Week 8 Games of the Week and Picks

Week 8 Games of the Week

PRS #8 Western Kentucky at PRS #7 LSU

Western Kentucky likely doesn’t have the defense to stop Leonard Fournette and emerging passing threat Brandon Harris in this non con battle, but LSU has not really seen a QB like Brandon Doughty this season either. As it stands, this could be an interesting game before LSU takes over, which I am guessing they will at some point. If LSU fails to take the Toppers seriously, however, we could have a game on our hands.
Pick: LSU…WKU is solid, but LSU should be too much to handle for the Toppers this week.

PRS #25 Georgia Southern at PRS #21 Appalachian State

Fans of the Sun Belt have been circling this date on their calendars for weeks, and if they haven’t they should have been. These two schools entered the conference a short time ago and have now fully taken over. The winner of this contest should be able to hang on and win the conference title.
Pick: Appalachian State…the difference between the two is so thin, I have to give it to home field advantage.

PRS #22 Texas A&M at Ole Miss

The Rebels are coming off a bad loss at Memphis last week, and the Aggies are coming off a loss to Alabama at home. The winner of this game gets to hang on in the SEC West race, while the loser is completely out of said race. It’s a must win game for both sides.
Pick: Texas A&M…The Aggies just look stronger at this point, and Ole Miss looks like a team about to head into the skids.

Texas Tech at PRS #19 Oklahoma

The Red Raiders looked absolutely flat in a ten point win over Kansas on the road, and Oklahoma is coming off a 55-0 thrashing of Kansas State after falling flat to Texas the week before. OU knows what they have to do to stay in the Big 12 race, and losing to upstart Tech is not in the cards. The Red Raiders need to win to stay afloat in the conference race as well, as a loss could send them spiraling.
Pick: Oklahoma…Sooners are not interested in repeating the mistakes of two weeks ago.

FCS

PRS #10 Richmond at PRS #1 James Madison

The Dukes have been the surprise team in FCS football this season, and even with a loss would likely remain the top ranked FCS PRS team next week, but that loss is not something that Everett Withers’ team is looking for. Richmond, which has quietly climbed into the top ten will provide the toughest test yet for JMU, and this game should be a war.
Pick: James Madison…Dukes look just a shade stronger, but this is definitely a huge test for them.

PRS #23 Princeton at PRS #3 Harvard

Princeton is coming off a shocking 38-31 loss to Brown last week, so they are in must win mode for the Ivy League title chase. Harvard owns the shop, and has coasted thus far, and is coming off a strong 42-0 whipping of Lafayette last week. The Crimson is looking to lay claim to what has been theirs for years now, the Ivy crown.
Pick: Harvard…Crimson is as strong as they have been in a decade.

Western Illinois at PRS #9 Illinois State
WIU is in absolute must win mode right now at 4-2, and is coming off a hard fought 24-19 win over a sinking Northern Iowa club. Illinois State is in full power mode, coming off a 38-2 win over hapless Missouri State. The Red Birds are coming in from a position of strength, but the Leathernecks are coming in desperate for a season turning win.
Pick: Illinois State…Red Birds have an open road towards the MVC title, and will do what they must to get there.

D2

#1 Minnesota State vs. Winona State
#2 West Georgia vs. #11 North Alabama
#3 Ferris State vs. #16 Michigan Tech
#4 Sioux Falls vs. Augustana
#5 NW Missouri State at Fort Hays State
#6 CSU-Pueblo vs. #7 Colorado Mines
#7 Colorado Mines at #6 CSU-Pueblo
#8 Texas A&M Commerce vs. #9 Midwestern State
#9 Midwestern State at #8 Texas A&M Commerce
#10 Ashland at Northern Michigan
#11 North Alabama at #2 West Georgia
#12 UM Duluth vs. UM Crookston
#13 Shepherd at Concord
#14 Grand Valley State vs. Findlay
#15 Slippery Rock vs. Indiana (PA)
#16 Michigan Tech at #3 Ferris State
#17 Delta State vs. West Alabama
#18 Tuskegee at Kentucky State
#19 Angelo State at E. New Mexico
#20 Humboldt State at Central Washington
#21 Central Missouri at Northeastern State
#22 Clarion at California (PA)
#23 Emporia State at Missouri Western
#24 Henderson State vs. Southern Arkansas
#25 Valdosta State at Shorter

FBS/FCS Picks

Temple over East Carolina
Memphis over Tulsa
Houston over UCF
Navy over Tulane
USF over SMU
Cincinnati over U Conn
Clemson over Miami
Florida State over Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech over Duke
Pittsburgh over Syracuse
NC State over Wake Forest
Louisville over Boston College
North Carolina over Virginia
Baylor over Iowa State
Oklahoma State over Kansas
Oklahoma over Texas Tech
Kansas State over Texas
Ohio State over Rutgers
Michigan State over Indiana
Nebraska over Northwestern
Wisconsin over Illinois
Penn State over Maryland
LSU over Western Kentucky
Rice over Army
Southern Miss over Charlotte
Louisiana Tech over Middle Tennessee
Marshall over North Texas
Old Dominion over FIU
FAU over UTEP
Toledo over U Mass
Bowling Green over Kent State
Western Michigan over Miami (Ohio)
Central Michigan over Ball State
Northern Illinois over Eastern Michigan
Ohio over Buffalo
Utah State over San Diego State
Air Force over Fresno State
Nevada over Hawaii
New Mexico over San Jose State
Boise State over Wyoming
UCLA over California
Utah over USC
Stanford over Washington
Arizona over Washington State
Colorado over Oregon State
Alabama over Tennessee
Texas A&M over Ole Miss
Auburn over Arkansas
Missouri over Vanderbilt
Mississippi State over Kentucky
Arkansas State over UL-Lafayette
Appalachian State over Georgia Southern
Idaho over UL-Monroe
South Alabama over Texas State
Troy over New Mexico State
BYU over Wagner
Montana over North Dakota
Eastern Washington over Northern Colorado
Montana State over East Tennessee State
Northern Arizona over Weber State
Southern Utah over UC Davis
Portland State over Cal Poly
Idaho State over Sacramento State
Coastal Carolina over Monmouth
Charleston Southern over Gardner-Webb
Liberty over Kennesaw State
Maine over Stony Brook
William & Mary over Hampton
James Madison over Richmond
New Hampshire over Delaware
Villanova over Towson
Yale over Penn
Harvard over Princeton
Brown over Cornell
Dartmouth over Columbia
North Carolina A&T over Howard
South Carolina State over Delaware State
NC Central over Morgan State
Bethune-Cookman over Norfolk State
North Dakota State over Indiana State
South Dakota State over Northern Iowa
Illinois State over Western Illinois
South Dakota over Missouri State
Youngstown State over Southern Illinois
St. Francis over Bryant
Sacred Heart over Central Connecticut State
Duquesne over Robert Morris
Eastern Illinois over Tennessee Tech
Eastern Kentucky over Tennessee State
UT-Martin over Murray State
Jacksonville State over Austin Peay
Bucknell over Georgetown
Holy Cross over Lafayette
Fordham over Lehigh
Marist over Davidson
Stetson over Valporaiso
Jacksonville over Drake
Campbell over Morehead State
Dayton over Butler
San Diego over Warner Southern
Southern over Texas Southern
UA Pine Bluff over Jackson State
Grambling over Mississippi Valley State
Citadel over Furman
Chattanooga over Wofford
Mercer over VMI
Western Carolina over Samford
SE Louisiana over Houston Baptist
Abilene Christian over Incarnate Word
McNeese State over Northwestern State
Lamar over Central Arkansas
Sam Houston State over Nicholls State