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Football

CF Experts Pick’Em: Week 8

CURRENT STANDINGS

Chris Hassel, 26-14
Adam Carper, 26-14
Austen Arnaud, 24-16
Bret Culbertson, 22-18
Andrew Downs, 22-18
Trevor Enerson, 21-19
Dave Zawilinski, 20-20
Jack Whitver, 19-21
Brent Blum, 18-22
Brett McIntyre, 16-24
Chris Williams, 14-26
Adam Gray, 14-26
Kirk Haaland, 14-26

ESPN’S CHRIS HASSEL

Florida @ Missouri – Mizzou may not have a QB, but Florida is missing an entire offense. Tigers at home.

Florida State @ Clemson – Clemson has filled its quota for big wins in a season. FSU spoils the fun in Death Valley.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Not sure Ole Miss can get up a second straight week against a top flight team. LSU covers.

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – I like the Pokes by double digits. I like them. Don’t love them. Tough call.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – TT has enough firepower to blow the Mountaineers away.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – If ISU can’t cover a 34 point spread, cancel the rest of the football season. Clones cover but lose by a bundle.

FORMER IOWA STATE LB ADAM CARPER

Florida @ Missouri – Losing James Franklin is huge especially against this Florida defense. Gators

Florida State @ Clemson – Clemson once again proves they are worthy of playing for a national championship as they pick up a pivotal W at home.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – After a devastating loss last week to A&M, I think Ole Miss comes out flat and the Tigers are able to capitalize.  LSU

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – Too many weapons on Okie State’s offense coupled with TCU having some key players hurt this week results in the Pokes covering.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – West Virginia is a completely different team when playing in Morgantown but I think Tech does enough to get the W and covers.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34)  – Last I checked, Wally Burnham is the defensive coordinator for the Cyclones.  Cyclones cover.

FORMER IOWA STATE QB AUSTEN ARNAUD

Florida @ Missouri  – James Franklin is out, Gators defense is very good. Going to be very tough on frosh QB for mizzou. Gators win by a TD 

Florida State @ Clemson – The Noles haven’t won at Clemson since 2001 and it won’t start here, Late drive by Tahj Boyd to win by a FG.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Ole Miss’ schedule couldn’t get any worse!! They will keep it close at home and cover. LSU wins 33-28

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – OK State at home here, TCU struggles to score on offense which doesn’t bode well here. 42-29.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – upset alert .. Tech is ripe for the picking. West Va will beat another ranked team at home. 31-27

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – 34 is a ton if points, the Cyclones aren’t 34 Pts worse than anybody in the big 12. The Clones have to get key stops and change the tempo of this game and slow down this Bear offense. Clones cover 

FORMER IOWA STATE KICKER BRET CULBERTSON

Florida @ Missouri – I absolutely hate saying this. Mizzou wins. A close game will go to Missouri. The Gators ST units are in the air. Both the starting kicker and punter were sent to the bench last weekend. You can’t expect just anyone to step in for 5th round draft pick kicker Caleb Sturgis. The guy is dead nuts for the Dolphins this year. (..consider that an official fantasy football hint)

Florida State @ Clemson – Both undefeated and both looking solid. FSU Kicker Roberto Aguayo is filling the shoes of now NFL kicker Dustin Hopkins pretty well. He’s yet to miss this season. I’m going with the Seminoles in a close one. ‘Berto gets himself a game-winner.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – I’ll take LSU to cover by 10, and I’m going to keep talking kickers. Last week LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye broke an LSU kicking record for best start to a career. He’s hit 10 straight since he walked on at LSU. He was solid on the practice field this summer with us down south, and it’s carrying over to game day.

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – Let’s just say I was waiting for TCU to open a can on the Jayhawks last week.  I’m still waiting.  Cowboys cover.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – WV is all over the board. I’m going with Tech.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – Pollard should ask if we can borrow the south endzone seating at BU. They sure aren’t using it. Clones beat the spread.

1460 KXNO’S ANDREW DOWNS

Florida @ Missouri. Mizzou – The Tigers continue to make their presence known in the SEC. 

Florida State @ Clemson – Clemson. Jameis Winston will finally look like the redshirt freshman he is. Take the home team. 

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – LSU. The Tigers haven’t lost 3 regular season games since 2009. They’ve lost to Georgia and they will lose to Alabama, so I have to take them here.
 
TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – TCU. A bit of a toss up for me here, don’t love either team. I give the Cowboys the edge since they are coming off a bye, but I don’t think these teams are a touchdown apart. 

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – West Virginia. Mountaineers coming off a bye, Tech looking ahead to Oklahoma. Take the points.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – ISU. Baylor wins, but 34 points is ridiculous. 

THE VOICE OF THE FAN TREVOR ENERSON

Florida @ Missouri – Franklin is down and the Florida defense is good. Give me UF. 

Florida State @ Clemson – This is the best game of the week. I expect fireworks. Now, is Clemson going to do their typical Clemson things and not show up? I really don’t know. Give me FSU I guess. 

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Give me LSU. I just think they have enough offensively to cover this and I think they will hold Mississippi in check. 

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – I’ll take TCU. I think OSU was a little overrated to start the season and i don’t think they have the QB play to cover this. 

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – Tech covers this easily. Their defense is legitimate and their offense is good enough against WVU. 

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – Iowa State covers. I think if you make Baylor execute consistently you will get stops. That said, if ISU let’s the Bears get going it could be ugly. 

ABC 5 SPORTS DIRECTOR DAVE ZAWILINSKI

Florida @ Missouri – Missouri is hot. But Franklin isn’t playing. Can’t imagine making my first start against that D. Chomp Chomp.

