Friday, November 8, 2013

Weekly Game Guide: Better Late Than Never Edition

Hopefully Penn State will take the field on Saturday faster than this post hit the web.

Last night, Baylor pounded Oklahoma 41-12, hoping to leap frog Ohio State in the BCS Bonanza.  Meanwhile, Buckeye fans were celebrating Stanford's 26-20 win over Oregon.  If a tree falls on a duck in the forest, does it make a sound?  Maybe Baylor AND Stanford leave O$U in the dust?

The line with the Gophers opened around 2-2.5 points, and is currently 1.5 points this morning.  Penn State has not played well on the road, with somewhat embarrassing losses to Indiana and Ohio State.  It is clichéd, but the Lions must control the line of scrimmage, hold the Gophers on the ground, limit their mistakes, and come up with a few big plays.  It's a formula that will win a lot of games, but you still have to execute it.  We fumbled on the goal line last week and still won--but you can't depend on that kind of tenacity to win games on the road.

On to the Big Ten . . .

Nebraska is a 7 point underdog to THEM in Ann Arbor.   GO HUSKERS!

Wisconsin is favored by 7.5 points over BYU.  ON WISCONSIN!

The Hoosiers are favored (will wonders never cease?) by 9 points over the hapless Illini.  GO HOOSIERS!

The Hawks are favored by 15 points over Purdue.  Sooner or later, Purdue is going to win a B1G game.  It could be this year.  Maybe 2020.  Who knows?  I'd rather it not be against us, so let's hope the little Boilermakers are Spoilermakers this weekend and upset the Hawks.  GO PURDUE!

Ohio State is off this week, which will likely hurt them in the BCS rankings.  As suggested above, both Stanford and Baylor may pass them up due to performances over top 10 teams this week.  Northwestern and Michigan State are also off this weekend.

In games around the country:

F$U is heavily favored over Wake Forest and looks to move up in the wake of the Ducks loss.  GO NOLES!

Bama is favored by, let me check that--double digits!--by 12.5 over LSU.  ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Notre Dame is favored by 4.5 over the Panthers.  I don't normally root for Pitt, but this is the Irish we're talking about here.  GO PITT!

Future B1G team Maryland is favored by 5 over Syracuse.  GO TERPS!

GO STATE!  WHACK GOPHERS!

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