If you haven't made your picks, you can do so here. The deadline is tonight at 11.59 PM PT.
Here's what those of us at ATQ thought about this week's games. Unfortunately, not a lot of variety in our picks this week. For what their worth, our thoughts on each game can be found after the jump.
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Wisconsin at Minnesota |
LSU at Georgia |
UCLA at Stanford |
Washington at Notre Dame |
Oregon State at Arizona State |
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| Jared | Minnesota | Georgia | Stanford | Notre Dame | Arizona State |
| Nick | Wisconsin | Georgia | Stanford | Notre Dame | Arizona State |
| Dave | Minnesota | Georgia | Stanford | Notre Dame | Arizona State |
| Dominic | Minnesota | Georgia | Stanford | Notre Dame | Arizona State |
| Jeremy | Wisconsin | Georgia | Stanford | Notre Dame | Arizona State |
| Paul | Wisconsin | Georgia | Stanford | Notre Dame | Arizona State |
Wisconsin at Minnesota:
Jared: Will anyone even watch this game? Minnesota just seems incredibly average, while Wisconsin can't stop anyone. I'll go with the Gophers at home. Pick: Minnesota
Nick: While Eric Decker may be the best player on the field, I think Wisconsin has a better offense. Good enough to beat Minnesota on the road, anyways. Pick: Wisconsin
Dave: These teams resemble each other a lot. Wisconsin is undefeated, but with a lot of close wins against an underwhelming schedule. Minnesota has lost to California, but otherwise has a resume very similar to Wisconsin's. The stats are very similar, though Wisconsin averages a few more yards and points a game. That said, given two very similar team, I'll take the home team to win more often than not. Pick: Minnesota
Dominic: I like Minnesota in this game, primarily for how they played against Cal. Even though Cal jumped on them, they never gave up until Cal finally pulled away at the end. The Gophers are also playing in that awesome new stadium and I'm not sold on the play of Wisconsin up until this point. They should have killed Michigan State. Pick: Minnesota
Jeremy: Wisconsin faces it's first road game, and that concerns me. That said, I like the quality of their wins a little more than those by Minnesota. I'll take a mild upset by the Badgers. Pick: Wisconsin
Paul: Let's see: It's at Minnesota's fancy new stadium. Against a revitalized Golden Gopher program. Which has played a more competitive schedule so far this season. Yet I'm taking Wisconsin. It's all about loyalty, and our Badgers are like our Midwest brethren. Plus my roommate went to school there. Pick: Wisconsin
LSU at Georgia:
Jared: Is there a more overrated team than LSU? They have won their games, but looked terrible doing it. Georgia handles LSU between the hedges. Pick: Georgia
Nick: This is a matchup between two teams that I think are overrated at this point in the season. LSU sits at a very underwhelming 4-0 while Georgia's lone loss was to Oklahoma State. What does that tell me? Not much. I'll go with the home team. Pick: Georgia
Dave: LSU doesn't have much of an offense. Georgia has been getting better and better, with the exception of a little slipup against ASU last week. I like Georgia at home. Pick: Georgia
Dominic: Both teams seemed to have underperformed in games this season. LSU has a big matchup against Florida next week and they might be looking ahead. Georgia looks like they are starting to figure things out while LSU looks like they figured out that they aren't very good. Pick Georgia
Jeremy: I have a suspicion that LSU is next up for the poser label. I mean, what to make out of close wins over UW and Mississippi State, and easy wins against Vanderbilt and UL Lafayette? These Dawgs have a meaner bite than their purple-clad, cross-country peers. Pick: Georgia
Paul: If LSU can stop A.J. Green, they've got a good shot. But this isn't your typical stingy LSU defense, so I don't see it happening. I like Georgia Between the Hedges. Pick: Georgia
UCLA at Stanford:
Jared: Stanford is a very solid team. I think UCLA is getting there, but simply don't have enough offensive firepower to stick with an above-average team. Pick: Stanford
Nick: Look for Stanford to control the game with their power running game. UCLA just doesn't have the horses to keep up. Pick: Stanford
