College Football Picks - Week 8

Late covers have killed me recently, but the quest for .500 begins today. Time to go 3-0 and get back to winning money. I like to think I know the PAC-10 better than any other conference, so let's go back to the well to get some wins.

Iowa at Michigan State (-1)
Iowa has been living on the edge but has road wins vs Penn State and Wisconsin (teams that are better than Michigan State). The Spartans have won 3 straight and seem prime for an upset. One number jumps out at me here. Turnover margin. The Hawkeyes are +12 and the Spartans are -4. Better coach, better QB, better turnover margin leads me to my pick. Pick: Iowa +1

Oregon at Washington (+10)
Washington is 3-1 at home with wins over USC (5-1), Idaho (6-1), and Arizona (4-2). Oregon is 1-1 on the road and could be without star QB Jeremiah Masoli. If Masoli doesn't play, the QB advantage would shift to the Huskies. I like Oregon to win, but given the better QB the points are the play. Pick: Washington (+10)

Oregon State at USC (-21)
Oregon State has beaten USC 2 of the last 3 years, but both of those wins were in Corvalis. USC's offense has started to come around with the maturation of Freshman QB Matt Barkley. Oregon State's pass defense is the worst in the PAC-10 and should allow USC to score some points. But the Beavers running game should at least keep the clock running and the score close. Pick: Oregon State +21

Season: 9-12