Willian vs. Farner vol. 1

Willian vs. Farner

Brent and I have debated sports and picks since high school. Now we're taking it to the Web for the world to see. In what could be a weekly feature, we’ll pick five college football games against the spread. And against each other.

Michigan State (+4) at Michigan

Brent: It's tough to pick against a team that has Denard Robinson, but at some point Michigan is going to have to stop the other team, which is something they've yet to do. Michigan has given up a combined 93 points to offensive juggernauts Massachusetts, Bowling Green and Indiana. Robinson will have his day and put up gaudy stats, but Michigan's poor defense will catch up with them, and ultimately Michigan State will come up with enough stops to leave Ann Arbor victorious. Michigan State 38, Michigan 34

Keith: The Wolverines' defense does play like Swiss cheese, but Robinson makes enough plays to cover 4 points at home. The last time they had a line this small, they got by Notre Dame on the road, the same team Michigan State had to use a fake field goal in overtime against to escape. Michigan 35, Michigan State 28

Alabama (-6.5) at South Carolina

Brent: Alabama got their close call out of the way in Fayetteville when they basically slept through the first half before rallying for the victory. They then turned around and absolutely dominated Florida. South Carolina has a good enough defense to keep it close, but an inconsistent offense. Inconsistent offense is very worrisome against a defense that held an Urban Meyer-coached offense to just two field goals last weekend. The Chickens' homefield advantage may help them to keep it close for a couple of quarters, but Mark Ingram will take over as usual, lead Alabama to a road victory, and give me 2 points in my double-shot pick of the week. Alabama 27, South Carolina 16

Keith: The last time Alabama was on the road in the SEC, it struggled big time at Arkansas. The Chickens have a lot better defense that the Hogs, their running game is more established, and they have tougher matchups in the receiving corps. Sure, Arkansas has a better quarterback, but try defending two 6-4 WRs. South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia is erratic, but he doesn't typically have back-to-back sub-par games. Don't discount the third straight tough game for Alabama, and perhaps the most overplayed stat since the summer, that this is the first of six straight opponents to play the Tide following its bye week. Alabama 28, South Carolina 23

Clemson (+2.5) at North Carolina

Brent: This was my coin-flip game. These two teams are very even. I am not at all confident that Clemson will come through in an important ACC road game, because they are not known for clutch performances. However, UNC has looked very vulnerable this season, and I like Clemson's running backs in this matchup.

Clemson 21, UNC 16

Keith: The favorite is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings, and covering a field goal at home, even with this depleted Tar Heel squad, should be manageable. While Clemson has a solid running game, it's yet to find a reliable group of receivers, which would hurt any last-minute comeback drive. The Heels have built confidence the last two games with a close win at Rutgers and a blowout against East Carolina. That's given them an identity, which they lacked to start the season. North Carolina 28, Clemson 24

Arizona (-8) vs. Oregon State

Brent: As a Louisville fan, I am well aware of the damage that Jacquizz & James Rodgers can do to an opponent. If this had been anymore than an 8-point spread, I likely wouldn't have gone with Arizona. But I watched Louisville move the ball with relative ease against Oregon State, and UofL would have put up even more points if not for two costly turnovers inside of OSU's 5-yard line. I expect Arizona to be able to move the ball successfully against an OSU defense that has a lot of holes. Arizona is holding opponents to just 11 points per game and the Rodgers brothers won't be able to dominate this defense as much as they have others. Arizona 34, Oregon State 24

Keith: Despite the win over Iowa, I'm not sold on Arizona yet, especially by more than a touchdown here. The Beavers have a reputation of steadily improving each week, more than most teams. The Beavers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in Arizona, and the road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings in the series. While the Louisville game was a disappointment for Beaver fans, they have played well on the road, especially against better opponents than Zona, TCU and Boise State. This is my double-shot pick of the week. Oregon State 31, Arizona 28

Illinois (+7.5) at Penn State

Brent: Another tough one. Illinois gave Ohio State all it wanted last weekend, and Penn State has had all kinds of trouble putting up points against legitimate competition this season. The difference in this one came down to the coaches. Joe Paterno against Ron Zook seems like a 1-16 matchup in the NCAA tournament. I can't see Illinois coming into University Park on Homecoming and beating Paterno's boys. Penn State will come away with a victory over Illinois, but just barely cover the spread. Penn State 21, Illinois 13

Keith: The Illini showed last week against Ohio State that they aren't as bad as everyone made them out to be in the summer. What's more, the underdog is 5-2 ATS and the road team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. Not only has Penn State struggled overall, it's stumbled against the number, only covering against Kent State so far. As for the coaching matchup, that 1-16 might've been the case 10 years ago, but Zooker isn't that much worse than JoePa anymore. Penn State 21, Illinois 17