NCAA Free Picks Review: Week 2

Some would say “black Saturday” but it wasn’t that bad. Sure, I was 2-5 with my 7 Free PIcks, and just 3-3 with my DirecTV ESPN GamePlan Picks, but after a pretty tough Saturday on Week 2, I sit just one game under .500 for my college selections. Not winning money yet, but some tough luck will turn around, and I’m guessing next week. Here is my Week 2 college review, all games explained. 

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+7) @ Boston College Eagles: (19-16 WINNER)

The Jackets pulled the upset, making me look good. I just love G-Tech’s rushing attack. When an underdog they can always find a way to smash mouth opposing defenses. Matt Ryan’s absence does seem to get more and more evident when watching the Eagles. Tech barely took this won, scoring 9 unanswered 4th quarter points. The ACC still looks gross. 

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+18) @ Auburn Tigers: (13-27 WINNER)

It didn’t look good early as Auburn shutout Southern Miss in the 1st half, 14-0. But my boys came through late, playing the Tigers to a 2nd half tie and covering. YAY! If it weren’t for all of Southern Miss’s 1st half mistakes, this game would have been a heck of a lot closer. Auburn is the better team, but don’t sleep on the Golden Eagles. 

Cincinnati Bearcats (+21.5) @ Oklahoma Sooners: (26-52 LOSS)

I really thought I had this one in the bag. The Bearcats started slow but came back in the 2nd quarter with a couple touchdowns to make things interesting - and I thought I could easily stay within 3 scores. But Oklahoma came out in the 2nd half showing everyone why they are one of the favorites to find a place in the BCS title game. They absolutely treated the Bearcats like their little brothers and beasted them throughout the duration of the game. I lost by 5 points. 

Mississippi @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-8): (28-30 LOSS)

Up 20-14 headed into the 4th I thought I had a nice opportunity to take this one. One more Wake field goal and holding Miss would have given me the win. As it went, 24 points were scored in the final frame and I ended up taking a loss. Wake needed that “field goal” to win the game, as they did, taking out Miss by 2. Both teams look solid. 

Buffalo Bulls @ Pittsburgh Panthers (-13): (16-27 LOSS)

Up one going into the 4th quarter, the Panthers couldn’t quite cover for me. They scored 10 4th quarter points to get me just a field goal away, but couldn’t pull the trigger. Those chumps. Buffalo is better than I thought. Pitt is exactly what I thought.  

Tulane Green Wave (+30.5) @ Alabama Crimson Tide: (6-20 WINNER)

” A 30 point favorite is too much for me to buy. The Tide come in hot on bettor’s minds, and that’s never a good thing for the favorite. Tulane plays teams pretty tough. They lost a lot in Matt Forte, but in their season opener I expect enough excitement to keep this game closer than 4 touchdowns. Alabama is a tough match-up for Tulane, as their run defense is stellar, but that won’t stop the Green Wave from handing the ball off, and their schemes are good enough to get some first downs. John Parker Wilson will come back to earth in this one.” This one was tight, just as I figured. Don’t be spending too much money hoping for Bama to win by 30. 

Connecticut Huskies (-6) @ Temple Owls: (12-9 LOSS)

When this game went into overtime I was stoked about a possible win despite the tight contest throughout. But the Owls won the toss and kicked a field goal, and now I was hoping for the Huskies to get stopped on the 5 and have to tie the game with a field goal just so they could try to score first and hold the Owls out to get me the ATS win. It’s a funny thing watching a game with money on the line. Ha. I was had when UCONN scored to end it. 

BYU Cougars (-9) @ Washington Huskies: (28-27 LOSS)

The Huskies really played very well, then got hosed by a ridiculous celebration penalty as Jake Locker tossed the ball in the air after scoring the game tying touchdown with 2 seconds left. That call should never be made. I wonder if that striped donkey feels good about himself today. Idiot. Anyway, I knew I was in trouble as soon as the Huskies came out and scored in the second half. They usually don’t do that until the game is out of reach. I took it on the chin here, I thought this game would be a laugher. 

