5th and inches - Week 4

Greetings all. A little Fall-like temps in the air have us primed for college foobaw this weekend.

11-3 against the line last weekend, so there's all kinds of phony money to play with this weekend. Not that I'm picking Rice to upset Texas or anything. Or SMU over TCU. Or Army or Akron. Wait, I think I picked that one...

For the year now, 26-14 against the line, 46-9 on straight up winners/losers. Here we go.

**Thursday**

#21 West Virginia (3) @ Colorado (ESPN HD) - Nightime in Boulder is a scary place to play the footballs, and with Pat White being counted on to throw the ball more for the Mounties, I don't like them here. Colorado...26-21.

**Friday**

Baylor (ESPN2 HD) @ U Connecticut (14) - Game 3 of this week's Big 12/Big East Challenge or something like that (Game 1 was Wednesday night) as the Bears hit the road for the first time this year. They're doing so fresh off a convincing win over a BCS opponent in Washington State, which is maybe like bragging about a photo shoot with Jenna Jameson and then being asked "Yeah, but have you seen her LATELY??" Hard to like the Bears on a long, long trip North. UConn...31-18.

**Saturday**

UMass @ #11 Texas Tech - No line here for another colossal showdown with Top 15 programs from two different divisions. UMass has had trouble stopping the likes of Holy Cross and James Madison. Michael Crabtree doesn't have his own university yet, but he should see plenty of green space on Saturday. Tech...51-14.

Rice (FSN HD) @ #7 Texas (30') - No reason not to take the 'Horns here, even if they whine about their pass defense. Texas...46-13.

Miami (3) @ Texas A&M (ABC HD) - Maybe the real moment when we all knew that Fran was canned was the Thursday night debacle in Miami last year when A&M went nowhere all night and Miami suddenly looked like Miami of old. They've since come down a little bit while A&M has looked about the same. Jerod Johnson could actually be a difference maker if he can get on the field...which might mean he has to sack Stephen McGee when no one is looking. Miami...19-14.

Buffalo (FSN PPV) @ #5 Mizzou (33') - I mean seriously...can Buffalo score 17 points? If so, and they lose 50-17...it's a cover by a hook. I was lovin' me some hooks last weekend. Mizzou...49-17.

Iowa St. (The Mountain) @ UNLV (3) - What the hell is The Mountain? Is that like "Go Watch it on the Mountain"? And if that's a network and that becomes their slogan, I demand some royalties. These 2 played in Ames last year and UNLV appeared to have scored on the game's final play, but it was ruled no catch and then apparently there was no review. Their head coach chased the officials into the locker room, then ran back out (and fell down) and refused to take his team off the field for quite some time. Now they get the rematch in the desert, a week after a huge road win in the other desert - or is technically the same desert - at Arizona State. UNLV...27-18.

Sam Houston (FCS Central) @ #19 Kansas - A week after blowing a 20-3 road lead by surrendering a 31-point outburst, only to tie it and then watch it slip away on the foot of a true Frosh kicker after a terrible INT decision by their all-everything quarterback...Mark Mangino is still very large. Kansas...61-7.

Akron (7) @ ARMY (ESPN Classic) - I figure if I pick ARMY enough times straight, eventually they'll cover. ARMY...24-21.

Notre Dame (ABC/ESPN) @ Michigan State (8') - From one Michigan to another, the Domers head to East Lansing. The last time they were there they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to the point where the State radio guy had such an on-air meltdown the following week I don't think he's there anymore. Michigan State...31-24.

TCU (24) @ SMU (CBS College) - June Jones rudely introduced to the Metromess rivalry. TCU...41-14.

Va. Tech (ABC/ESPN) @ North Carolina (1') - Va. Tech is starting to rival Oregon for the worst unis in college football. Big opportunity here for UNC to get back onto a "stage" of some sort, after failing to capitalize on the Miami win of a few years ago. UNC...19-17.

#3 Georgia (6') @ Arizona State (ABC HD) - Georgia keeps winning and then getting jumped in the rankings. That's gotta piss off someone. Georgia...34-24.

#4 Florida (7') @ Tennessee (CBS HD) - It's never easy to go more than a TD on the road in the SEC. Signed, Auburn fans celebrating their 3-2 win over Mississippi State last weekend. Florida...20-14.

#6 LSU (2) @ #10 Auburn (ESPN HD) - We've got your safety right here. Signed, LSU fans. LSU...16-6.

#18 Wake Forest (ESPN2 HD) @ #24 Florida State (4') - Wake is ranked higher going into Tallahassee, and has beaten the 'Noles 2 straight, including 30-0 last time at Doak Campbell. Pretty sure I never thought I'd say that in the history of ever. Pretty sure I never thought it'd be 3 straight, either. Wake...27-24.