No. 5 Penn State at MSU
Fish: The Spartans still have a lot to play for. They can clinch a berth to the Motor City Bowl (yippee!) and send the senior class out as winners with a win.
Penn State also has a lot to play for — Big Ten champs and a Bowl Championship Series game.
Penn State is playing terrific all-around football with offense, defense and special teams all playing a vital role the entire season. This team was one second away from being undefeated and in the driver's seat for the Rose Bowl.
Expect Penn State to win this one handily. The team's focus and determination exceeds the winning attitude of the Spartans at this point.
But the Spartans will go to a familiar bowl — The Toilet Bowl.
Penn State 43, MSU 16
And Bish: Well, it's Senior Day. That's probably the best thing you can say about this game. Oh, and College GameDay is here!
I'm torn on this one. On one hand, MSU is good for one huge upset a year it seems. On the other, the Spartans only won once since the beginning of October against hapless Indiana — not good.
A blowout would be an absurd way to end the season, but I don't see that happening, despite the fact that the team is falling apart.
Add to the fact that Penn State has a BCS berth to play for and this could possibly be Joe Paterno's last Big Ten game and you realize how much this game means.
And with bad weather on tap, the great fans of MSU (especially my fellow students) will leave the stadium half empty by halftime, allowing the vocal Penn State minority to take over our house. Please, don't let that happen. If you want the coach fired, that's one thing, but support the players that play hard, especially some of the seniors, in their final game at Spartan Stadium.
MSU will keep this game close, but an emotional, fired-up Penn State team will just be too much.
Penn State 41, MSU 27
No. 16 Fresno State at No. 1 Southern Cal
Fish: One last big game separating the Trojans from another run at the national championship, and it makes me chuckle to hear the sports media picking Fresno State.
USC is way too talented to flop and lay an egg like many teams would be tempted to in this position.
The Trojans' No. 1-ranked offense will steal this show as it has so many others, showing everyone how overrated Fresno State has been.
USC 59, Fresno State 13
And Bish: My upset radar is going crazy — USC is running all over teams, but don't doubt this Fresno team, which is not quite getting the respect that it deserves.
The Trojans have the No. 1 spot in the land locked down, but a loss here could potentially knock them below Miami in the BCS standings, so they have a lot to play for.
It will be interesting to see how each team handles such a big game. I bet USC stumbles here. Its defense has not been up to par all season and that's going to be exposed.
Fresno State 34, USC 31
No. 9 Ohio State at No. 17 Michigan
Fish: The deciding factor is which defense plays a better game. We all know quarterbacks Chad Henne and Troy Smith can accomplish some good things on offense, but if not for a superior defense, both teams would be mediocre.
Neither team is going to be too aggressive offensively either, playing a field position game more than an offensive shootout.
I see Michigan winning this game, but I say that for jinx purposes because every game I've picked U-M to lose, they've won.
Michigan 26, Ohio State 21
And Bish: Here it is: The game that could (but probably will not) determine the Big Ten champion.
A win by Ohio State could mean two BCS berths for the Big Ten. A Michigan win sends the Wolverines, more than likely, to the Capital One Bowl and the Buckeyes to the Outback Bowl.
The game will be a feeling-out process for awhile, but Henne will eventually make one too many mistakes and with Ohio State's defense being what it is — awesome — he will pay. Bad.
Ohio State 16, Michigan 13