Dave: I'll be quite frank--I think UCLA is a big fraud. Their defense is very good. Their offense is horrible. Give me Stanford at home. Pick: Stanford
Dominic: One of the most intriguing matchups on the schedule for this week, this game will come down to who has a better offensive showing. If Toby Gerhart breaks loose for Stanford, I just don't see UCLA being able to get back in the game. Their offense needs help...a lot of help. Pick: Stanford
Jeremy: USC at Cal will get more national run, but this game, at least right now, is every bit as critical for conference positioning. I doubted Stanford last week and took a beat-down for it. Fool me twice? No chance. Power rushing combined with a now adequate passing attack and great special teams make 'Ferd a formidable foe. Pick: Stanford
Paul: I can see this game going either way, but I think Stanford and RB Toby Gerhart are starting to find their rhythm. Plus, it's on the Farm. Pick: Stanford
Washington at Notre Dame:
Jared: Washington has some offense, but is terrible on defense. Notre Dame should be able to move at will, and Jake Locker won't be enough. Pick: Notre Dame
Nick: I don't have the balls of AtQ poster Bill Musgrave to abstain, so I'll go with the lesser of two evils. Pick: Notre Dame.
Dave: The best thing about this game is that someone has to lose. I don't think much of Notre Dame, but I also don't think Washington is ready to go out on the road and beat anybody at this point. Pick: Notre Dame
Dominic: How good is Notre Dame? They've had close win against a Purdue team that called a questionable timeout in the wanning seconds and a loss to Michigan who appears to be getting a little better each week. Washington's hopes came crashing down last week as they got blown out by Stanford. I don't think the Huskies can stop anyone and say what you want about Notre Dame, they've proven that they can move the ball this year. Pick: Notre Dame
Jeremy: I will not root for UW to win. It's against my religion. I would, however, get one hell of a good laugh if they knocked off The Irish. If I were betting, I'd jump all over those 13.5 points for UW. Locker will keep 'em close, but Clausen will get the best of Washington's struggling defense. Pick: Notre Dame
Paul: I hate Notre Dame. Almost as much as I hate Washington. All early indications are the Huskies aren't the same team on the road, and a long trip to South Bend doesn't seem like the best scenario. I haven't been impressive with Notre Dame so far, but they've found ways to win, and more importantly, have been in every game until the final minutes. Odds are that experience will come in handy against the Dawgs. Pick: Notre Dame
Oregon State at Arizona State:
Jared: OSU is simply not a good football team. Their O-line is atrocious. QB play is erratic. The wide receivers can't stretch the field like they did last year. And the defense can't get teams off the field, giving up 45% conversion rates on 3rd downs. ASU doesn't have much of an offense, but at least they do something well. Pick: ASU
Nick: I have picked the Beavers the last two weeks -- I won't make that mistake again. They have too many problems on defense. They may do better against ASU, but I wouldn't bet on it. Pick: Arizona State
Dave: Oregon State has very little talent right now other than the Rodgers Brothers. I'm this close to declaring Oregon State's season dead. Pick: Arizona State
Dominic: I don't like the talk coming out of Oregon State this week. Not enough balance on offense, injuries at key spots and they can't seem to get any defensive pressure. I liked Arizona State's effort against Georgia. I think the streak of Beaver failure in the desert continues. Pick: Arizona State
Jeremy: Fingers are getting pointed at Sean Canfield, though he may be the least of the Beavers problems. ASU will hit OSU where the Beavs are weakest. On the offensive line. Unless the Beavers can find some protection, Canfield will get harassed the entire game. I'm tempted to lean OSU because I think Quizz is due to blow up. I just can't. Pick: Arizona State
Paul: Every time I pick Oregon State, they screw me. Maybe I've learned my lesson. But I've got a lot of good reasons to pick the Sun Devils. For starters, they've got the Pac-10's best defense through four weeks, ranked 3rd nationally. With OSU's offensive struggles, I just don't see the Beavs doing much in Tempe. Pick: Arizona State