Minnesota/Wisconsin
The Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers will meet in the Big 10 game this Saturday. Wisconsin crept into the top 25 with a 5-1 start to the season and a 2-1 record in the Big 10 with its lone loss coming at Michigan. Minnesota is yet to record a Big 10 win as they are 0-3. The Gophers played Michigan in a 14-point game, which is much better than what Minnesota was able to do against the Wolverines, and they nearly beat the Nittany Lions last week. However, I like the Badgers’ running attack led by PJ Hill Jr. The Gophers have been giving up too many yards against the run at 164.3 per game. I like Wisconsin in this one at home 10-14, so put the 8.5 down if you’re approaching this matchup.
Iowa/Indiana
The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Purdue Boilermakers last Saturday in Iowa’s homecoming game. They will head to Bloomington to take on the Hoosiers this Saturday. Iowa finally got their running game going last week rushing for a season-high 286 yards. Oddly enough, Iowa’s best running game this season was when last year’s Big 10 rushing leader Albert Young was sidelined with a knee injury. Indiana’s defense is allowing a staggering 172 yards per game and they won’t have the luxury of trying to sit out the Iowa run or else Drew Tate will set them on fire through the air. My little lean is at the Hawks -19.5. Iowa leads this one by at least three touchdowns.
Iowa/Texas State
The Cyclones will have the misfortune of facing Oklahoma in Norman and the Sooners are coming off a tough loss to rival Texas. Iowa State’s offense has the ability to put some points on the board through the air, as Meyer is a good quarterback and Todd Blythe is a top-tier receiver. However, I question the Cyclones’ play and the offense hasn’t been able to play a full game. Oklahoma has the country’s elite running back and Iowa State is bad against the run allowing 145.3 yards per game. With the emotional factor of Adrian Peterson’s father watching him play his first college game and the Sooners coming off a loss, my inclination is to put up the points.
Missouri/Texas A&M
Missouri’s 6-0 start has the Tigers in the national rankings to the surprise of the national media. It won’t be easy for them to get to 7-0 as they travel to The Lonestar State to take on the Aggies. Texas A&M is 5-1 on the year with its only loss against Texas Tech two weeks ago. The Aggies are very used to playing at home as they have only played 1 away game this season. I’m not sure if it’s home field advantage or not, but A&M is averaging 203.3 rushing yards per game. Missouri’s defense is allowing just 72.7 yards per game on the ground and just 255 yards overall. This one will come down to which team wins the battle of the trenches. Will Texas A&M be able to run over another opponent or will Missouri be the force to stop the Aggies’ running game? Jimmy Boyd has you covered on Saturday’s big ABC showdown. Don’t touch this Big 12 matchup without first seeing who Jimmy Boyd is playing.
Mississippi/Alabama
The Rebels head to Alabama to take on the Crimson Tide in an SEC showdown on CBS. The Tide enter as 15-point favorites against the 2-4 Rebels. We knew going into this season we weren’t expecting much from Ole Miss, but with a strong performance last week in a win over Vanderbilt and with just a 9-14 loss to 10th-ranked Georgia, the Rebels are exceeding expectations. . The lack of a passing game has really hurt the team that Eli Manning used to fan him for. The Rebels average just 117.7 passing yards per game, which has translated into a very predictable offense. Alabama has also had trouble getting the ball into the end zone, as the Tide have scored only four more touchdowns than the Rebels, but Alabama’s defense has been very solid. Will a strong defensive effort from the Tide be enough to cover the points in this one? Jimmy Boyd has all your answers for Saturday’s Big SEC showdown.
Ohio State/Michigan State
The number one ranked Buckeyes travel to Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans in Saturday’s Big 10 battle. The Buckeyes come into this one on the longest winning streak in the nation at 13 straight wins. They started this streak last season with a come-from-behind win over the Spartans. After a solid win over the Hawkeyes in Iowa City in a Saturday night game, the Buckeyes had a vacation last week against Bowling Green. Michigan State has no such vacation, as it was handled by the conference and its in-state rival, Michigan. Even if Michigan State plays a perfect game this week at home, I think they still lose by two touchdowns. I know Ohio State has a big target on its back and teams are targeting the Buckeyes, but I truly believe Ohio State is head and shoulders above the rest this season. On the road though, this play on the Buckeyes isn’t nearly as strong. But the Buckeyes are still my little lean on this one.
UCLA/Oregon
UCLA and No. 18 Oregon face Saturday’s 2-1 matchup in Pac 10 play. Oregon is coming off a poor showing last week against Cal in which the Bears crushed the Ducks. UCLA, on the other hand, is coming off a solid 27-7 win over Arizona. If the Ducks play like they did last week, taking the 8.5 points UCLA is getting is an easy call, and that’s where I lean on this one. UCLA’s stingy defense allows just 50 rushing yards per game and just 171.6 passing. We all know Oregon has a high-powered offense averaging nearly 200 yards per game on the ground and 273.2 passing, but UCLA sees an opportunity to get past the Ducks in conference play and the Bruins will leave it all on the field. in this. If you’re playing this matchup, I suggest taking the points.
Baylor/Texas
Baylor is undefeated in Big 12 play. Did I stutter? All of that will end against the Longhorns this Saturday, but can the Bears keep this one in the number? Jimmy Boyd will lead you to an easy-as-pie winner in the Big 12 matchup. Texas’ defense doesn’t give up much, but Baylor’s philosophy of airing it out and seeing what happens makes it hard to prepare for the Bears and puts a lot of pressure on rival defenses. Will we see another 62-7 loss to the Longhorns or will the Bears close out the game? Take Jimmy Boyd’s winning angle on this one to the bank.
Florida/Auburn
The second-ranked Florida Gators collide with 11th-ranked Auburn in a high-profile SEC matchup. The bookies have made the Gators 2.5-point favorites on the road, but my slight inclination is that Auburn spoils Florida’s unbeaten season this Saturday. We knew the Gators had great offensive potential and have lived up to it, but no one could have foreseen such a strong defense. However, Auburn seems to have a defense to match and the Tigers are very good against the pass, giving up just over 150 yards per game. I like the Auburn Tigers at home.
Arizona State/USC
USC is a perfect 5-0 this season and 3-0 in the Pac 10 to extend its Pac 10 winning streak to 26 straight games. However, he got the feeling last week, after just a 26-20 win over Washington, that someone is close to having USC’s number. The Sun Devils are 0-2 in conference play, being outscored by Cal and Oregon in back-to-back weeks. The state of Arizona is excited to play the Trojans. They beat Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and company 21-3 last season before losing 38-28. USC doesn’t have as powerful an offense this season and I’ll lean towards taking the +18.5 Sun Devils this one.
Michigan/Penn State
After a lackluster season by Michigan standards, the Wolverines have responded with a 6-0 start and it looks like we’re heading towards an unbeaten matchup between Michigan and Ohio State to decide the Big 10 championship. But we can’t underestimate the ability of Joe Pa to prepare their teams and I think home field advantage for the Nittany Lions will be key in this one. Penn State must execute football well to be effective and I just can’t see the Lions executing it well enough against Michigan’s top-tier defensive front, allowing just 40.3 rushing yards per game. The Wolverines may be touchy in the air, but I don’t think quarterback Anthony Morelli is ready to beat a team of Michigan’s caliber. I’m putting the points on the Wolverines.
