, but to say that he has struggled at times is an understatement.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys lost Dez Bryant to a technicality. The vindictive NCAA isn’t taking any guff, but they are taking away the most talented player on Ok State’s team for what should have been a simple slap on the wrist offense. Without Bryant, I don’t see Mike Gundy and crew having much of a chance, even at home.

Texas wins, 34-24

Adam - Conference games don’t get any bigger then this. This game appears to be the last time Texas will be tested, so it’s doubly important that they win. Colt McCoy is going to be the deciding factor in this game (obviously) and he’ll have a huge game. The Longhorns will go into Stillwater and show the Cowboys who the class of the Big 12 truly is.

Texas Wins 35-28

UCLA at Oregon State

Nate - One week after pushing USC, the Beavers are welcoming their pesky little brother from across the City of Angels to Corvallis. Don’t tell me that Oregon State doesn’t want to stick it to UCLA as a little proximity payback. UCLA is the perfect team to get that kind of revenge against, too. They’ve lost their last four, all conference games. With the Rogers brothers playing at a high level and Canfield standing tall in the pocket, the Beavs are set for another late-season rally. They always finish strong under Mike Reilly. (with 2005 the one exception in the last five years)

Consider this the start of that rally.

Beavers win, 28-14

Adam - The Bruins have lost their last four games, all of which came against conference opponents. The Beavers nearly pulled out a win against USC and their offense is hitting on all cylinders. The Beavers are going to attack on offense and the home field advantage will be huge. It’s going to be cold in Corvallis and it will likely be raining; two things that will certainly turn the game in OSU’s favor.

Beavs Win 41-27

No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern

Nate - The Wildcats are coached by one tough cookie and they play like it. They scrap and fight and stay in games that they have no business being in. The Nittany Lions have faced one team like that all season, Iowa, and they lost. I’m not saying that Northwestern is Iowa, but they will give Penn State fits unless JoePa’s crew can finally put it together on offense against a tough team.

That said, I think that Penn State squeaks this one out, but barely.

Penn State wins, 21-19

Adam - If I were Penn State I would be a little nervous about now. Northwestern is, and seemingly always will be, a pain in the ass for any Big Ten team that is on their way to a conference title. They’re the quintessential pesky blue collar team that gives big name teams a scare. Penn State has been on a winning streak, but they’ll be playing in Evanston against the excellent passing game of the Wildcats. The Nittany Lion passing game will also be in full effect, but I am calling an upset.

Northwestern Wins 24-21

Purdue at Wisconsin

The Boilers are coming off two straight wins, one of which came against Ohio State. For the most part, Purdue’s games have been close, and so will this one. The Wisconsin offense will be solid but will get some help from the defense for sure. Turnovers will do in the Boilers in this one, and they won’t win again until their final game at Indiana.

Badgers Win 38-31

Washington State at No. 23 Notre Dame

This is the first game of Notre Dame’s new cockamamie 7-4-1 scheduling plan. Seven home games per season, four away and one at a neutral site. Go figure. Either way, the Cougars are a patsy. Head Coach Paul Wulff has the best intentions for his alma mater, but none of the talent to pull it off.

The Irish have all of the talent but have found ways to play down to their competition all season long. Sure, they’re two plays away from 7-0, but they’re also a handful of plays away from 1-6. The difference is Jimmy Clausen. I can’t say that I would blame him for jumping into the NFL after this season, if he keeps playing at such a high level. Golden Tate being Superman helps, too.

This game should be a formality. Every time that Wazzu has played anyone remotely decent this season, they’ve been blown out. If the Irish can manage to fix their defensive back’s lackluster play (117th in the NCAA agains the pass), they’ll put this game away by halftime.

Irish win, 45-24

No. 5 USC at No. 10 Oregon

Nate - Autzen at night, on Halloween, with a Blackout called for. It would be an understatement to say that the Ducks are going to do everything in their power to intimidate the mighty Trojans from the word “go.” The question is, will it work? Do the Ducks have enough firepower on offense? Can their defense rise to the occasion? Will their cyber-jerseys repel Trojan tacklers like magic?

Freshman Matt Barkley has proven that he can stand behind the best offensive line in the country and give the ball to talented Wide Receivers and Running Backs. Good for him. But, I could sit behind that O-line and throw cupcakes to unicorns all day without fear of being touched by an opposing player. Until he has to do it on his own, he’s not that special.

This game will end up coming down to whether Duck QB Jeremiah Masoli can stand and deliver. At home, at night, on All Hallow’s Eve, I think he can.

Ducks win, 38-30

Adam - Talk radio is Oregon has been abuzz this past week about how scary it will be for USC when they come into Autzen on Halloween night. USC comes off a close win against Oregon State whose offense is not as good as the Ducks. Home field and weather will be a huge advantage for the Ducks who need this win in the worst way. I think they can do it.

Ducks Win 42-38

Nate - Well, I’m back from a great trip to Spain. I’m sporting a less than stellar 15-19 record on the season and I’ve been re-immersing myself in college football since I touched down stateside on Monday. Hopefully, my studying has paid off. But, I’m not holding my breath.

Adam - This week I write my picks as a proud Boilermaker whose team just beat the crap out of Ohio State!!! It just feels so good. Purdue had suffered too many close losses, and to win this game is a nice remedy to all of the heartache suffered so far this season. I went 3-3 again last week, leaving me at 17-22 for the year. I’ve been crunched for time all week so my picks will be extremely short and sweet, but hopefully all of this work will result in me having an actual job that pays money.

