Crone's faith in his girlfriend paid off, as MSU got the win on the road over Indiana. But his hopes of the Beavers beating Arizona State blew up in his face, leaving him with a 6-8 record on the year, while Uncle Joey sits comfortably at 9-5 after going 3-0 last weekend. This could be the first turning point of the season in the race to prognosticating glory as the pickers choose different winners in three different games.
Iowa vs. MSU
Crone - After predicting a correct outcome to last week's game, my girlfriend is back in the spotlight this week. While she is 4-0 predicting MSU games, I'm 2-2. But she was extremely unsure about her pick this week.
My thoughts on the game are this: it's a toss up. MSU must have gained huge momentum from the Indiana game; things are looking up with sophomore quarterback Drew Stanton. The Hawkeyes have been beaten with a combined score of 74-24 the last two weeks and are in need of a win.
While I honestly don't know who will win, I had to put down a prediction and score. We (my girlfriend and I) see the roller coaster ride season for the Spartans continuing at least another week.
Iowa 24, MSU 17
Uncle Joey - In a way, MSU's first half against Indiana was a good thing. Facing a 13-point halftime deficit, the Spartans were forced to play with the emotion they lacked before halftime. It was their inspired play that dug them out and put them on top when the game was over.
MSU is catching Iowa, which has lost two straight at the right time, but it will not get away with another flat start. Though Iowa is vulnerable, the homefield advantage could no doubt take full effect and give the Hawkeyes all the momentum if MSU pulls another Derek Jeter with a sluggish start.
Some expect Iowa to take notice of Stanton's ability to run and stop it. I'm sure they noticed, but simply committing to stopping Stanton's ground game isn't enough. With this win under his belt, Stanton won't have to wait for Minnesota on Oct. 16 for his homecoming.
MSU 23, Iowa 9
Notre Dame vs. No. 15 Purdue
Crone - Notre Dame is for real this year. Purdue is real, but are they for real? That question has yet to be answered. The Boilermakers can prove a lot with a win against a good Fighting Irish team. But let's be honest, Notre Dame has only beat MSU, Washington and an overrated Michigan team, so they would gain a lot from this win as well.
The Irish are on the verge of being ranked in the national top 25 and are at home against their third Big Ten opponent of the year. Look for the Irish defense to contain the Purdue offense.
Notre Dame 34, Purdue 31
Uncle Joey - Purdue has become a popular pick to win the Big Ten with its high-powered offense led by Heisman candidate Kyle Orton. Well, the Boilermakers didn't get off to a blazing start with a pedestrian 38-30 win at Illinois. Having not seen that game, the score tells me one thing: Purdue's defense is suspect. But that's OK because Notre Dame's offense can be shaky at times.
The real question is whether Orton can put on his usual quarterback showcase against the Irish. Notre Dame will be looking for the Big Ten sweep by beating Purdue but Orton won't let that happen.
Purdue 35, Notre Dame 24
No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 8 Auburn
Crone - Auburn was supposed to be one of the top teams in the nation last year. But they lost numerous games, falling well short of expectations. This year, the Tigers have already squeezed by LSU and look like they could challenge for the national title - if they can get through the tough Southeastern Conference.
Tennessee is the team of the future. They looked good against Florida, another future SEC championship contending team. Right now, this is LSU's, Auburn's and Georgia's conference to win or lose.
Auburn 17, Tennessee 10
Uncle Joey - I have a feeling about the Vols this year. I think it started when I watched them dismantle UNLV (I know, not a great team) on ESPN weeks ago. I rode that feeling two weeks ago by picking Tennessee to beat Florida and it worked. As much as it hurts to go with an Ainge-affiliated team (Vols quarterback Erik Ainge is related to Danny Ainge, the crappy, loudmouth and arrogant executive for the Boston Celtics. Seriously, I hate Danny Ainge as much as I hate hockey, Linda Cohn and anyone who thinks Barry Sanders' retirement was selfish), I can't go against my gut.
Tennessee 27, Auburn 20
