Sports Editor Brad Carroll takes a look at the top college football games of the dayLAST WEEK: 3-3-1 (spread); 6-1 (overall); 0-0 (upset picks)
THIS SEASON: 7-6-1 (spread); 10-4 (overall); 1-0 (upset picks)
No. 5 Ohio State at No. 1 Southern Cal; 8 p.m.; ABC
The Skinny: The question is whether or not Ohio State will actually show up and play well in a big game. The Buckeyes haven’t done it in recent times – getting blown out in the last two national championship games. Can they beat USC tonight in the biggest game of the season? Even with Beanie Wells at RB (he’s doubtful) I don’t think Ohio State would stand a chance. OSU barely beat Ohio last week. USC and QB Mark Sanchez (AP photo, right) are just too good. The Pick: Southern Cal (-11.5) wins it 31-17.
No. 2 Georgia at South Carolina; 3:30 p.m.; CBS
The Skinny: Georgia has scored just one TD in its last two meetings against South Carolina, and QB Matthew Stafford has struggled mightily, which doesn’t bode well for the Bulldogs against the Gamecocks’ stellar defense today. The bottom line, however, is the South Carolina offense, which is basically non-existent. South Carolina lost to Vanderbilt last week and has scored just 23 points in losing its last three home games against Georgia. The Pick: Georgia (-7.5) wins it 27-17.
No. 3 Oklahoma at Washington; 7:45 p.m.; ESPN
The Skinny: Washington fell to 11-27 under coach Ty Willingham after a demoralizing loss to BYU last week. QB Jake Locker scored a potential game-tying TD with two seconds left, and in the moment, threw the ball into the air to celebrate. The refs called a bogus 15-yard penalty and the extra point kick was blocked, giving BYU the win. I just can’t see Washington bouncing back, especially with Oklahoma in town. The Pick: Oklahoma (-21) wins it 45-20.
No. 9 Auburn at Mississippi State; 7 p.m.; ESPN2
The Skinny: Auburn has a new spread offense this year, and the growing pains have been seen on the field already. But the QB competition that had continued through the first two games is finally settled, with junior college transfer Chris Todd winning the job. Auburn is hoping that will get the offense on track. Mississippi State stunned Auburn on the road last year, 19-14, but lost its season opener to Louisiana Tech, 22-14. The Pick: Auburn (-10) wins it 35-14.
No. 10 Wisconsin at No. 21 Fresno State; 10:30 p.m.; ESPN2
The Skinny: Is it just me, or is there fewer and fewer afternoon college football games on TV? The biggest games used to be at 3:30 and a ton of other games were played at noon. But here we are with another huge matchup played late night. It’s wrong, but we all know it’s about money, so it won’t change anytime soon. This will be one of the best games of the day, and Fresno State will prove they belong on the big stage. The Pick: Fresno State (+2.5) wins it 27-24.
No. 17 Penn State at Syracuse; 3:30 p.m.; ABC
The Skinny: It’s not surprising that Penn State has had so many disciplinary problems in recent years. When a college team has fallen on hard times, and is looking to recapture old glory, the acceptance standards go way down. It’s the same with teams trying to build from the ground up. Joe Paterno lowered the standards, and now he’s feeling the heat because of it. The Pick: Penn State (-28) wins it 45-7.
Michigan at Notre Dame; 3:30 p.m.; NBC
The Pick: Michigan (-2) wins it 20-14. Brad’s brother, Craig Carroll, is back to defend his championship from a year ago. He finished with a 4-2-1 record last week, moving his season mark to 6-7-1. Here are his picks for the week: Ohio State, Georgia, Washington, Auburn, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan.
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