The picks

No conference call this week. Thus, no news. However, there's a live chat at 2 p.m. Zac Boyer of rivals.com joins me to talk UConn football recruiting. Hope you can join us at www.nhregister.com/chat.

It may be a bye week, but there's no rest for the weekly picks. I watched Rocky II the other night for the first time in a while, so beware:

Game 1: OLE' MISS (-4.5) over Tennessee - Three Tennessee football players were arrested early Thursday and charged with attempted armed robbery. Police reports say the players, one wearing Vols' gear, pulled their Toyota Prius alongside another car in a convenience store parking lot and demanded money while brandishing a pellet gun. It marks the first time a Toyota Prius has ever been used as a getaway car. Apparently, they didn't feel the need to get away very quickly. But at least Lane Kiffin's boys are thinking of the environment.

.

Game 2: Syracuse (+8) over LOUISVILLE - Sometimes it's better to just not look at certain things. For example, I really wish I didn't see those photos of the chimp attack victim released yesterday. A little too graphic for my taste. You can't un-see something like that. Consider this game the football equivalent of the chimp victim's Oprah interview.

.
Game 3: WISCONSIN (-8.5) over Michigan - After 40 consecutive winning seasons and 33 straight bowl appearances, the Wolverines are on the verge of a losing record for the second time in two years since Rich Rodriguez took over. It's sort of like if the 2009 Yankees, with all the talent and money they spent, had to battle with Baltimore to the final day of the season to stay out of the cellar in the AL East -- for a second straight year. Still, Michigan's athletic director is asking fans to be patient with Rich-Rod. Hmm. I'm sure that directive will settle them down.

Game 4: OHIO STATE (-17) over Iowa - No Ricky Stanzi, no Rose Bowl.

.
Game 5: Florida (-15.5) over SOUTH CAROLINA - I read somewhere once that Steve Spurrier used to coach the Gators. Who knew?

Game 6: Utah (+19.5) over TEXAS CHRISTIAN - It's hard to get too excited about this one after seeing this week that the real action in the Mountain West Conference takes place on the women's soccer field. If soccer doesn't work out (and it won't) Elizabeth Lambert will be perfect for MTV's The Real World - Albuquerque.

Game 7: PITTSBURGH (-7) over Notre Dame - I watched Rocky II on cable for the 4,645th time a couple nights ago. As with most movies, there's always some new wrinkle you pick up, think about in real life terms and realize how ridiculous it really is. For example. Rocky, after nearly beating the heavyweight champ of the world, is down on his luck. Doctors advised him not to fight, endorsement deals dry up pretty quick, he can't find work in the real world. So Mickey, his beloved trainer, offers him a job at the gym...not working with young fighters, but as a janitor. A janitor! Gee, thanks Mickey. Let's see. You've got a gym full of kids with dreams of getting off the rough streets of Philadelphia. You've got one of the great underdogs in boxing history begging for work. Mickey feels Rocky can best serve his gym by emptying buckets of spit and mopping up puke. Brilliant use of resources!

Game 8: OKLAHOMA STATE (-4) over Texas Tech - Whatever. Here's a good analogy based on Rocky Balboa's trials and tribulations in Rocky II. Charlie Weis is finally canned at Notre Dame. He pays an unexpected visit to Bill Belichick's palatial estate in a swanky Boston suburb asking for work. Belichick says sure, then tells him he's going to be the guy picking up jock straps and handing out towels at the Patriots practice facility.

Game 9: Arizona (+2.5) over CAL - Love Zona. And I can't let this Weis/Rocky scenario go just yet. Charlie Weis is so hard-up for work he accepts Belichick's offer. I envision Weis holding a water bucket at a Patriots practice so Tom Brady can rinse his mouth out. Brady spits into the bucket, and catches Weis with some spittle shrapnel. Weis turns and bumps into Randy Moss. "Oops", Weis says, to which Brady responds, "Hey, can't you think of anything tougher to say than oops?" OK. We're done.

Game 10: Texas (-23.5) over BAYLOR - Such high hopes at Baylor this season, and they're going to finish last in the Big XII again.

Game 11: Yale (-3.5) over PRINCETON - Usually a great late-season Ivy League is now a matchup of two of the duller teams in the league. Ever notice the severe eye injury that takes up a sizeable portion of the Rocky II plot is never mentioned again in Rocky III, IV, V or VI? Sorry, guess I wasn't done.

Last week's results

1. SeanO 6-4

Pete 6-4

3. mcfred 5-5

wil 5-5

5. joba 4-6

chip 4-6

govphalen 4-6

caleb 4-6

vinny 4-6

uconn bob 4-6

11. sammy 3-7

12. gary 2-8

Season standings

1. Wil 63

SeanO63

3. UconnBob 62

caleb mandrake 62

5.Chip 61

Governorphalen 61

7. Pete 59

8. Sammy 58

9. Rick C 53

10. Gary 50

Vinny 50

12. mcfred 49

13. rich 39

14. JZ 20

15. Mike B 13

16. big donny 11

17. ian 9

G-Five 9

19. DanO 8

20. salami 6

21. joba 4