Florida State @ Clemson – Death Valley was electric versus South Carolina.  It’ll be that way again Saturday.  DABO Rules!!

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Mississippi is banged up. Three defensive starters are out.  Mettenberger going to have a. Big day. Tiger bait!

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – This is a must win for TCU. They’ve already dropped two league games. Horned frogs.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – Trap game. West Virginia will win outright.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – At first blush I was all over the Bears. Then I realized a winning Baylor score would have to be 55-20. That’s not happening. Bears score between 45-52. ISU gets at least 20. Give me the points.

FORMER IOWA STATE WR JACK WHITVER

Florida @ Missouri – Interesting matchup. Bad Florida offense and a backup QB for Mizzou. Ill take Florida and their D against a first time starting QB. Florida in a close one.

Florida State @ Clemson – Best game of the week. Hard to go against Jameis Winston, but Ill take Clemson with the home field advantage.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Ole Miss and their young team are getting better and almost pulled off a big win last week against A&M. They keep it close at home and have a shot to win straight up. Ole Miss covers.

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – TCU offense is very average, the Horned Frogs are beat up. OSU covers easy. 

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – WV has a bad history this season against the spread offense (Baylor scoring 73?). Ill take Tech to continue their run.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – Baylor offense is great, but Wally Burnham and his D will cover 34.

CYCLONE FANATIC COLUMNIST BRENT BLUM

Florida @ Missouri – Florida can’t score. Missouri can score. Scoring is good. Missouri 27 Florida 17

Florida State @ Clemson – The Jamesis Winston hype train ends in the house of 67 year old Tajh Boyd. Clemson 30 Florida State 27.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – I swear we pick more Ole Miss games than Cyclone games. That team is bizarre. I will take LSU. LSU 34 Mississippi 21

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – Talk about a matchup that lost its juice. Pokes get it done at home. Oklahoma State 27 TCU 13.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – This is a strange game. I was way impressed with the Tech defense, but that’s a long trip to meet a team coming off a bye. Dana pulls one out of his mullet. West Virginia 28 Texas Tech 24.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – This is silly. I am confident Iowa State can score 24, so can Baylor get to 60?! No. Baylor 45 Iowa State 27.

WHO-TV METEROLOGIST BRETT MCINTYRE

Florida @ Missouri – Missouri. The Gators just don’t do much for me, especially as a road team with no offense.

Florida State @ Clemson – Clemson. I only have one rule: "Never trust Clemson in a big spot." But you don’t put up a .400 record in picks by coloring inside the lines. FSU goes down in their first legit test of the year.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – LSU. I’ll take the Tigers. Too brutal of a turn around from last week for Ole Miss.

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – Oklahoma State. This line feels like a trap to me. Cowboys should be able to cover 7 easily at home, right?

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – Texas Tech. Another game where I feel like I’m getting baited into another WVU weird upset.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – Iowa State. Baylor may very well run up a ton of points, especially if the offense is as inept as last week, but 34? The wheels have to completely come off every facet for that. For CW’s sake, I vote against that.

CYCLONE FANATIC PUBLISHER CHRIS WILLIAMS

Florida @ Missouri – Give me the SEC’s best defense (Florida) vs. a backup QB. 

Florida State @ Clemson – Those who know me know that I am a closet Florida State fan. Having said that, give me the home team with an experienced QB over the road team with the rookie. 

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – LSU by 10. 

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – The most difficult pick of the week IMO. However, my gut tells me that after a bye week, a spirited OSU team will beat an injury depleated TCU team by two touchdowns. My head is telling me to take TCU here though. It’s a decent road team that should be full of P&V after an embarassing home win vs. Kansas. 

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – No doubt, the Mountaineers will make this interesting but in the end, I like Tech by a touchdown. 

Iowa State @ Baylor – Bears 49, Cyclones 31

CYCLONE FANATIC SALES DIRECTOR ADAM GRAY 

Florida @ Missouri – Really to bad that Franklin got hurt for Mizzou. This was looking like a special year for them.  New QB struggles against an elite defense and Florida wins on the road 20-17.

Florida State @ Clemson – Two really good teams.  Give me the team with the QB that has more experience.  Clemson wins 34-24

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Unlike A&M, LSU plays defense.  LSU locks down Ole Miss and wins 23-10

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – I think Oklahoma State is still struggling to get back on track and the bye week helped.  OSU 31-20

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – Last year WV was riding high as they went into Lubbock and got waxed.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see the opposite happen this year.  WV wins outright 38-31

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – Stupid line.  ISU covers

enCYCLONEpedia’s Kirk Haaland

Florida @ Missouri – I feel like I should probably take Mizzou but with Franklin being out on top of my mental struggle of believing that Missouri can compete with the big names of the SEC, I just can’t. Gators.

Florida State @ Clemson – Total spear toss in to the dark…Seminoles.

LSU (-8) @ Mississippi – Bayou Bengals!

TCU @ Oklahoma State (-7) – Okie State somehow has quarterback problems after last year when their only problem was that they had three…Still, Cowboys.

Texas Tech (-5.5) @ West Virginia – West Virginia has been on a rocky road but their home efforts haven’t been so bad. I get the feeling that the Red Raiders are due for a slight letdown at some point. Mountaineers cover.

Iowa State @ Baylor (-34) – 34 points is a lot…a whole lot.The Cyclones have obviously had their struggles this year and the Baylor offense is as explosive as we have seen but I just can’t envision them covering that line, let alone banking on it. I think Baylor will win fairly comfortably, but the Cyclones will score some as well and the Bears aren’t going to drop 60 on the Clones.

@cyclonefanatic