Akron Zips (+5) @ Syracuse Orange: (42-28 WINNER!)

Yhatzee! If you took my Zips to win you must be a happy human. Akron pulls the minor upset showing themselves to be a much better team than Syracuse. The days of Donovan McNabb to Marvin Harrison are a long ways away Orange fans!

Central Michigan Chippewas @ Georgia Bulldogs (-23.5): (17-56 WINNER!)

How about this Knowshon Moreno kid? Talk about efficient - he was handed the ball 18 times and ran 168 yards with it - oh, and three touchdowns to boot. Plus he caught 3 balls for 30 yards. Not a bad day for one of the most talented runners in college football. Matt Stafford played well, but he didn’t need to be dynamic today, the Georgia rushing attack, as I predicted, was way too much for the Chipps.  

Oregon State Beavers (+17) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (14-45 LOSS)

And it wasn’t that close. Okay. I was wrong about Oregon State. For the foreseeable future I will not pick them. Ha. 

West Virginia Moutaineers (-7.5) @ East Carolina Pirates: (3-24 LOSS)

WVU 3? Points? Maybe I expected too much from this offense? I don’t know. Back to the drawing board on this one I guess. I liked the Pirates, and this game only intensifies that admiration, but the Mounties just didn’t come to play. They got some unlucky bounces and rolls and whatnot, but surely not 24-3 worth of that stuff. Yikes. 

Maryland Terrapins (-12.5) @ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders: (14-24 LOSS)

The Terps lost by 10. Yep. If there was ever an example of a team that just hasn’t come to play for two straight weeks, it’s the Terps. Usually it’s not two straight weeks, but in this case, that is what happened. Until they prove they’re heads are clearly out of their rears, I would stay away from them.

Free NCAA Football Picks: Week 2

DIRECTV - ESPN GamePlan Free NCAA Picks: Week 2

One of my readers asked me to cap all of DirecTV’s GamePlan picks during the season. I looked into it a little bit and figured I could give my insight on these games every week during the year without too many tears being shed. This will be in addition to my normal college picks every single week, because those picks are the one’s I find the most value in. Again, these are all the games that DirecTV has in their college football package for Week 2’s games. Enjoy and good luck! A couple games didn’t have lines, but these are the ones that did - 6 DTV package games for your viewing (and betting) pleasure.

All games take place on Saturday the 6th!

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+7) @ Boston College Eagles (12:00PM EST):

I’m not crazy about this game. I’m taking the points because both teams are led by their defense and pose a lot of questions on offense. Georgia Tech runs the ball very effectively, but the Eagles have a stout defense to combat that upside. The Eagles have won ATS in 4 of the 5 contests between these schools, and have won last season 24-10. I still like Tech’s ability to keep this game within reach, and turn the Eagles young offense over a couple times. I’m taking Tech.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles (+18) @ Auburn Tigers (12:30PM EST):

It won’t be too easy for the Tigers. Southern Miss has a few great athletes that could give the TIgers some trouble. Austin Davis (QB) will be good enough to put the ball in the air at Auburn, but it will be the Southern Miss rushing attack that does their share of damage. I understand last week’s game was against UL Lafayette, but still, the Golden Eagles had two backs rush for over 100 yards including Damion Fletcher’s 222 yard 2 touchdown performance. Any team with a running game is a good (+17) bet against a mediocre offense. Take the Golden Eagles.

Cincinnati Bearcats (+21.5) @ Oklahoma Sooners (3:30PM EST):

This game looks a little scary for the Sooners, except for the fact that they are one of the Nation’s best teams. The Bearcats have a very good defense that will kick and scratch all night long if it means they have a chance. Offensively, the Bearcats will struggle to score at Oklahoma, but I still like their chances of keeping this game within that huge 3 touchdown margin. The Sooners are good, but not good enough to beat everyone in the 57-2 range like they did last week. I’ll take the Sooners to win by 10, but the Bearcats will make it a battle.

