2009 Record
Overall: 108-43
Last Week: 12-5
Comment: The SEC made for easy pickings last week (8-0) with few close matchups, but in national games a 4-5 record calls for extra study hall.
Best Pick: Stanford has been a professor's pet all year and the Cardinal pulled off the predicted upset of red-hot Oregon.
Worst Pick: Notre Dame let the old prof down by falling to the Naval Academy.
Here is a fast-break version of this week's SEC and national picks.
Enjoy!
SEC Picks
Tennessee (5-4, 2-3) at Ole Miss (6-3, 2-3)
11 a.m. CT CBS Sports
Hollingsworth Field/Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (60,580)
Comment: Vols cannot shake off the arrest of three freshmen, and Ole Miss is on the way to a bowl berth.
Professor's Pick: Ole Miss
Kentucky (5-4, 1-4) at Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6)
11:21 a.m. CT SEC Network / ESPN360.com / ESPN GamePlan
Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773)
Comment: Commodores just trying to get to finish line ... home field helps, but not enough.
Professor's Pick: Kentucky
Florida (9-0, 7-0) at South Carolina (6-4, 3-4)
3:30 p.m. ET CBS Sports
Williams-Brice Stadium (80,250)
Comment: Gators continue quest for unbeaten season, but the Gamecocks could present problems. Florida sneaks by close.
Professor's Pick: Florida
Alabama (9-0, 6-0) at Mississippi State (4-5, 2-3)
6 p.m. CT ESPN
Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (55,082)
Comment: The Bullies are much improved this season, but should not be able to stem the Tide.
Professor's Pick: Alabama
Auburn (7-3, 3-3) at Georgia (5-4, 3-3)
7 p.m. ET ESPN2
Sanford Stadium (92,746)
Comment: South's oldest rivalry may be a high scoring affair as the offenses are pretty good and the defenses ... well, they are not. Dogs - barely.
Professor's Pick: Georgia
Louisiana Tech (3-6) at LSU (7-2, 4-2)
6 p.m. CT ESPNU
Tiger Stadium (92,400)
Comment: Upset alert for Bengal Tigers after tough loss in Tuscaloosa. LSU wins, but it might get a little crazy.
Professor's Pick: LSU
Troy (7-2) at Arkansas (5-4, 2-4)
6:30 p.m. CT CSS / ESPN360.com / ESPN GamePlan
Reynolds Razorback Stadium (72,000)
Comment: Pretty nice matchup of potent SEC and Sun Belt offenses ... of course there's quite a difference in those two leagues.
Professor's Pick: Arkansas
Selected National Picks
Penn at Harvard ... venerable Ivy League championship on the line in matchup of teams unbeaten in conference. Professor's Pick: Penn
Idaho at Boise State ... Pat Forde of ESPN calls it the Spud State Super Bowl; can the Vandals (what a great nickname) bust the Broncs? Professor's Pick: Boise State
Kansas State at Missouri ... Wildcats try to hold serve on road against Tigers. If K-State and Nebraska win, Big 12 North title will be on line the following week. Professor's Pick: Missouri
Georgia Tech at Duke ... Jackets can claim Coastal Division by beating Blue Devils. Professor's Pick: Georgia Tech
Arizona at Cal ... Mike Stoops is quietly positioning the Wildcats to play for the PAC-10 title against Oregon, but UA must get past Cal first. Professor's Pick: Arizona
Notre Dame at Pitt ... another checkpoint Charlie for the Irish; another loss probably means ND will be looking for a coach. Panthers are very much in contention for Big East BCS berth. Professor's Pick: Notre Dame
Cincinnati at West Virginia ... Big East continues to offer pretty good fare. Bearcats are poised for possible BCS title game if Texas or the SEC schools falter. Professor's Pick (Friday Special Picked Earlier): Cincy
Utah at TCU ... ESPN Game Day crew makes visit to Fort Worth as the Horned Frogs try to leap the last serious obstacle to a BCS bowl. Professor's Pick: TCU
Stanford at USC ... Cardinal knocked off Oregon last week, can they end SC conference hopes this Saturday? Professor's Pick: USC
Iowa at Ohio State ... winner gets the Big Ten BCS bowl berth: a trip to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl. Professor's Pick: Ohio State
See you at kickoff!
