Games To Watch: Week No. 9

#2 Boston College versus #8 Virginia Tech
Thursday @ 7:30 on ESPN



Boston College finds itself ranked No. 2 in both the BCS and AP polls. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Up to this point, being ranked No. 2 is taboo. Plus, the Eagles travel down to Blacksburg on a Thursday night to face a stout defense with a fierce pass defense. But injuries abound for VT, and Matt Ryan and Boston College look to end the stream of bad luck that plagues that No. 2 spot.
Picks—Randall: Virginia Tech Erick: Virginia Tech Chris: Boston College


#7 West Virginia versus Rutgers
Saturday @ 12:00 on ABC
After beating South Florida last Thursday, Rutgers put themselves right back in the Big East talk. With West Virginia coming to town, the Scarlet Kings hope to keep handing out those upsets. And Rutgers comes into this game with a bitter taste in their mouths; last year West Virginia denied them a BCS berth. With a wide-open Big East, Rutgers knows that a win here will keep their chances at a BCS appearance alive. But so does West Virginia.
Picks—Randall: West Virginia Erick: West Virginia Chris: West Virginia


#12 Southern California versus #5 Oregon
Saturday @ 3:00
The Trojans are underdogs in a Pac-10 game for the first time in a very long time. And that may be good for them. Pete Carroll’s team has nothing but exclamation points on defense but a bunch of question marks on offense. Whether John David Booty or Mario Sanchez plays is crucial for the Trojans, as the offense seems more confident with Booty. No started has been named as of yet. What will be fun to watch, though, is just how Dennis Dixon and that Oregon offense fare against the third defense in the country.
Picks—Randall: Oregon Erick: USC Chris: Oregon



#10 South Florida versus #23 UConn
Saturday @ 3:30 on ABC
South Florida comes off a heartbreaking loss to Rutgers that may have ended hopes of appearing in the national championship game. There’s no bigger band-aid than a win against UConn who is rolling and has earned its first ranking in school history. But, quite evenly matched, neither of these teams stands out against the other on paper. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates onto the field.
Picks—Randall: South Florida Erick: South Florida Chris: South Florida


#11 Florida versus #18 Georgia
Saturday @ 3:30 on CBS
Tebow has a sore shoulder, but that won’t stop him from playing in his hometown of Jacksonville where these two meet each year. The Bulldogs are coming off a bye-week that, I’m sure, was spent trying to find ways to stop Tebow. But that’s not easy to do, and unless that shoulder gives him trouble, Tebow will be as outstanding as he has been all season long. I hope Mark Richt has a plan B.
Picks—Randall: Florida Erick: Florida Chris: Florida


#9 Kansas versus Texas A&M
Saturday @ 7:00 on ESPN2
Texas A&M has struggled for most of the season, but the Aggies got a big win over Nebraska last week. The Aggies’ edge comes on the ground, where they’re ranked fifth in the nation. But the Aggie faithful ought not get their hopes up too high; Kansas is seventh in the nation in rushing defense.
Picks—Randall: Texas A&M Erick: Kansas Chris: Kansas


#16 South Carolina versus Tennessee
Saturday @ 7:45 on ESPN
Both of these squads have wounds from last week. Steve Spurrier has griped about his offense all season. That offense finally failed him against Vandy. Spurrier has jostled Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley throughout the season. After last week, he’s even considering the third stringer, Tommy Beecher who is more mobile than the other two. We’re not sure who’s going to be taking snaps for the Gamecocks, but Erik Ainge will certainly be in the pocket for the Vols. And unless Spurrier’s defense can neutralize him, it may not matter who the QB is.
Picks—Randall: South Carolina Erick: Tennessee Chris: South Carolina


#1 Ohio State versus Penn State
Saturday @ 8:00 on ABC
As a No. 1 team, there are many ways to lose. One way is to play a game in Beaver Stadium where the Nittany Lions have won all five home games this season and are 18 of 19 since 2005. The Buckeyes, who haven’t lost a regular season game in over two years, are the first No. 1 ranked team to come to Paternoville since the 1989 Notre Dame team. They also boast that nation’s most stingy defense, while Penn State’s offense has been known to struggle. But these squads are not all that different, and this game will be Ohio State’s toughest so far this season.
Picks—Randall: Penn State Erick: Ohio State Chris: Ohio State


#21 California versus #4 Arizona State
Saturday @ 10:00
Nobody’s really talking about Arizona State playing for the national championship, but these boys are undefeated and rolling. Not too long ago, everyone was talking Cal playing for it all, but two-straight losses as hushed that talked. Cal looks to make things right again while Arizona State looks to keep them from going wrong.
Picks—Randall: Cal Erick: Cal Chris: Cal