Mississippi @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-8) (3:30PM EST):

The Demon Deacons did Baylor dirty last week on the road. The Bears looked lost as Wake marched through their defense to win 41-13. Riley Skinner is for real, and so are the Deacons. Being lost in the mess of ACC peers, Wake should continue to get favorable lines. Eight points to cover against a decent but not great Mississippi team seems easily manageable. Wake isn’t a team that’s going to win a lot of games by 20 points, but this could be one of the few times they do.

Buffalo Bulls @ Pittsburgh Panthers (-13) (6:00PM EST):

Buffalo mangled UTEP in week 1, as quarterback Drew Willy completed 10 passes for 221 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Bulls also managed two 100 yard rushers, as RB James Starks took 31 carries for 179 yards. But that was UTEP, can they really do the same thing against a team like Pittsburgh? I don’t think so. But they don’t have to do the same thing against Pitt to win against the spread. But I’ll have to go with Pitt here. Sure, they lost to Bowling Green last week, but the Falcons are much better than advertised, and their offensive attack is a bad match-up for the Panthers. This week, Pittsburgh has to shut down the run to win, and I like their chances at that a lot more. LeSean McCoy will have his way with the Bulls, and I like the Panthers come back from last week’s opening day loss to win by at least two touchdowns.

Tulane Green Wave (+30.5) @ Alabama Crimson Tide (7:00PM EST):

After being moved around a lot because of Hurricane Gustav, and being thoroughly outmatched by the Tide athletically, the Tulane Green Wave are in for more tough times this weekend. Alabama may have played perfect football last week against a good Clemson team, but even so, they have definitely show that they are better than advertised. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be taking the Tide in this one. A 30 point favorite is too much for me to buy. The Tide come in hot on bettor’s minds, and that’s never a good thing for the favorite. Tulane plays teams pretty tough. They lost a lot in Matt Forte, but in their season opener I expect enough excitement to keep this game closer than 4 touchdowns. Alabama is a tough match-up for Tulane, as their run defense is stellar, but that won’t stop the Green Wave from handing the ball off, and their schemes are good enough to get some first downs. John Parker Wilson will come back to earth in this one. We’ll see, but I’m not buying the Tide beating many more teams by four scores…

NCAA Free Picks REVIEW: Week 1

Well, well - a winner is a winner is a winner I guess. When you win more than you lose it all works out. It wasn’t as hard as it sounds. I picked 10 games of Week 1’s action and finished 6-4. There were a couple tough ones, (cough, cough - Vanderbilty/Miami-Ohio - cough) and some really nice upsets that I pulled off as well (go Bowling Green) - this is the review…

Vanderbilt Commodores @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks (-4): (loss)

“Vanderbilt loses their best player in wide receiver Earl Bennett. He was by far their most effective and productive offensive player. Their leading returning receiver is out with a stress fracture (George Smith). If that weren’t enough, the Commodores also said goodbye to their leading rusher from last year, as well as their entire starting offensive line - that’s the kicker. The Commodores don’t have much cohesion right now, as new starters are still being decided. The starting quarterback for this Thursday’s game wasn’t decided by the weekend, leaving much to be answered in the four days before kickoff. While Vanderbilt has all the questions, Miami of Ohio looks to be full of answers.” (Me) Well, I guess I was wrong about this one. Still, I read everything going into this game and it looks like a tough go for the Commodores. Luckily they named the right QB as Chris Nickson rushed 20 times for 166 yards, tormenting Miami-Ohio’s defense. It all sounded good to me, I guess I can’t always know.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-12) @ Baylor Bears: (WINNER)

“Wake Forest is the real deal. I expect them to start off the season hot, and ride their quarterback to the top of the ACC. Take them over the Bears by a couple touchdowns.” I couldn’t have predicted this game any better, except a couple touchdowns turned into 4 touchdowns. Riley Skinner lit up the Bears to the tune of 27 for 36 with 220 yards and 3 touchdown passes. The Deacons defense was stout, holding the Bears to just 6 points through 3 quarters.

