Picks Trying not to Suck: Week 3
A hot start has given Homerism a three-game lead after two weeks. When you're 9-1 ATS, not many other ways to go but down.
This week's picks...
The Skinny
(Last Week: 2-3; Overall: 6-4)
UCLA at Nebraska (-4.5) - There is a huge void in SoCal for UCLA to fill. Call it a hunch, but I think Jim Mora Jr. does well in Westwood. I'm not sure there are enough Cowboy handshakes in the world to propel Nebraska beyond a perennial 9-3 team. But, at the moment, the Huskers are better than the Bruins, especially at 9 a.m. LA time in Lincoln.
Pick: I'll take NU by a TD.
Bowling Green at IU (-2.5) - Buying the Hoosiers low here after last week's surprising (sort of) loss to Navy.
Pick: Bowling Green is better than people think, but I think IU wins at home.
Fresno St. at Colorado (+10) - The Bulldogs aren't 10 points better than Colorado on any field. I don't like that Fresno is everyone's favorite "BCS Buster."
Pick: I'll sell Fresno high and buy Colorado low at home.
Kansas at Rice (-6.5) - It's hard to imagine a worse start to 2013 for the Big 12:
- Texas fired its defensive coordinator after its second game;
- TCU lost its starting QB for eight weeks; and
- Arguably the worst scandal in the history of the sport at Oklahoma State broke this week.
Pick: If those aren't bad enough, you can add Rice trouncing the Jayhawks to a mounting list of embarrassing losses on the field.
Southern Miss (+22) at Arky - Bret Bielema has been a bit slow out of the gate in Fayetteville.
Pick: Southern Miss keeps this one just close enough.
Blatant Homerism
(Last Week: 5-0; Overall: 9-1)
TCU (-3) at Texas Tech - This line feels short to me, which should give me reason to stay away. I just can't, though. Gary Patterson's defense against a freshman quarterback making his third start just sounds too tempting.
Pick: Horned Frogs by two field goals.
Stanford at Army (+30) - I'm still of the opinion that the Cardinal are overrated. In terms of the situation, I'm fading the team traveling cross-country for an early kickoff.
Pick: Not enough, Stanford.
Kansas (+6.5) at Rice - Does Kansas suck? Yes. Is Rice not too bad? Yes. Does Kansas suck worse than Rice is not too bad? No.
Pick: Wrong team favored, in my opinion. No, seriously.
Boston College at USC (-14) - The Trojans looked like dump last week in dumping one to Washington State. Southern Cal's horrific quarterback play, however, has overshadowed a major defensive turnaround under new coordinator Clancy "Macho Man" Pendergast. B.C. will have a really tough time moving the ball.
Pick: USC, 24-3.
Alabama (-7.5) at Texas A&M - I feel almost obligated to give a pick here, given the hype surrounding this game. Callers on Paul Finebaum's radio program have provided hourly reminders this offseason that Nick Saban has been "coaching 'em up" in preparation for a revenge date with the Johnny Manziel and the Aggies. Don't ask me what that means, because I haven't seen anyone devise an effective way to slow A&M since Kevin Sumlin decided to let Johnny be Johnny. I think A&M may actually have the bigger problem on its hands, though: a really mediocre front seven on D.
Pick: Tide roll, 35-24.