Picks of the Week: No. 4

Guess I'm wimping out this week. I like Bowling Green to cover against Boise State, and Iowa to cover at Penn State. Heck, I even like TCU to cover at Clemson, but I'm not taking any of those games. Forgive me, but I need to improve on my record.

Here's my shot at a better record.

Miami (-2.0) over Virginia Tech
Miami is not back yet. The Hurricanes are much better than most expected, but championship UM teams are better than this squad. However, Randy Shannon's team is oozing confidence and they are more talented than the Hokies. Force Tyrod Taylor to throw and it's an easy win for Miami.
Pick: Miami 33, Virginia Tech 22

Florida Sate (-14.0) over South Florida
A week ago I would have taken the Bulls and the points. Matt Grothe and his ACL tear changes things a bit. Now Christian Ponder will be the best quarterback in this game. Hell, E.J. Manuel may be the second-best QB in Tallahassee. The Noles are rolling into this game following last week's win at BYU. The Bulls are just reeling.
Pick: FSU 34, South Florida 14

Ohio State (-14.0) over Illinois
Been reading all week how Illinois upset OSU two years ago in The Shoe. It's not going to happen, and the Illini won't even cover. The Buckeyes are still the best team in the Big Ten and they'll prove that again this week with a stout defensive performance.
Pick: Ohio State 28, Illinois 13

Alabama (-17.5) over Arkansas
Did you see all of those points the Razorbacks scored against Georgia? Sure, but Arkansas lost. Now Bobby Petrino must get his offense ready to play a much more aggressive and speedy defense. Bama will roll easily.
Pick: Alabama 48, Arkansas 21

Upset of the Week Texas Tech (+1.0) over Houston
The Red Raiders surprised me in a close loss to Texas last week in Austin. Houston had its moment at Oklahoma State. QB Taylor Potts fits well into Mike Leach's system and he'll pick apart the Cougars defense.
Pick: Texas Tech 42, Houston 30

Last Week: 3-2
Season Record: 8-7