Here is my top 6 ......we are still waiting on Handicappers picks.....
Michigan St -7 (5 units) Michingan St is at home coming off a HUGE inner state win last week against Michigan. They are 6-0 and host an Illinois team who dominated Penn St last week 33-13. Michigan St is coming off 2 impressive wins against Wisconsin and Michigan where they contained the two teams' top players, Wisconsin RB John Clay and Michigan QB Denard Robinson. This game is going to be one that is similiar to the previous two where they must contain RB Mikel Leshoure who had 119 yards rushing last week and a very fast QB in Nathan Scheelhaase. This game will be won on the defensive side of the field. I expect a low scoring game (Under the total of 51) as Illinois is primarily a running team. They average only 20 pass attempts per game thus far. Illinios has a pretty good defense also, Ranked 20th in the country. I look for Mich St QB Kirk Cousins to have another nice game controlling the offense along with this solid Spartan defense keeping the Fighting Illini out of the end zone. Michigan St 24-10
Southern Miss -14.5 (5 units) Southern Miss travels to Memphis after suffering a devastating loss last week against East Carolina. In that game, they dominated every statistical category except the one that mattered, the final score as the lost 44-43. The Golden Eagles put up over 400 total yards. QB Austin Davis had a very efficient game completing just over 50% of his passes but the key is he had no turnovers. In this game defensively, So Miss did a very good job holding the Pirates to only 338 total yards. Today, they take out all their aggression on a very terrible Memphis Tiger squad (1-5) who is ranked 112th offensively and 104th defensively in the country. Last week against Louiville, the 54th ranked defense in the country, the Tigers put up a goose egg on the board, losing in a blowout, 56-0. Southern Miss is alot better on defense bringing in the #16th top defense in the country. That, coupled with the Tigers abismal offense, this one should be over by half time. Southern Miss rolls 45-10
Pittsburgh +1 (2 units) Syracuse is enjoying a 4-1 season and is home today against BIG EAST oppenent Pitt. The panthers are working through a very disappointing season where they sit at 2-3 but all 3 of their losses have been against ranked teams. That is the key here. Losses at Notre Dame and Utah and then a crushing loss to Miami at home make up the 3 losses. Syracuse on paper looks pretty good but when you look at their 4 wins, 2 of them are against FCS teams (colgate and maine). They barely got by South Florida last week in a Field Goal Fest 13-9. Pittsburgh has played a much tougher schedule and they are playing this game as "spoilers" to knock off the Orangemen from a top of the Big East. I look for RB Ray Graham to have a big game against the tough Syracuse defense today. He is coming into the game averaging nearly 9 yrds/rush. Pitt is 6-1 against th spread following a home loss and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Big East games. This one is going to be decided by a field goal and I like Pitt to be on the winning side of this one upsetting, if you will, the Orange. Pitt 20-17
Ohio -17 (3 units) Ohio welcomes an Akron team that is just wishing the season would come to an end. After losing their 2nd game of the season to Div 1-AA Gardner-Webb, they knew it was gonna be a long season, and it has. They are 0-6 and are ranked near the bottom in every offensive and defensive category (116th offensively, 104th defensively). Ohio is coming off 2 straight wins against E.Michigan and Bowling Green in dominating fashion winning both by 2 TD's. Here, they are playing the doormat in the Mid-American conference today in what should be a laugher. Akron allowed 28 points last week to Kent who is one of the worst offensive teams in the country. Ohio should put up at least 40 here at home as Akron is a mirror image of Bowling Green. Expect Ohio to force Akron QB Patrick Nicely to throw some errant passes, as he has 5 Int's compared to his 3 TD's this season. Ohio has a very respectable defense (46th in the nation) and should force some TO's along with some 3 and out's. Akron can't stop anyone and the same will be said today. Ohio rolls today, 45-17
Nebraska -9.5 (5 units) This has been the most talked about matchup on the card. There seems to be as many Longhorn backers as Cornhuskers, however this one will go one way. UCLA exposed the Texas rush defense in week 4 as Jonathan Franklin rushed for 118 yards and Derrick Coleman rushed for another 94. In the Oklahoma game 2 weeks ago, the Longhorn defense gave up 360 yards and managed only 15 first downs against a very bad defensive Oklahoma team (ranked 96th in the country). Nebraska will not win this one on offense, it will be their 12th ranked defense that will shut down Texas. Don't get me wrong, Nebraska will run and pass against this Longhorn defense at will, but it will be dominated by the Cornhusker defense today. Expect Nebraska to be in the face of Texas QB Garret Gilbert who has already thrown 5 INT's this season. On offense, it will be a smash mouth, down your throat rushing attack headed by Nebraska's BIG 3: QB Taylor Martinez, RB Rex Burkhead, and FB Roy Helu all averaging over 7 yrds/rush. There is no way Texas slows down this rushing attack and there is no way Texas with their 69th ranked offense will be able to keep this one close. Nebraska wins this one by at least 2 TD's in a statement against a not very good texas team. Nebraska 42-14
Ohio St -3.5 ( 5 units) Ohio St travels to Wisconsin to take on the Badgers fresh off a win last week against a bad Minnesota team 41-23. In that game, John Clay rushed for 111 yrds and 3 TD's and James White added another 118 yrds on the ground. It is going to be a different story today. Minnesota ranks 96th in the country against the rush, Ohio St 4th! What Ohio St does the best on defense is stop the run. I expect Wisconsin to have difficulty get the rushing game going which will force QB Scott Tolzien to throw the ball into one of the best secondary's in the country as Ohio St ranks 10th in the country against the pass. On offense, Ohio St ranks 17th in the country behind superstar QB Terrelle Pryor who has 15 TD's and over 1300 yards so far this season. Wisconsin will keep this one close early but Ohio St will explode in the 2nd half as they have done in 5 of their 6 previous games. Ohio St by 2 TD's in this one. Ohio St 35-17
***Bonus plays***
Utah -20 (2 units)
Troy -19 (3 units)
Northern Illiniois -14 (3 units)
Hawaii +7 (2 units)
Good luck everyone today 