Oregon State Beavers (-3) @ Stanford Cardinal: (9:00pm EST, 8-28-2008)

The Beavers fell down early and when they were just about to get up, or score the game tying touchdown, their young wide receiver fumbled the ball through the end-zone, ending what would have been one heck of a come back for me. The Beavers lost by 8. The Cardinal did it on the ground while putting up just enough points to win despite Lyle Moevao’s 404 passing yards and 4 TD passes. I was 1-2 before the weekend even started.

Friday’s Game

Temple Owls (-7) @ Army Black Knights: (7:00pm EST, 8-29-2008)

“Temple, amazingly, won 4 of their last 7 games, have three Pre-Seasons All Conference players returning, and were voted “Program on the Rise” by the MAC conference. They return their leading passer and an offensive line that found cohesion late last year. Defensively, Temple is better than expected, as Army will find out. Army switched their entire offense around this summer, moving from a no-huddle spread to an option based rushing attack. When that happens originally, teams seem to struggle because of the recruiting differences for offenses like that. I never thought I’d consider taking a Temple team on the road and favored by a touchdown, but that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m confident about it.” Sometimes I can really pick them. Temple held Army scoreless in the first half while putting up 21 points of their own. The game ended at 35-7 and Temple looked good carrying my win on their backs.

Saturday’s Games

Bowling Green Falcons (+13) @ Pittsburgh Panthers: (WINNER)

“The Bowling Green Falcons bring 17 of 22 starters back to a team that is expected to compete for a WAC crown this season. The Falcons won 5 of their last 6 regular season games in 2007 before getting absolutely crushed in their bowl game against Tulsa. I like that last part. The Falcons have waited all summer, 17 returning starters and many other frustrated kids, to get back on the football field and prove that bowl game was a fluke. In comes the Panthers with one of the best running backs in the Nation and a former pro-football head coach. I like the Falcons’ chances - take them and all those points.” YES! Bowling Green pulled one of the weekend’s biggest stunners and I was right there to pat them on the back. I have to admit, I was a little worried when LeSean McCoy and company marched down the field for a score, and then went up 14-0. But the Falcons were resilient and finished off the Panthers 27-17.

Akron Zips @ Wisconsin Badgers (-26): (tough loss)

Akron’s 4th quarter touchdown killed me, taking this game from a two point cover to a 5 point loss. It’s always tough with big spreads, which is why I like to stay away from them for the most part - but up 38-10, the Badgers kicked me right in the junk when they allowed Akron to throw a touchdown pass with 38 seconds left on the clock. Now that’s a bad freaking beat!

Utah Utes (+3.5) @ Michigan Wolverines: (3:30pm EST, 8-30-2008)

“The Utes are very good and should win their conference this season. Michigan lost too many good players and are in the midst of a complete turn-around with their new head coach, Rich Rodriguez. I don’t know what else to say besides this, Utah is the better team with a better mentality and they also have nothing to lose in this one. Sign me up for that every single week.” The Utes made this closer than it had to be, but I’m still not that impressed with the Wolverines. They rode a little momentum late but the better team was Utah all day long. The game ended with the better team winning.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (-6) @ Washington State Cougars: (WINNER)

“The Cougars weren’t very good a year ago, usually open the season soft, don’t have much of a home-field advantage during the first few weeks of the college football season, lost their star quarterback to graduation, and don’t have much confidence either. Hmm…” What else can you say? I wasn’t real surprised when I won this one in the first quarter. End of game score, 39-13- Cougs, thanks for playing - see you next week.

