RichRod: Shell of his former 'cocky' self

This man looks spent. Do you think he'd like to go back to Dec. 16, 2007, and tell Bill Martin "No"? Hey Rich, 5-7 and no bowl is a real possibility now.

Picks of the Week: No. 9

The 'Eer's run above .500 came to a quick halt after going 1-4 last week, and that didn't include any ACC games. Let's give it another shot this week and see if I can pull out a few wins.

Wisconsin (-7.0) over Purdue
The Badgers are looking to become bowl eligible, which is much more than many thought this team could do at the beginning of the season. Wisconsin has dropped two straight against Ohio State and Iowa after opening 5-0, but it should get back on track with the home game against the Boilermakers. Purdue had its big win this season over Ohio State. It won't happen again.
Pick: Wisconsin 34, Purdue 13

Cincinnati (-15.0) over Syracuse
Give Syracuse credit for being much more competitive under new coach Doug Marrone. But the Orange don't have the talent to compete against the Big East's premiere team. Even without Tony Pike, the Bearcats will be just fine with Zach Collaros at QB. Also Mardy Gilyard continues to be one of the most explosive and dependable receivers in the game.
Pick: Cincinnati 38, Syracuse 10

Michigan (-7.0) over Illinois
The Wolverines are banged up and their defensive has been struggling under coordinator Greg Robinson. But Michigan needs this win to also become bowl eligible and move up into the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. It shouldn't be a problem since the Fighting Illini are a mess under Ron Zook.
Pick: Michigan 27, Illinois 12

Boise State (-35.0) over San Jose State
This goes against everything I believe in when picking a game. To think Boise enters the game down 35-0 is tough for me to stomach, but the Broncos are trying to impress voters and computers so they'll score at will against the 1-5 Spartans. San Jose had an extra week to prepare, but it won't help against Kellen Moore and a Boise offense that is averaging more than 40 points a game.
Pick: Boise State 56, San Jose State 14

Upset of the Week
Iowa State (+7.0) over Texas A&M
The Aggies ended a three-game skid with a shocking 52-30 win over Texas Tech, but don't expect A&M to win two straight. Iowa State is playing outstanding under first-year coach Paul Rhoads, including a 9-7 win at Nebraska last week. Behind QB Austen Arnaud, the Cyclones will find a way to win again on the road.
Pick: Iowa State 29, Texas A&M 21

Last Week: 1-4
Season Record: 20-20

Podcast: Episode 45

It seems like almost every college football fan agrees that Florida, Alabama and Texas are the top three teams in the nation (pick the order). So does it seem odd that all three seem to have glaring weaknesses and there is no dominant team in any conference. So let the season play out and see what happens.

Phil and Tom also dissect the problems with Ohio State following the Buckeyes surprise loss to Purdue, as well as take on the BCS system. During Quick Hitters we discuss Charlie Weis and moral victories, Tony Pike and the Bearcats' future, as well as our thoughts on the Heisman race.

Enjoy.

Picks of the Week: No. 7

Don't ask me why, but the 'Eer has decided to venture back to the ACC to pick games. That can't be good. The 'Eer also had another winning week, but he still wants that perfect week. Maybe this is it.

Connecticut (-13.0) over Louisville
UConn is so close to being 5-0 right now. The Huskies outplayed Pitt last week, but fell 24-21 at Heinz Field. Nothing helps you avoid a losing skid than seeing Louisville on the schedule. The Cardinals did pull out a 25-23 win over Southern Miss last week, but the Steve Kragthorpe watch is such a distraction and UConn's defense is stingy, so Louisville will struggle in the cold at Rentschler Field.
Pick: Connecticut 28, Louisville 13

Miami (-14.5) over Central Florida
There's always a concern the Hurricanes will let up a bit after that treacherous four-game stretch to start the season. Last week, Miami handled Florida A&M 48-16. This week Randy Shannon is putting his players on charter buses and traveling four hours up the Florida Turnpike to face UCF. Jacory Harris will remain is cool self and lead Miami to an easy win in Orlando.
Pick: Miami 36, Central Florida 10

Ohio State (-13.5) over Purdue
Only 13.5 points? Sure the game is at Ross-Ade Stadium, but the Boilermakers are no match for Ohio State. There are a lot of concerns about the Buckeyes offense, especially the lack of consistency and improvement by sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor. But this is a perfect opportunity to let Pryor work out of his rut, plus the Ohio State defense should pitch another shut out.
Pick: Ohio State 34, Purdue 3

Temple (-9.5) over Army
I couldn't pass up this game. When's the last time Temple and Army were both .500 or better this late in the season? The Owls are 3-2, but lead the Mid-American Conference East Division at 3-0. Temple is also riding a three-game winning streak after falling to FCS-opponent Villanova in the opener and then it was thumped by Penn State. Freshman RB Bernard Pierce is the offensive catalyst. The Black Knights are coming off a huge 16-13 overtime victory against Vanderbilt. Expect QB Brent Steelman to run the ball about three more times than he passes.
Pick: Temple 31, Army 21

Upset of the Week
Wake Forest (+7.0) over Clemson
This pick is based strictly on the two coaches. Wake's Jim Grobe is among the nation's best, while Clemson's Dabo Swinney hasn't impressed many with his preparation (he sure does run around yelling and does a good job of playing a cheerleader). What scares me about this pick? The Tigers are more talented and the game is at Clemson. RB C.J. Spiller is the best player on the field. But don't pick against Grobe in this one.
Pick: Wake Forest 22, Clemson 21

Last Week: 3-2
Season Record: 16-14

Bringing boring football practice into your living room since 2008

The Big Ten Network has had its share of detractors (ahem, yours truly), but even I will admit that the preseason traveling show "Big Ten Tour" has sucked me in. (I'm not sure if that's more of an indictment of my lack of personal life or that I'm just excited for football. I will neither confirm nor deny that I'm currently watching a Purdue pass rush drill.) The show itself is standard fare Big Ten Network clatter - cliche-filled coach interviews, cliche-filled player interviews, cliche-filled analysis. BUT, if you're a fan of a program that locks down preseason practice like it's a CIA black ops (I'm looking at you, Jim Tressel) it's a rare chance to see players in action. If it were up to Tress, I'd imagine the non-conference games wouldn't even be televised just to keep Big Ten opponents from discovering he enjoys running the Power O on first down.

So, rock on, Big Ten Network.

And for the love of God, Revsine, put on some damn socks.

Marve headed to the Big TEleven?

According to the Indianapolis Star, former Miami, Fla. quarterback Robert Marve has Purdue in the lead for his now transfer-ready services.

This seems like a shockingly good fit for Marve. A decent football program with a new coach. He's not overshooting his ability like Mitch Mustain's ill-fated USC transfer and he's getting out of the South and away from all the SEC/Miami/Florida badmouthing that was going on before. Might do Marve some good to get out of the Sunshine state.

Other quarterback transfer news, former Michigan QB Steven Threet is now at Arizona State.

This is Threet's third school. He started at Georgia Tech, went to UM and now ASU. Whoopty-doo. Hey Sun Devils, if this kid ever sees any meaningful playing time, that's not good news.