Weekly Pick'em

Alright, this is the last regular season pick'em. Hopefully we will set up another Yahoo! Pick'em league for the Bowl Games. Anyways, as the college football season comes to a close, it seems as though not much has happened. At first I was kind of disappointed at the lack of drama this season, but then as I looked back on it, this was actually a very entertaining season. Here are some of the biggest stories of the season according to me:

1) LeGarrett Blount knocking out a douchebag from Boise State.
2) The Charlie Weis Enormously Large Hot Seat
3) How the NCAA is going to handle at least 3 undefeated teams at the end of the year.
4) Bobby Bowden Retiring
5) Iowa fans getting excited about an average football team
6) Michigan fans getting excited about a dogshit football team.
7) USC underachieving yet again
8) The horrible Death of UConn's Jasper Howard and the team during the aftermath.
9) Everyone giving the Heisman to Tebow or McCoy even though 3 other people deserve it.
10) Sam Bradford and Oklahoma getting "Tom Brady'd"

I'm sure I am missing at least 100 other things that made this season pretty exceptional to watch. Realistically, when Illinois is garbage like they were this season, I usually tune out most of the rest of the college football landscape, but this year I couldn't do it. Really fun year, and the Bowls should be great to watch. With that in mind, here is Durty Butter's Championship week Pick'em.

Illinois -3 at home against Fresno State

Since it is the last game for the Illini this season, I had to pick them. I love Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn, and it will be pretty sad to see them for the last time together on the field. As disappointed as most of you are with the way the team performed this year, make no mistake about how much both of these guys did to change the attitude of Illinois football. Even when Ron Turner was winning games, no one really gave a shit like they do now. While most people are going to remember the last 2 seasons in the short term, don't forget that Juice and Benn led us to our first victory over a #1 ranked team in 50 years, our first Rose Bowl in over 20 years, and back to back wins over Michigan for the first time in god knows how long. For all the bad, there was a whole hell of a lot of good, and it will be a sad day for Illinois sports when they walk off of the field on Saturday.
On Senior Day, you can usually throw out all of the bullshit that has happened during the year. Plain and simple, Illinois has more talent than Fresno State, and on Saturday, they actually have something to play for. You are going to see the offense step up, and hopefully you will see an inspired defense. I hope!

Pittsburgh +2 against Cincinnati

As much as I liked Cincinnati's offense last week, their defense was very average. Pitt has a better defense than Illinois does, so maybe they could actually stop Tony Pike a few times. Also I think that the Notre Dame rumors are going to be a bit of a distraction. Also I like the story of Cincinnati being undefeated coming into this game, everyone talking about how they want a playoff instead of the BCS, and then Cincinnati shits the bed and doesn't even make a BCS game. Usually the college football landscape seems to work its way out by the end of the season, and it most likely will this season too. Texas and Florida will be undefeated and play in the Championship game. TCU and Boise State will go undefeated, but it won't matter because people will still be able to say that neither of them play anyone good all season. The debate will rage on whether or not their should be a playoff, and trust me, their never will be. Teams, Conferences, and the NCAA make way too much money in the current system. Why change a system that makes you a ass load of money, especially when their is no imminent danger of that money going away? Are sponsors and football fans going to be so upset that Boise State can't play in a National Championship that they are going to boycott college football until there is a change? Hell no!! Even if people started doing this, do you realize how many people would have to give up on college football for it to even make a dent? It is impossible.

Florida -5.5 against Alabama

I know someone who is going to be really pissed about this pick, but Florida is just a better team. Alabama revolves around 3 people on offense. The QB, RB and 1 WR. Take any of them away, and Alabama becomes very, very average on offense. Florida has 38 running backs, and it seems like even their offensive lineman could play wide out if necessary. If Alabama can keep Florida's offense in check then they have a shot, but the offense looked good last week. The world wants to see Tebow vs. McCoy in the National Championship game, and it will happen.

Nebraska +14.5 against Texas

This game is too big to have such a large spread. Do I think Nebraska will win? Shit no! But they will put up a decent fight to try and stop Texas from getting to the National Championship game. Nebraska is not a great offensive team, but they do have a really good defense. Texas is not the Texas that they have been in the past 2 seasons. Colt McCoy is going to try to put up huge numbers to seal the Heisman, but really it is already sealed up. Nobody wants to give Tebow the Heisman again because he had a very average year compared to his last 2. They aren't going to give it to a running back, because football has become a pass happy sport, so the only way you are going to beat a QB is to put up Playstation numbers. McCoy would have to throw at least 4 picks, fumble once and shoot a puppy at midfield to lose the Heisman. Write it down.

New Mexico State +47.5 @ Boise State

New Mexico State is bad, make no mistake. I am making this pick for 2 reasons. First Pac-Man picked NMSU to cover a 44.5 point spread against Ohio State. The final was 45-0, absolutely brutal loss in an absolutely meaningless game. Second a lot of my friends live in Boise, and they can't stand all of this Bronco shit, or as we used to say in football camp there: "Fuck this blue turf bullshit!" I've always hated Boise State, and I always will. Anyways, there is no chance that they can jump 4 teams to get in the National Championship, so they will probably take their foot off of the pedal late in the game. Coach Peterson seems like a decent guy, and honestly, BSU could have blown a lot of the teams that they played out worse than they had. BSU hasn't beaten anyone by 48 points this year, and I doubt they start now, plus it is fun as hell to pick an enormous line and watch the points add up.

Well that is it, we will be back with a Bowl Pick'em, and an Illini recap on the season.