Michigan State Spartans (+5) @ California Golden Bears (loss)

This game was close, but the Bears looked better than the Spartans all night long. Sometimes I feel robbed after a loss, but that wasn’t the case here. The Bears looked solid defensively despite the big score at the end of the game. MSU fought hard at the end of the game but in the end Cal had the better athletes and it showed. Still, I was just a field goal away from winning this one.

Idaho Vandals @ Arizona Wildcats (-27): (WINNER)

“It seems like a lot of points, and it is, but I just have a feeling… …This game wouldn’t surprise me if it was a 45-7 WIldcat blowout.” It would however surprise me if the Wildcats put up 70 in this one. Try a 35 point 2nd quarter and a 70-0 final score. Yikes. Like I said, I just had a feeling.

6-4 overall with a few huge wins a couple tough losses - such is the way it goes. Tune in tomorrow for some Week 2 Free NCAA Picks!

Free NCAA Football Picks - Week 1

Here we are! It’s August 25th, 2008 and NCAA football games are just a few short days away. Summer is on the way out, and fall is just about to turn the leaves red. That means school for you young scholarly types and just colder weather for the rest of you - but it also means football! It all starts with a little NCAA action. For Week 1 I went ahead and picked out 10 winners… Enjoy the first edition of my NCAA Free Picks for 2008…

Thursday’s Games

Vanderbilt Commodores @ Miami-Ohio Redhawks (-4): (7:30pm EST, 8-28-2008)

Vanderbilt loses their best player in wide receiver Earl Bennett. He was by far their most effective and productive offensive player. Their leading returning receiver is out with a stress fracture (George Smith). If that weren’t enough, the Commodores also said goodbye to their leading rusher from last year, as well as their entire starting offensive line - that’s the kicker. Miami has a stout defense with very talented linebackers. They may be a smaller college, but they can play football. The Commodores don’t have much cohesion right now, as new starters are still being decided. The starting quarterback for this Thursday’s game wasn’t decided by the weekend, leaving much to be answered in the four days before kickoff. While Vanderbilt has all the questions, Miami of Ohio looks to be full of answers.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (-12) @ Baylor Bears: (8:00pm EST, 8-28-2008)

Wake Forest is the real deal. Despite winning 8 of their last 10 games and then spanking Connecticut in the 2nd half of their bowl game, the Deacons just can’t seem to get the credit they deserve. THe Deacons return their freshman quarterback sensation, Riley Skinner, and while they lose their top receiver from ‘07, Wake is full of young talent at receiver. Head coach Jim Grobe knows what he’s doing. The Deacons are off and on on the road, but they’ve been a darn good football team with Riley Skinner at quarterback. I expect them to start off the season hot, and ride their quarterback to the top of the ACC. Take them over the Bears by a couple touchdowns.

Oregon State Beavers (-3) @ Stanford Cardinal: (9:00pm EST, 8-28-2008)

The Oregon State Beavers seem like the forgotten Pac-10 team heading into the season. Everyone seems to forget that the Beavers won 7 of their last 8 games including an upset victory over Maryland in their bowl game. During the last 8 games of the season, the Beavers’ only loss came against USC in Southern California. Last year, when the Beavers played Stanford, a tough Oregon State defense held the Cardinal out of the end-zone, winning 23-6. The Beavers lost their talented tail-back, Yvenson Bernard, to graduation - but they have a nice offensive line and a couple new running backs that have impressed when given the chance. One player that should have a great bounce back season is Sammie Stroughter, the speed demon that was a 2006 3rd team All-American. With family problems and injury woes, Stroughter struggled in 2007, playing only 3 games. He was awarded a medical red-shirt, and now he has one more chance to prove himself in the Pac-10. Every time he touches the ball, touchdowns can happen. Look for the Beavers to out-talent the Cardinal all over the field, dominating this early-season conference match-up.