South Florida at No. 20 Pittsburgh

Nate - This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Pitt. Despite having talent at WR and a returning starter at QB, they had lost their most potent offensive weapon, running back LeSean McCoy. True Frosh Dion Lewis is not only filling in, he’s surpassing the production of McCoy. This has Pitt sitting pretty at 6-1.

South Florida lost their all-time leading passer, but BJ Daniels has been filling in admirably, even leading them to an upset of Florida State a few weeks back. The USF defense has been opportunistic and solid, up until the blasting they got from high-flyer Cincinnati last week. You can bet that star DE Georgie Selvie and crew will be looking to re-assert themselves agains the Panthers.

South Florida has a habit of fading in the back stretch of their schedule over the past few years. That’s going to be hanging over them heavy going into this game. Aside from the whipping that they put on the Buffalo Bulls, Pitt has been winning tight games all season. I don’t see that changing this week, no matter what USF has up it’s sleeve.

Pitt wins, 31-28

Adam - Piit’s toughest opponent has bee Louisville, and everyone else has pretty much been scrubs. I like South Florida and the level of competition they put up against Cincinnati and Florida State.

South Florida Wins 27-23

No. 8 TCU at No. 16 Brigham Young

Nate - Ahhh, the non-BCS conference battle of the week. TCU needs to win out to keep within shooting distance of Boise State. Brigham Young has already eliminated themselves from contention, but you know that they would love to ruin conference foe TCU’s chances at crashing the BCS party.

Both of these teams have beaten big conference foes this year; TCU beat Clemson and BYU, as you all remember, beat Oklahoma. Trouble for BYU is, the only other team of note that they have played is Florida State and the Seminoles crushed them at home. TCU has been taking care of business, albeit against middling competition, all season. I look for that to continue.

TCU wins, 17-13

Adam - TCU has an awesome defense this season, but I don’t think their offense has the power to stay in step with BYU. I like the Cougars and their high flying offense at home.

BYU Wins 41-31

Auburn at No. 9 LSU

Nate - This should be quite an intriguing game. LSU has been playing to the level of the teams on their schedule. Auburn was flying high before Arkansas beat the shit out of them, then they dropped their next to lowly Kentucky. Auburn has the right offense, they just need a better QB to run it. LSU seems to have the personnel and the offense, just not the will to open both of them up.

I think that Auburn is sliding and LSU is more than willing and capable of helping them along.

LSU wins, 27-14

Adam - Auburn has lost their last two games to Arkansas and Kentucky. LSU is coming off a tough loss to Florida. I see Auburn keeping close, but the Tigers will be too much for them.

No. 13 Penn State at Michigan

Nate - Michigan has been scrappy all season. Penn State has been underwhelming offensively and a steel wall on defense. Both of these teams find ways to win. Penn State hasn’t won in Ann Arbor since 1996, which is a factoid that I found kind of stunning when I came across it. You know that JoePa has probably brought that up to his team more than once this week, if he even remembers back that far.

Michigan is coming off an interesting three week run. They lost a close game to Michigan State, then lost another close game to Iowa and finally blew the doors off a D-1AA team last week. I think that the pent-up frustration from those two close losses came a week too soon. They come out flat against Penn State and the Nittany Lions will bury them.

Penn State wins, 24-20

Adam - Michigan is not quite ready to compete. Sure, Penn State has one of the easiest schedule in the country, but I believe they’ll take the Wolverines at home.

Penn State Wins 23-21

Oregon State at No. 7 USC

Nate - Oregon State has had an up and down season so far. Winning games that they should win, but not by the margin expected and losing games that they should have won. USC has already had it’s annual slip-up with their loss to U-Dub and is coming off an emotional game against cross-country rival Notre Dame.

I expect USC to come out flat and let Oregon State stay in the game longer than they should, then turn the switch on halfway through the 3rd and never look back. Sorry, Beavs, you just don’t have the juju this year to knock off the mighty Trojans.

U$C wins, 38-17

Adam - The Beavers haven’t beaten USC at home in something like 21 games, but they have won their last two home games against the Trojans. USC is not their usual self, and the Beavs have picked the perfect time to get hot. Quizz Rodgers is playing awesome and I think he is the difference…as usual.

Beavs Win 28-24

Boston College at Notre Dame

BC has had the Irish’s number for the last six years. God knows why. I contend that  it’s a mental thing. Or, at the very least, BC has been decent while the Irish have been up and down over the same period. This year, Boston College has been a bit of a surprise. They’re rebuilding, don’t have a proven QB and have still managed to put together a decent 5-2 record. Of course, they haven’t exactly performed well against quality competition, losing big to both Clemson and VaTech.

Notre Dame is likely still stinging from their tough loss to U$C last weekend and they should be. The Irish showed heart to come back from a 20 point deficit in the 4th quarter, even though they came up just short at the end. (four yards, to be exact) If they spent this week wallowing, they’ll lose Saturday. If they spent this week pissed off, then they may just come out and beat the piss out of a team for the first time since the Nevada game at the start of the season.

I expect to see a pissed off Irish team Saturday. And hopefully better execution on defense, for once.

Notre Dame wins, 38-14

Illinois at Purdue

This seems like an easy one for me. Purdue is playing at home, coming off a huge win, and has played great teams close all year. Juice Williams has been a bust of Illinois, and they have been downright awful. Purdue crushes the Illini in West Lafayette.

Boilermakers Win 31-17