Fantasy Sports Nation - Week 2 NCAA Picks

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2011 NCAA Picks (week 2): 2-11
2011 NCAA (unit picks differential): -7

- Link to NCAA Division 1 scores from yesterday's games -  

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PREVIEW: I'm laying off the mid-week games here... I'm waiting for the 'tried & true' LIVE HOME DOG scenario to unfold (which it eventually will)... How is anybody but T. Boone Pickens going to be interested in Arizona vs. Oklahoma State when the NFL kicks off with defending Superbowl Champion Green Bay hosting the New Orleans Saints? (which will be pre-empted by the 'Teleprompter in Chief' telling everyone how he's going to FIX the economy by giving them all jobs as EXTRAS on the set of 'Dancing With the Stars')...

WEEK 2 NCAA PICKS - 2011

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Oregon State at #8 Wisconsin (-21) (12:00 ET)

Box Score | Recap

Wisconsin totally demolished UNLV last week and looked great in the process... The big problem was, they failed to cover the spread on a couple of cheesy late TD's for a backdoor cover... I'm really afraid that the same thing could happen here... The Beavers have the same kind of 'quickness' on the corners around tackle that UNLV had (which became a problem in the Wisconsin D getting off the field at times)... Expect the Wisconsin offense to dominate, just watch the 'backdoor'...

OREGON STATE for (1 unit)

The 'spy' says: 

Wisconsin 35 - Oregon State 0 (incorrect)

Iowa (-7) at Iowa State (12:00 ET)

Box Score | Recap

A good thing to watch for early in the college season is how some future NFL prospects fare early on in the season... A few examples are Robert Griffin (Baylor) & LaMichael James (Oregon)... What the average viewer doesn't bother to look for are the interior line prospects (who are always hot commodities in the early round drafts in the NFL because they are the building blocks of any franchise, & more importantly, they don't command the exhorbitant signing bonus salaries of the Cam Newton's of the world (who might get Carolina only one or two more wins than Jimmy Clausen did a year before)...

Iowa has several draft prospects, including Left tackle Riley Reiff (who started well with a good performance (albeit vs. Tennessee Tech)... Hawkeye CB Shaun Prater took an interception back 89 yards to 'the house (displaying good hand skills & speed on that play). Prater entered the season as maybe a 3rd rounder, but maybe his star is on the rise... Also, watch for Marvin McNutt (who caught six passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns)... McNutt's (6-4, 215) frame makes him a 'prototypical' NFL receiver & the senior may be a mid-round prospect... I'll take...

IOWA for (2 units)...
The 'spy' says: The public is taking
Iowa State 44 - Iowa 41 (OT) - (incorrect)

San Diego State (-8.5) at Army (12:00 PM)

Box Score | Recap

It's usually a horrible idea to take a West Coast team traveling to the East Coast to play a 12:00 game, but In this situation the Aztecs are sort of going for the 'Service Academy Trifecta' (having beat, then #23 ranked, Aior Force last year, then schooling Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl... Both of those games were in their back yard, but it also occurs to me that the USMA might have had some 9/11 related distractions to deal with along with a ton of rain on the East Coast... I'll risk a play on SDSU here...

SAN DIEGO STATE for (1 unit)
The 'spy' says: The public is taking 
San Diego St. 23 - Army 20 - (incorrect)

 #16 Mississippi State (-5) at Auburn (3:30 PM)

Box Score | Recap

Auburn's 'longest winning streak in the nation' title is on the line here (at home in Jordan Hare)... I have to admit that last week I TOTALLY mis-read Mississippi State & thought they'd be looking ahead to this game... Auburn, instead, seems to be looking behind... They barely managed to escape Utah State last week (by converting an onside kick) & were celebrating as if they'd just won the national championship... Streak ends here for the War Eagle (who has no defense, and a significantly worse offense than last year)...

MISSISSIPPI STATE for (2 units)
The 'spy' says: The public is taking
Auburn 41 - Mississippi State 34 (incorrect)

Wofford at Clemson Tigers (-24) (3:30 PM)

Box Score | Recap

I'm taking Clemson... I'm making it a point this year to stay with teams that I win with... It's probably a dumb idea, but we'll see how long it lasts... I won with Clemson (over Troy) last week (though it was mostly because I was betting against Troy)...

Update: I'm making this a (1 unit pick)...

CLEMSON (for 1 unit)

The 'spy' says: The public is taking

Clemson 35 - Wofford 24 - (incorrect)

 

#11 Virginia Tech (-17) at East Carolina (3:30 PM)

Box Score | Recap

I'm sticking with Virginia Tech as well (as I did all of last year)... The difference here is that I'm not laying any units on the game (as 18 is pretty hefty in this spot)...

VIRGINIA TECH for (0 units)

The 'spy' says: The public is taking

Virginia Tech 17 - East Carolina 10 - (incorrect)

Nevada vs. #13 Oregon (-27) (3:30 PM)

Box Score | Recap

Oregon should be devastated by the loss in prime time to LSU last week... I can't see them getting up for this game emotionally... It's a horrible spot for them facing a Nevada team that LOVES these types of games (as they took down Boise State last year)...

NEVADA for (2 units)
The 'spy' says: The public is taking
Oregon 69 - Nevada 20 - (incorrect)

#6 Stanford (-22) vs. Duke (3:30PM) 

Box Score | Recap

Here's another West Coast to East Coast scenario (except this is a 3:30 kickoff)... Still, I want to see what Andrew Luck is capable of without much of his offensive personnel or head coach (Harbaugh) who is now coaching the 49ers... 22 are a lot of points to lay in a situation like this... Duke doesn't have 'football' cred that Stanford has, but these two schools vie in a different way, so there's pride at stake...

DUKE for (1 unit)...

The 'spy' says: The public is taking
Stanford 44 - Duke 14 - (incorrect)

 #3 Alabama (-10) vs. #23 Penn State (8:00 PM)

I'm going with Alabama for 4 units... Penn State will be lucky to even score in this contest (unless they do it defensively)...

ALABAMA for (4 units)...

The 'spy' says: The public is taking
Alabama 27 - Penn State 11 - (correct)

- other games under consideration as 'unit pick' selections -

#12 South Carolina (-3) vs. Georgia
South Carolina for (1 unit)
South Carolina 45 - Georgia 42 - (push)

BYU vs. #24 Texas

Alabama Birmingham vs. #18 Florida (-23.5)
Florida for (1 unit)
Florida 39 - UAB 0 (correct)

New Mexico vs. #14 Arkansas

Notre Dame at Michigan

UNLV vs. Washington State (-13)
UNLV for (1 unit)
Washington State 59 - UNLV 7 - (incorrect)

TCU vs. Air Force (pick 'em)
Air Force for (1 unit)
TCU 35 - Air Force 19 - (incorrect)

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other TOP 25 ACTION - or games of interest (week 1):
* Bold means that I'd tend to favor that team ATS (but won't suggest a play)
ATS = 'Against the Spread'


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(9/8/11)
Arizona at #9 Oklahoma State

 (9/9/11)
#21 Missouri at Arizona State

 (9/10/11)
Toledo at #15 Ohio State
Florida Atlantic at #17 Michigan State
Norfolk State at #19 West Virginia
#25 TCU at Air Force
Charleston Southern at #5 Florida State
Fresno State at #10 Nebraska
New Mexico at #14 Arkansas
UAB at #18 Florida
Ball State at #22 South Florida
BYU at #24 Texas
Northwestern State at #2 LSU

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