Friday’s Game

Temple Owls (-7) @ Army Black Knights: (7:00pm EST, 8-29-2008)

Temple, amazingly, won 4 of their last 7 games, have three Pre-Seasons All Conference players returning, and were voted “Program on the Rise” by the MAC conference. They return their leading passer and an offensive line that found cohesion late last year. Defensively, Temple is better than expected, as Army will find out. Army switched their entire offense around this summer, moving from a no-huddle spread to an option based rushing attack. When that happens originally, teams seem to struggle because of the recruiting differences for offenses like that. I never thought I’d consider taking a Temple team on the road and favored by a touchdown, but that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m confident about it.

Saturday’s Games

Bowling Green Falcons (+13) @ Pittsburgh Panthers: (12:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

The Bowling Green Falcons bring 17 of 22 starters back to a team that is expected to compete for a WAC crown this season. The Falcons won 5 of their last 6 regular season games in 2007 before getting absolutely crushed in their bowl game against Tulsa. I like that last part. The Falcons have waited all summer, 17 returning starters and many other frustrated kids, to get back on the football field and prove that bowl game was a fluke. In comes the Panthers with one of the best running backs in the Nation and a former pro-football head coach. I like the Falcons’ chances - take them and all those points.

Akron Zips @ Wisconsin Badgers (-26): (12:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

As if going into Wisconsin to play the 12th ranked team in the Nation wasn’t a tough enough opener, the Zips have really struggled with injuries during football camp. With a couple junior college transfers and position battles being effected by these injuries, the Zips preparation time for a tough Wisconsin team will be shortened. The Badgers return big names, it seems, when looking at their 2008 starters. P.J. Hill, the ultra talented tailback, and Travis Beckum, one of the most highly touted TEs in college football. Defensively, the Badgers are senior laden with an elite linebacking crew. It may be his first season as a starter, but senior quarterback Allen Evridge has been around for a while. Look for the Badgers to lean heavily on the run and really pound it to the Zips.

Utah Utes (+3.5) @ Michigan Wolverines: (3:30pm EST, 8-30-2008)

The Utes are very good and should win their conference this season. Michigan lost too many good players and are in the midst of a complete turn-around with their new head coach, Rich Rodriguez. I don’t know what else to say besides this, Utah is the better team with a better mentality and they also have nothing to lose in this one. Sign me up for that every single week.

Oklahoma State Cowboys (-6) @ Washington State Cougars: (3:30pm EST, 8-30-2008)

The Cougars weren’t very good a year ago, usually open the season soft, don’t have much of a home-field advantage during the first few weeks of the college football season, lost their star quarterback to graduation, and don’t have much confidence either. Hmm… I don’t like Pac-10 teams that open their seasons against tougher conferences, and that’s what I think this is. The Cowboys might not finish above .500 and they’ll probably look really bad in some games - but not this one. This is a team that, last year showed they can play tight with Kansas and Texas, beat Kansas State, Texas Tech, and Indiana - so I surely like them against the Cougars.

Michigan State Spartans (+5) @ California Golden Bears (8:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

This isn’t me loving the Spartans as much as me down on the Bears. Cal has a super talented and amazingly fast sophomore running back in Jahvid Best, but besides that I’m not too impressed. They are supposed to have one of the top rated offenses in the Pac-10, but without a quarterback to deliver the bread, I’m not sure that will be the case. Michigan State’s defense isn’t dynamic, but I think they’ll stack the box and make Cal’s quarterbacks beat them. That’s what will be the undoing of the Bears in Week 1, I just don’t think they can beat the Spartans through the air.

Idaho Vandals @ Arizona Wildcats (-27): (10:00pm EST, 8-30-2008)

It seems like a lot of points, and it is, but I just have a feeling the Wildcats are going to go off for about 45 points in this one. They always run the ball hard and Idaho consistently can’t stop anybody else’s ground game. The Wildcats finished the season well, beating Washington, UCLA, and Oregon before losing to ASU by 3 points. The Wildcats really played well all season last year, losing to Stanford by 1, USC by 7, Oregon State by 2 scores. I like the Wildcats to get a little luck to sway their way this season - but that shouldn’t matter against the Vandals. Idaho was 1-11 in the WAC last season, and I expect much of the same this time around. This game wouldn’t surprise me if it was a 45-7 WIldcat blowout.

