What started as a Sunday-Wednesday trip has turned into a Sunday-Saturday trip. I did get out a couple times, and the food here is always “too full” good. It hasn't been all bad.
Great group of games this weekend, and I’ll most likely be missing most of them. Very frustrating. I hope to see the Oklahoma-Texas game before I spend more time sitting in the airport hoping for a glimpse of the Huskers.
I'm feeling out of touch this week, maybe that has to do with why I get the feeling we'll see more upsets. Time for someone else big to go down. Missouri? LSU? Oklahoma? Is Kansas a big name?
LSU @ Florida
LSU favored by 6
Husker Mike: Memo to Les Miles bunch: don't brag about knocking the other team's quarterback out before the game even kicks off. Even if you think you can do it.
Tigers 27, Gators 20
Corn Blight: The Swamp is a tough place to play for experienced quarterbacks, so imagine the chore that’s in front of LSU’s true freshman Jarrett Lee. I don’t think he’ll pass the test. That leaves the Tigers with Andrew Hatch - there's a reason he's not starting, though.
Besides, it’s time for these top SEC teams to start knocking each other out of contention. I'm picking the home team.
Gators 28, Geaux Tigers 23
Penn State @ Wisconsin
Penn State favored by 5.5
Husker Mike: Badgers have blown two late leads in a row. Make that three?
Fighting JoePas 24, Bucky 20
Corn Blight: Good point about blowing leads, it gets to a team after a while. And the NItts are on a roll, starting conference play 3-0 for the first time since 2000.
Nitts 28, Badgers 23
Arkansas @ Auburn
Auburn favored by 19
Husker Mike: 19 should be the over/under for this stinker.
Auburn 13, Arkansas 2
Corn Blight: A team that fired their offensive coordinator mid-season against a team that hasn't found an identity. Hasn't found much to speak of yet.
Auburn 8, Arkansas 7
Iowa State @ Baylor
Baylor favored by 4.5
Husker Mike: Iowa State has looked decent at times...especially leading Kansas at halftime. But with the exception of the season opener against Wake Forest and last week against the Sooners, Baylor doesn't look like the bottom feeder they've traditionally been.
Bears 31, Clones 23
Corn Blight: I was ready to pick Iowa State last week, but they're not there yet. They're still not there yet because this one is on the road.
Baylor Bears 38, Cyclones 34
Colorado @ Kansas
Kansas favored by 14
Husker Mike: Kansas woke up at halftime last week. Colorado has been asleep the last two weeks. Dan Hawkins is the latest Big XII coach to get a contract extension that might be a little premature, following Ron Prince and Bill Callahan.
Jayhawks 38, Buffies 13
Corn Blight: Colorado has some great young players but they're inconsistent, wildly inconsistent. Still, Colorado wins a game they shouldn't at least once a year. I think I'm going with the idea that Dan Hawkins won't lose three games in a row, and Kansas still can't find a way to run the ball. This time it hurts them.
Buffaloes 27, Jayhawks 25
Oklahoma State @ Missouri
Missouri favored by 14
Husker Mike: If you miss the old wild and wacky WAC, where the two teams combined for over 100 points, you'll love this game. Could Missouri be looking ahead to a date with the Bovines? Oklahoma State's rushing attack might be their best defense against the Tiger offense.
"Don't Spit On Me!" 52, "I'm a man! I'm" 40
Corn Blight: An interesting match up. I've been bashing on Missouri so much this week, it'd look like I hate them if I picked against them here. A let down after bashing Nebraska for the first time in Lincoln in 30 years (you knew I was going to get that in here, didn't you?) is a definite possibility. Close for the 'Pokes, but no cigar. A lot closer than people think.
Missouri 52, Oklahoma State 48
Kansas State @ Texas A&M
Kansas State favored by 3
Husker Mike: Will this be Ron Prince's final victory at Kansas State? Both programs are so miserable, this might not be that bad of a matchup, though it'll be sloppy.
Puddytats 26, Aggies 18
Corn Blight: If the Aggies could win another game this season, this might be it. Kansas State's defense is non-existent, but that matches up well against a non-existent Aggies offense. Kansas State can score at least.
Wildcats 28, Aggies 14
Texas - Oklahoma - Red River Rivalry Shootenanny
Corn Blight: The Sooners just have too many playmakers. Sam Bradford hasn't had the sophomoritis I thought he would, although this could be the game where it shows up. Can the Longhorns pressure Bradford? Maybe, but not enough where it makes a difference.
Sooners 31, 'Horns 27
Husker Mike: Here's the thing about Texas...their defense and Colt McCoy is much improved this season. Problem is that with the teams they've played this season so far, the dependence on Colt McCoy hasn't been a problem. That changes on Saturday.
Sooners 31, Bovines 20
Nebraska @ Texas Tech
Texas Tech favored by 20
Husker Mike: Huskers need to find a way to slow down the spread...and run the ball. But can they? If Nebraska had been a little more consistent last week, I'd feel a little better about this game.
Raiders 45, Huskers 21
Corn Blight: Blankman keeps bringing up "identity" - something that’s clearly missing from this Nebraska team. I saw the article earlier this week about how we haven't upset anyone in quite a while. Until we figure out who we are, it's not a possibility. Patience is a virtue.
Red Raiders: 42, Huskers 24