College Football Predictions - 11/18

Am I even allowed to make predictions anymore?

Despite starting off the first seven weeks of the season with a solid 70% (!) accuracy rate, I've been throttled the last three weeks going a decent 19-13 (59%) picking the winner, but an absolutely pedestrian 14-18 (44%) against the line. Though I have to admit that last week, I could hardly help going 6-5 (5-6 spread) - I mean, Texas, Auburn and Cal all lose and Florida barely squeezes out a last-second, one-point win - and ALL to unranked teams?!?! That kind of karmic catastrophe cannot continue.

This week we have the game. The championship before the championship. Who's not looking forward to the Michigan - Ohio State showdown? We have two longtime rivals - some say the best rivalry in college football - unbeaten and facing off ranked #1 and #2. I want Michigan to win this game. After OSU's undeserved 2002 championship, I relish their defeat. But man, these Buckeyes are good. Troy Smith is a superstar. But I'm hoping that the highly touted Michigan D is up to the task.

Not just hoping, I'm betting on it. (Though not a lot of $... sometimes defenses forget how to play in rivalry games.)

The Upsets:
Michigan 28 - Ohio State 27. (Take Michigan +7)
Virginia Tech 21 - Wake Forest 20. (Take VTech +2)

The Battles:
USC 35 - California 33. (Take Cal +6)
Rutgers 30 - Cincinnati 21. (Take Rutgers -6)
Auburn 19 - Alabama 13. (Take Auburn -3)
Boston College 24 - Maryland 23. (Take Maryland +8.5)
Miami 23 - Virginia 17. (Tentatively take Miami -3)

The Blowouts:
Notre Dame 45 - Army 6. (Take ND -29)
Georgia Tech 37 - Duke 10. (Take GaTech -22.5)
Penn State 30 - Michigan State 16. (Tentatively take Michigan State +18)

Record To Date: 61-30 (55-37)