Week 14 College Football Picks Review: 2007

I needed some help in Week 14 after a couple stinkers, and I think I got just that! 4-1! On to the Bowls!

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

Free Picks: Week 14

Virginia Tech Hokies (-4.5) @ Boston College Eagles: win
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

The Hokies were the better team for the second straight game, and this time they came out of the game with a big win. To think, if they didn’t crumble in the last 4 minutes last time they played BC, they would be playing for the National Championship. I hate the BCS, by the way.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Central Florida Knights (-7.5): win
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

Boy, this was one of the easier picks of the week. Check out my free picks section to see how well I called this game. On the freaking button.

Army Black Knights @ Navy Midshipmen (-14): win
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

While this game was closer than I thought, it was my biggest bet of the week, and I sure am glad it won big for me. I needed the Midshipmen to come out and run all over the Knights, but Army was up to the challenge. However, a couple tough calls and some “fortunate turnovers” (fortunate for me) helped me get a huge win, and a nice 4-1 mark on my last week of the regular season.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+7.5) @ Nevada Wolfpack: loss
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

Well, my lone loss came in a game where I underestimated the Wolfpack’s talent. This was a killing, as the Bulldogs never stood a chance. They lacked the want to win all year long, losing too many close games, but in the end, they came out and put a hurting on the Bulldogs.

Oregon State Beavers (pk) @ Oregon Ducks: win
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

Vegas picked this well, but in the 2nd OT, the stronger team took the Cival War, and could very well end up in a better Bowl situation than their Green instate enemies.

Free College Football Picks Week 14 - 2007

After a tough go around in Week 13, I’m looking for a perfect final week of the College Football pre-bowl season. Enjoy the picks, and make that money! Some conference championships, and the chance to play for all the marbles. Huevos grande!

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

Free Picks: Week 14

Virginia Tech Hokies (-4.5) @ Boston College Eagles:
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

Last time around, the Eagles escaped Virginia Tech by the hair on Matt Ryan’s chinny chin, chin. This time, they won’t be so lucky. The Hokies have to be irked that they somehow crumbled in the final few minutes to lose a game on a deep Matt Ryan touchdown pass to his running back across his body on the opposite side of the field. Virginia Tech dominated that game, and they weren’t even playing as well as they are now. Sean Glennon has been playing inspired football, and the Tech defense is right on cue. Amazingly, these two ACC teams are almost identical. Both are 10-2 SU, 6-5 ATS. 6-1 at home, 4-1 on the road, each team scores 29 a game, and both are 6-5 O/U on the season. Virginia Tech allows less points per game defensively, and that should give them the nod in this game.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Central Florida Knights (-7.5):
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

This Conference USA Championship shouldn’t have much impact on any big Bowl games, but the Central Florida Knights and Tulsa Golden Hurricane are two teams that have put together an impressive conference run and second half of the season. One thing that is difficult about this game; it’s always hard to beat a good team twice in a season. But I think Central will walk away with this win. Both teams have 5 game winning streaks (CF is on a 6 game streak) and both have put up big points along the way. The difference is, Central Florida is winning big and Tulsa has been eeking out close games. Last time these two teams played, Central dominated the game by smashing a rushing attack right down the throats of Tulsa’s defense. The Knights rushed for 170 more yards than the Hurricane. I like that trend to continue in the C-USA finale.

Army Black Knights @ Navy Midshipmen (-14):
(Line: Thursday, 3:00pm EST: Belmont)

Two touchdowns is a lot in a rivalry game, but historically, the Midshipmen are used to embarrassing Army’s Black Knights. Last year, the final score was just 2